Tom Breugelmans took over from Walter Sevenhans as the dean of the Faculty of Applied Engineering on 1 September. Tom is an engineer, lecturer, spokesman for the Applied Electrochemistry and Catalysis (ELCAT) research group and researcher in the field of electrochemical engineering. And now a dean, too. But who is the man behind the dean? Read on for seven things you might not know about Tom.
1. Overtaken by ambition
If you’d told 16-year-old Tom Breugelmans that he’d be a dean at the University of Antwerp at the age of 39, he’d probably have thought you were crazy.
‘I had everything all planned out: I wanted to become a passionate maths and chemistry teacher, preferably teaching pupils who had eight hours of maths a week. Cycling to school every day, enthusiastically coaching Olympiad competitors, piquing pupils’ interest in mathematics and science… But it’s one of my characteristics to squeeze every last drop out of things. That’s how I started my PhD after my studies – very naturally, actually – and how I gradually got into teaching and research as well. And then all of a sudden you’re heading a research group of 30 people (ELCAT – Ed.) and you’ve been elected dean of the Faculty of Applied Engineering.’
2. First student in the family
As a teenager, Tom already knew that his future career would have something to do with chemistry. He just wasn’t sure whether to go for industrial or civil engineering.
‘If I wanted to study civil engineering, I’d have to go and live in student accommodation in a different city, because there were no civil engineering programmes in Antwerp. And that was hard for my parents to understand – they didn’t go to university and started work at the age of 16. So I went for industrial engineering, more for pragmatic reasons really. Besides, if I stayed at home I’d get my own car to drive to campus in. As an 18-year-old, that was obviously an important consideration too (laughs).’
3. Policymaker with guts
Why did Tom become a dean at 39?
‘I honestly had my doubts, because the deanship has come very early in my career. Ideally, it would have happened 15 years later. Carrying out goal-setting interviews with colleagues who knew you as a student, or with peers who you once started out with – that’s not easy. And in six years’ time when my term ends, I’ll still have to be at thetop of my field in my research. That’s not going to be straightforward, because the research group (ELCAT – Ed) has grown exponentially since it was founded eight years ago and still needs a lot of steering.
But on the other hand, I thought it was really important to find an internal candidate from within the faculty, which meant there were just a handful of candidates. And I really enjoy participating in policy and managing other people in a positive way. And to let this opportunity go by now without knowing if there’ll ever be a similar chance in the future… Sometimes you just have to jump (laughs).’
4. Involved dad
Becoming a dean means even more professional and social obligations. And that affects your private life too, especially as a dad.
‘My daughter Margot just turned seven. We’ve agreed that we’ll see each other at least once a day. That means that I try to do the morning shift at home if I have a meeting or other event in the evening. But I have to admit it doesn’t always work out. Then I call my dad. We’re lucky that Margot’s the only grandchild, on both sides, so there’s no shortage of helping hands. Her grandparents would almost fight over the chance to pick her up from school (laughs). That’s a real luxury.’
5. Surprisingly sporty
Twenty-six miles. That’s how much sportiness Tom’s legs have already clocked up by the time he walks into his office in the morning.
‘I don’t think anyone ever expected me to become sporty, but look. My PhD students used to tease me and say that I’d drive my car right up to my desk if I could. During the first wave of the coronavirus, after much thought, I decided to switch to riding a speed pedelec. So I now whizz from Nijlen to Campus Groenenborger on it every day, corona permitting. It did take some getting used to, because my car was like a moving desk. And panniers only hold so much, of course. But now I’ve got lots of extra stuff at the office, like a suit for example.’
6. Well-groomed
That’s how one of Tom’s colleagues describes him. Because – according to his colleagues – he’s often very neatly dressed.
‘Anyone who knows me knows that I pay attention to my appearance. My wife doesn’t have to choose my clothes (laughs). I like to follow fashion, though it always takes a while before I adopt a new trend. The slightly too short trousers, short socks under a pair of trousers, happy socks… I’m not afraid to add a playful element to my outfit.’
7. What’s next?
Does Tom have his next step in mind?
‘I’m not thinking about that right now, I don’t have a master plan. But when an opportunity comes along, I often have trouble saying no. I’ve always been like that. My wife Tanja often says there’s only one person I can say no to, and that’s her (laughs). In any case, our faculty can and must have the ambition to have representatives in the university’s policy bodies. That’s a feeling shared by many in the faculty, and I’m really happy about that.’
Want to find out more about Tom’s vision as dean? Or read former dean Walter Sevenhans’ look back at his term? Check out our website.