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This month marks the 25th work anniversary of Dr. Patricia Post Nievelstein at Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��. Patricia came over to UCU in 2001, and ended up becoming one of the longest serving staff members ever. Apart from teaching at UCU, Patricia has also carried out duties such as Senior Tutor and Head of the Admissions Board. Patricia won the teacher of the year award in 2022, according to the votes cast by UCU students. 

Here is what some of Patricia's longest serving colleagues had to say about her:

Dear Patricia, your kindness and dedication shines through in everything you do for your students as well as for your colleagues. I am quite sure that you love most everything about your job, and I hope that you also know how much we all love and respect you for your wisdom and dedication. I will never forget the roaring applause in Tivoli, when you accepted the teacher-of-the-year award and gave a brief speech to remind the students of their strengths and abilities by talking in very modest terms about how you discovered yours at the college. In my memory you were literally jumping for joy... but perhaps my recollection is just a measure of how uplifted we all felt as we applauded you. Feel that way, Patricia, as we applaud and thank you again today!
- Prof. Dr. Christel Lutz, Director of Education

In her years at UCU, Patricia has contributed uniquely to the institution and to the community in all the multiple different roles, bringing her strengths and personal style to each. UCU would have been a very different place without her!  She is someone who has a special talent for coming up with sensible, practical approaches that reflect her deep understanding of the complexity of the big picture and the details that contribute to that.  This has made UCU a better place in all kinds of ways.  Patricia has found creative ways to support a wide range of students in their progress towards their degree (as tutor), in their learning (as biology teacher), and in meeting science methodology requirements (as lab course coordinator).  In her years as head tutor, she led the tutor team with a clarity of purpose that combined her appreciate of the constraints on the UCU institution and the strengths and needs of the individual members of the tutor team, also impacting UCU as a whole.  One third of the current tutor team, including the current members of the senior tutor team Bettina Boschen and Patrick Wijchers and current track fellows Diana Odier-Contreras, Nina Köll, Robert Renes and Rhoda Woets were brought into UCU’s tutor team during Patricia’s tenure as head tutor.  Cluster chairs Agnes Andeweg and Erwin van Sas are also “alumni” of Patricia’s head tutor team. Today, Patricia is bringing her clear vision and organizational strengths to her role as head of admissions, playing an important role in shaping future UCU cohorts. 
- Dr. Jocelyn Ballantyne, Senior Tutor

On behalf of all at UCU, we would like to congratulate to Patricia on this amazing achievement and thank her for the many years of contributing to making UCU what it is today.