Obituary: Jan Willem Foppen
Dr. Jan Willem Foppen, former IHE Delft Associate Professor of Hydrology, passed away on 24 June 2024. At the age of only 58, he left us far too early. Colleagues and students remember Jan Willem as a passionate researcher, a devoted teacher and a down-to-earth friend.
Jan Willem received his MSc degree in Hydrogeology in 1990 from the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam. After that, he worked for the Dutch Society for Nature Conservation and the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), first in the groundwater exploration service and later in TNO's Institute of Applied Geosciences. He joined IHE Delft in 1998 and was a warmly appreciated colleague. He worked at IHE Delft until 2023, when he joined Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) – which awarded him with ius promovendi in March 2024. He remained engaged with IHE Delft as an affiliate researcher.
Work in Yemen
Jan Willem first joined IHE Delft as the resident team leader for a project in Yemen. In this position, he established a research centre for water and environment at Sana'a University. After returning to the Netherlands, he started his PhD research in 2000, spending many hours in the laboratory performing column experiments on the transport of bacteria. The work paid off: the result experiences enabled him to formulate new equations for colloid transport and sorption. He defended his PhD thesis and received his doctorate from IHE Delft (then UNESCO-IHE) and VU in 2007.
During Jan Willem's more than 25 years at IHE Delft, he made significant contributions to the Institute's education, research and capacity development, always guided by his passion for groundwater and contaminant transport. Over time, he expanded his area of expertise also to include colloidal transport in surface and groundwater, and in 2016, he began research on silica DNA tracers. Together with his team in groundwater and surface water injection studies, he used artificial DNA to search for new tracers to better understand hydrologic processes.
Lasting legacy
As a renowned expert in this field, he made a tremendous contribution not only to this subject but also to the development of the students, colleagues and partners with whom he collaborated.
On social media, IHE Delft alumni paid tribute to their beloved teacher and colleague. "A good academic and with heart for global affairs," a former staff member wrote, while an alumnus reminisced about "funny conversations" with a "great person and friend." Noting that Jan Willem's legacy will live on through his impact on the field as well as through the many students he taught and lives he touched, another alumnus wrote: "His wisdom, kindness and expertise left an indelible mark on all who knew him. He will be deeply missed by the entire academic community and by those who had the honour of calling him a friend."
Besides the transport of bacteria and silica DNA tracers, Jan Willem's research interests included water and sanitation in slums in sub-Saharan Africa. The significance of his findings of viral DNA in groundwater in slum areas – which he described as "alarming on the one hand, and ground-breaking as well" was recognised by the European Geophysical Union and reported by media around the world.
Active learning
A dedicated teacher, Jan Willem developed, coordinated and taught a wide range of courses, workshops and MSc programmes. His motto was that hydro(geo)logy is a science that cannot be fully taught in classrooms – fieldwork is needed. He was passionate about taking students to the field, where he challenged and confronted them with hydrology in practice. Using his trademark active learning approach, he supervised and mentored dozens of MSc and PhD students. He helped students develop self-efficacy, empowering them to achieve their goals by believing in themselves. He was admired for his capacity to encourage students and colleagues to grow.
Jan Willem's enormous energy, scientific expertise, upbeat attitude and sense of humour is sorely missed.