An incredible colleague
I am forever grateful to Jelle for being such an amazing colleague. Prior to joining the BU faculty, I worked at the New England Aquarium as a research scientist, but taught for BUMP as an outside contractor. I was 8 months pregnant when I taught my first BUMP class, and Jelle really looked out for me, helping me to find a temporary office in the Biology department so that I had a place to put my things and rest whenever possible as I waddled through my class. I will also forever remember coming to my first BUMP faculty meeting after having a baby - Jelle encouraged me to bring my baby daughter with me, which I did, and he normalized the idea that it was not only okay, but encouraged (!!) to bring a baby to a faculty meeting (very different from my other experiences at the time). He was a thoughtful, kind, and gracious colleague who encouraged me (and everyone!) to be our whole selves. I am honored to have inherited his lab space at BU, and am grateful for his incredible custom-built seawater system, which works as well for corals as it did for lobsters! When Jelle handed me the keys to his lab, he told me the story of it's design. He told me that when BUMP transitioned from Woods Hole to BU, he advocated to have a small of a lab footprint as possible so that he wouldn't burden the department's space needs. So, he designed a space that encompasses all of his needs in one neat package. All of these stories epitomize his generosity, thoughtfulness, and kindness. He was an amazing supporter of women in science, and was one of the nicest colleagues I've ever had. His loss is deeply felt, and his memory will forever be a blessing.