Johannes "Johan" Bouma (born 29 October 1940) is a Dutch soil scientist. He worked at the Netherlands Soil Survey Institute from 1975 to 1983 and was professor of soil science at

Wageningen University and Research Centre Wageningen University & Research (also known as Wageningen UR; abbreviation: WUR) is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally ...

between 1983 and 2002.

Career

Bouma was born on 29 October 1940 in

Vrouwenparochie Vrouwenparochie ( fry, Froubuorren; Bildts: ''Froubuurt'') is a village in Waadhoeke municipality in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands, with a population of around 685 in 2021. It is called ''Froubuurt'' in the dialect of Het Bildt. The ...

. He studied soil science at

, obtaining his degree ''cum laude'' in 1966. He continued studying at the University and obtained his PhD in

soil management Soil management is the application of operations, practices, and treatments to protect soil and enhance its performance (such as soil fertility or soil mechanics). It includes soil conservation, soil amendment, and optimal soil health. In agricu ...

in 1969. Bouma subsequently moved to the United States and became a postdoc at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

, where he also held teaching positions until his return to the Netherlands in 1975. There, he became head of the soil physics department of . From 1983 to 1986 he served as adjunct director of the institute. In 1986 Bouma was appointed professor of soil science at Wageningen University and Research Centre. As professor he specialized in soil inventarisation and land evaluation. He retired in 2002. From 1998 to 2003 he was member of the Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy. In 2020 together with former Dutch Minister for Agriculture Cees Veerman he was a part of

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

which published a vision called "Mission on Soil, Health and Food". Bouma was elected a Fellow of the

Soil Science Society of America The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), is the largest soil-specific society in the United States. It was formed in 1936 from the merger of the Soils Section of the American Society of Agronomy and the American Soil Survey Association. The So ...

in 1983 or 1985. He was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1989. He was made an Officer in the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

in 2001. In 2014 he won the Presidents Award of the Soil Science Society of America. Bouma won the 2017

Alexander von Humboldt Medal The International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) promotes contact between scientists and others interested in the study of vegetation ecology, promotes research and publication of research results. In 1939 the International Phytosocio ...

of the

European Geosciences Union The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is a non-profit international union in the fields of Earth, planetary, and space sciences whose vision is to "realise a sustainable and just future for humanity and for the planet." The organisation has hea ...

. During the 2018 World Congress of the

International Union of Soil Sciences The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), founded in 1924 under the name ''International Society of Soil Science'', is a scientific union and member of the International Council for Science (ICSU). The Union has 86 national and regional m ...

he was awarded the Dokuchaev Award. In 2019 a ''

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

'' was published in his honour.

References

External links

*
Interview with Professor Bouma
at AgroCares {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouma, Johan 1940 births Living people Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau People from Het Bildt Dutch soil scientists Wageningen University and Research alumni Academic staff of Wageningen University and Research