June 23, 2023, Wil Schilders received the royal decoration Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau, on the occasion of his formal retirement from Eindhoven University of Technology as full professor Scientific Computing for Industry. The decoration was conferred because of Wil’s outstanding service to the national and international mathematics community.

Wil Schilders has and had many positions in mathematics, such as: director of the Platform Mathematics Netherlands; president of the European Consortium on Mathematics for Industry; president-elect of the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics; co-founder and leader of the European service network for mathematics in industry EU-MATHS-IN; advisor to mathematics institutes in Brazil, Germany, Ireland and Japan; and more.

Wil is of great value to mathematics in The Netherlands, Europe and worldwide: through the very active use of his unique network in academic institutions, government agencies and high-tech companies; through his excellent organizational and acquisition activities; and through the generous sharing of his broad and deep knowledge of mathematics and its applications in industry.

Wil’s great commitment extends beyond his professorship. He serves the general public with exhibitions on the beauty and practical relevance of mathematics, and with information on how to solve Sudoku puzzles. He has written three widely translated booklets on the latter, to entertain countless people.

Photo by Marijn Anthonissen