Working Memory and Executive Control: A Festschrift for André Vandierendonck

Abstract

Throughout his career, André Vandierendonck (PhD 1973, Ghent University) has been one of the most prominent scientific and institutional representatives of cognitive psychology in Belgium. André Vandierendonck became head of the Department of Experimental Psychology at Ghent University in 1995. At that time, the department consisted of two faculty members and a handful of scientific collaborators. Under the chairmanship of André Vandierendonck, it expanded exponentially after the introduction of a strong scientific research and publication tradition. Today, 15 years later, the same department counts nine faculty members and a scientific staff of nearly 60 people. Together, they produce a voluminous and high-quality body of scientific output addressing a wide range of topics in cognitive (neuro)psychology. Also at the European level, he has been active in the development and expansion of the field, as the president of European Society for Cognitive Psychology, as the editor of international journals and as one of the founders of the European Working Memory Symposia. This special issue is in celebration of André Vandierendonck’s contributions to cognitive psychology.