Jasper is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and started his academic journey in 2010 and obtained his Master's and Ph.D. degrees in the Netherlands at the University of Amsterdam. He also spent time conducting research at UC Davis and the University of Arizona. He discussed the lack of emphasis on STEM education when he was in school and how it has evolved over time. He mentioned his early interest in building and understanding how things work, supported by his parents. Jasper highlighted the challenges of STEM education, particularly the need for maturity and a deeper understanding of concepts. He emphasized the importance of perseverance and maintaining interest in order to appreciate the beauty of STEM subjects. In terms of his current research, Jasper works with computer models to understand system behavior and analyze the discrepancies between model predictions and actual data. He focuses on identifying errors in the model concept and input data, which can be applied across various fields. Jasper also mentioned his inclination towards theoretical work, publishing in academic journals, and sharing his codes and ideas for practical applications. He aims to make his research accessible beyond academia. He explained that his interest in the field was initially in mathematics, but a presentation on pi by a professor at a university open day sparked his curiosity and led him to pursue engineering and research. Overall, Jasper's responses highlight his academic journey, his passion for understanding and improving models, and his commitment to bridging theory and application in his field.