Metselaar had previously been informed that she had written the best thesis in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. That her thesis has now also been chosen as the best thesis of the entire UvA, she found 'very unexpected.' Metselaar: 'The moment I heard on stage that I had won was truly a surprise. Everyone has put so much work into their thesis, I hadn’t prepared for it at all.'

Research on resemblance

In her thesis, Metselaar examines the selection of sperm donors in hospitals. This is often done based on physical resemblance to the intended parents. Metselaar's research delves into what this concept of 'resemblance' actually means and shows that boundaries are established during this process. 'I looked at all the practices involved in choosing a donor who resembles one of the intended parents. I noticed that for some choices, it's acceptable to deviate slightly, while other things are deemed unacceptable. Eye or hair colour can differ, but aspects like skin colour become a problem.' Thus, boundaries are established during the process.

UvA Thesis Prize awarded annually

The jury, composed of the deans of all UvA faculties, awarded Metselaar's thesis this year with the Grand Prize of the UvA Thesis Prize. This prize is awarded annually for the best master's thesis written at the UvA. First, the seven faculty winners are chosen, from which the winner of the Grand Prize is selected. The other faculty winners for 2024 were Max Schoenmakers (ACTA), Maaike van Vulpen (FEB), Marta Pagliuca Pelacani (FGw), Amber den Hollander (Medicine), Heleen Mulder (FNWI), and Ömer Arikan (FdR).