Programme Committee The Modernity Centre – The Mill of

Programme Committee
The Modernity Centre – The Mill of Knowledge
Elżbieta Dzikowska – the historian of art, sinologist, traveler, director and documentary film operator,
the author of many books, TV programmes, radio broadcasts, journalistic articles and contemporary
art exhibitions. Together with her husband Tony Halik, she realized about 300 documentary films
from all of the continents for Telewizja Polska (Polish Television) and hosted a popular TV travel
programme “Pepper and Vanilla”. She received the following medals and orders: Knight of the Order
of Polonia Restituta, Gold Cross of Merit, Order of the Aztec Eagle, Medal for Merit to Culture twice.
Anna Broniewicz, MA, is a historian, she graduated from master’s studies, the Faculty of Humanities
on Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń – history field; in 1987 graduated from postgraduate
studies (the same faculty). Later on, she was working as a teacher in the Primary School no 20 in
Toruń, between 1988 and 1998 in the Regional Museum – Nicolaus Copernicus Museum in Toruń, as
an adjunct.
In 1990, she was one of the founders of the Foundation of Friends of the Planetarium and the
Museum of Nicholas Copernicus in Toruń, where she was a member of the board from the very
beginning. The foundation manages independently the Planetarium in Toruń, without the budget
grants on the current activity. The foundation is realizing its statutory aims focused on promoting
astronomy and through taking part in The Festival of Science and Art, The Scientist Night or within
various outdoor events in Toruń.
Since June 2011, Anna Broniewicz is the president of the Foundation and is responsible for the
realization of its development strategy. She is a leader of the “Geodium” project – the new
interactive exhibition within a programme Centrum Popularyzacji Kosmosu “Planetarium – Toruń”
(The Centre for Promoting Space), she coordinates investment process and works over the
exhibition’s scenario and exhibits. As a historian, she is interested in ethical, social and cultural
changes in society.
Jan Iwaniszewski, PhD is a physicist, long-term employee of the Quantum Mechanics Institution in
Physics Department on Nicolaus Copernicus University, a specialist in statistical mechanics, quantum
optics and dynamical systems theory.
Currently, he is a prorector for the organization of education on Physics, Astronomy and Applied IT
Department UMK. Jan Iwaniszewski, PhD is also a recognized promoter of natural sciences as a
coordinator of Regional Physics Groups project fromPhysics, Astronomy and Applied IT Department.
Jan Iwaniszewski, PhD has coordinated works over the concept of the exhibitions, which were
planned to become a part of the Modernity Centre – The Mill of Knowledge.
Marek Jurgowiak, MD, PhD – a senior lecturer on Clinical Chemistry Department of UMK Collegium
Medicum in Toruń, the author of articles and presentations promoting issues of biology,
biochemistry and medicine, among others in scientific magazines such as: “Wiedza i Życie”, “Focus”,
“Primum Non Nocere”, “Wiadomości Akademickie”, “Postępy Biochemii”, “Kosmos”, “Gerontologia
Polska”, “Gazeta Wyborcza”. Moreover, he is an author of the book – a compendium of knowledge
for high school students: “Biologia – przed egzaminem na akademie medyczne” PZWL and many
book chapters on biology and biomedicine. The laureate of the 6th edition of the Competition –
Popular Science 2011 (PAP and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education).
Prof. Jerzy Łukaszewicz, PhD – a chemist, rector of the Chemistry Department in UMK. He is the head
of The Team of Modelling and Synthesis of New Materials in the Department of Chemistry of
Adsorption and Catalysis Materials. Professor Łukaszewicz was a member of the Programme
Committee in The Modernity Centre project. His interests are related to detection of steam and
gases, surface science and new materials synthesis. He is the author of students’ handbooks, many
patents and several dozen of scientific publications in reputable magazines.
Zbigniew Podgórski, PhD – is a geographer, specialist in physical geography.
Currently, he is the president of Geography Institute and the head of Geography Teaching Workshop
in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science UMK in Toruń. He is the author of numerous
publications within Earth’s geography and the promoter of Earth’s sciences.
Zbigniew Podgórski, PhD is also a member of the Board of Polish Teachers of Natual Sciences and the
Programme-editing Committee’s newsletter “Nauczanie przedmiotów przyrodniczych” (Teaching of
Natural Science). In Polskie Towarzystwo Geograficzne, he is the deputy chairperson.
Prof. Bogusław Buszewski, PhD – is a chemist, currently he is the president of Polskie Towarzystwo
Chemiczne (PTChem), the vice-president of Committee on Analytical Chemistry PAN, a member of
Austrian Academy of Sciences, a member of editorial boards of 25 local and foreign scientific
magazines and the author or the co-author of 15 books, numerous patents (already introduced),
lectures and over 250 science articles. He is one of the most quoted chemists in Poland. Since 1994,
he started organizing research group on Chemistry Department UMK, since 2006 he is the president
of Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics Department.
Prof. B. Buszewski is also the president of European Society for Separation Science (EuSSS) (20102014), the president of the scientific society Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum (2007–2010 and
2010–2013), a member of the committee in Division of Environmental Chemistry of the European
Association for Chemical and Molecular Science (EuCheMS).
Prof. B. Buszewski is the laureate of many prizes and distinctions of local and foreign organisations,
including a Honoris Causa degree. In October 2007, he was honoured by Foundation for Polish
Science within “Mistrz” (The Master) programme (so called professor subsidy). In 2009, he became a
laureate of the Prime Minister Prize for remarkable achievements in chemistry.
Janusz Leon Wiśniewski, PhD – a chemist, computer scientist and writer. He obtained the master of
physics and economics from UMK, PhD of Information Technology from the Warsaw University of
Technology, and the Habilitation in Chemistry from the Łódź University of Technology.
Janusz L. Wiśniewski, between 1979 and 1987, was working in Ogólnouczelniany Ośrodek
Obliczeniowy in UMK. He lives in Frankfurt, where he is working in the international IT company. He
is the co-author of the first computer programme AutoNom used to mechanical establishment of
systematic names of organic compounds based on their structural patterns.
He is the co-editor of the scientific and IT magazine released on the Internet. Between 1999 and 2007
he was working as an associate professor in Pomeranian University in Słupsk.
He became popular after publishing his book “Loneliness on the Net” in 2001. The rest of his books
have also become very attractive to the receivers. In 2002, he published “Zespoły Napięć”, and in
2008, Dorota Wellman published a book with the interview with Janusz Wiśniewski. He is a columnist
for the monthly magazine “Pani”. He was also honoured in a walk of fame in his home town – Toruń.
Izabela Ziętara – the headmaster of Jan Paweł II Junior High School no 3 in Toruń, for years she has
been engaged in official and non-official education, among others as a biology, hydrobiology and
environment teacher, the postgraduate lecturer in Nicolaus Copernicus University and a teacher in
the Private High School in Toruń. Under her management, the Junior High School takes part in many
projects with European Union additional funding, its students also took part in Socrates Programme
(concerning teaching English), cooperating with educational institutions in Wales, Italy and Germany.
Between 2005 and 2007 she was employed as a consulting advisor in Centrum Kształcenia
Ustawicznego Toruńskiego Ośrodka Doradztwa Metodycznego i Doskonalenia Nauczycieli.