The best AGH UST academic teachers rewarded

The jury presented awards and honourable mentions in six categories
 

Student Research Club Supervisor

• winner: Dr (Eng.) Tymoteusz Turlej, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
• honourable mention: Maciej Żołądek, MSc Eng., Faculty of Energy and Fuels

Thesis Supervisor

• winner: Dr (Eng.) Adam Korbel, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
• honourable mention: Dr hab. (Eng.) Agnieszka Bieda, Associate Professor at the AGH UST, Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering

Innovator

• winner: Dr hab. (Eng.) Jacek Tarasiuk, Associate Professor at the AGH UST, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science
• honourable mention: Dr (Eng.) Anna Kwietniak, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection

Lecturer

• winner: Dr (Eng.) Sylwia Bednarek, Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science
• honourable mention: Dr Witold Majdak, Faculty of Applied Mathematics

Academic Teacher

• winner: Dr (Eng.) Anna Przewięźlikowska, Faculty of Geo-Data Science, Geodesy, and Environmental Engineering
• honourable mention: Jakub Wojdyła, MSc, Faculty of Applied Mathematics

Student Friend

• winner: Barbara Dulba, MA, Department of Foreign Languages
• honourable mention: Dr hab. (Eng.) Dariusz Fuksa, Associate Professor at the AGH UST, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management

Profiles of the awarded teachers (alphabetically)
 

Dr (Eng.) Sylwia Bednarek
She describes herself as a lecturer, coach, and tutor. A graduate and employee from the Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science. Children and adults’ educator in themes related to personal growth, financial awareness, management, and entrepreneurship. She is no stranger to the issues related to plastic metal processing and the numerical modelling thereof. She incessantly improves her educational skills in courses and trainings, foregrounding relationship formation. In her work, she often uses her own educational tools and relies on a coaching approach. Author of a tool for breaking mental barriers related to the perception of money, a workbook for individual work on self-awareness, and two books of poetry. A fan of badminton, cycling excursions, and a good book. She likes positive people.

Dr hab. (Eng.) Agnieszka Bieda, Associate Professor at the AGH UST
Employed as associate professor in the Department of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Spatial Engineering of the Faculty of Geo-Data Science, Geodesy, and Environmental Engineering. She has been associated with the university and the faculty since October 2002, when she enrolled as a student. She defended her Master’s thesis in 2007. In 2011, at the same faculty, she defended her doctoral dissertation. She received postdoctoral qualifications at the Warsaw University of Technology Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography in 2019. She is the editor-in-chief of the AGH UST scientific journal titled Geomatics and Environmental Engineering. Being also a graduate of geodesy and cartography and urban planning (Cracow University of Technology Faculty of Architecture), her work balances between technical and social sciences. She tries to teach her students and mentees about the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to science, as well as the fact that they should place sustainable development at the foundation of any activity, including all its aspects (environmental, economic, and social). She supervised more than 100 engineers and masters. She always says that she is euqally proud of every thesis and defence of her candidates. She likes the sea, sun-drenched Italy, chocolate, and Star Trek. In her spare time, she reads crime fiction, watches film adaptations of her favourite comic books, and bakes cakes. She is passionate about astrophysics and architecture. She wishes to have more time to paint, draw, and embroider. She used to have enough time for those to showcase her works. One of them had even been displayed in a Parisian gallery. She is a member of the Center for Design, Fashion and Advertisement Law at the University of Silesia.

Barbara Dulba, MA
Her third nomination for the Teaching Awards in this category corroborates the legitimacy of the path she had taken to win the hearts of her students. Her secret is the true curiosity about another human being and the awareness of what WORDS can do. She always tries to bridge the gap and create a good atmosphere, which makes even the most insecure students enjoy the effects of language learning. Moreover, they often come to her with their problems, sometimes personal. She constantly expands her knowledge to better understand the students and respond to their needs accordingly. She tries to reach everyone, for example, using the Department’s Facebook profile that she co-manages. During her post-pandemic classes, she made use of multifarious technologies and devices to facilitate cooperation between students in class and quarantine. This exact multiyear involvement in exploring and implementing new technologies and innovative educational methods resulted in an honourable mention in the Innovator category in the first edition of this competition. She wins students’ friendship by devoting them her time in real and digital spaces. Personally, a grandmother for two. She devours tonnes of books, paints, and explores the world, travelling and making new friends everywhere, searching for ways to inspire her students. She endows her students with friendly feelings and positive energy, she feeds them with the knowledge of language, people, and the world, and sometimes even... a homemade pizza.

Dr hab. (Eng.) Dariusz Fuksa, Associate Professor at the AGH UST
He is the head of the Department of Industrial Economics and Management. For 8 years, he was Dean’s Proxy for Quality of Education at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management. Currently, he ensures the quality of education at the national level as an expert to the Polish Accreditation Committee. He received multiple awards and medals from Polish and university authorities. He supervised more than 180 theses. His multiannual experience and numerous courses and trainings allowed him to develop ways of efficient communication with students and effective educational methods. He tries to guide his students through the world of science, relaying his knowledge, and indicating its practical uses in both daily and professional lives. His classes are based on dialogue, mutual cooperation, and discussion. All this in a light and pleasant atmosphere. Working with students brings him great satisfaction and, as he himself claims, is a true fountain of youth. He reads poetry. He likes it when ‘it’s all up and running’. 

Dr (Eng.) Adam Korbel
A scientist and academic teacher, a doctor of technical sciences (with distinction) in the field of machine design and maintenance, and an assistant professor at the Department of Machine Design and Maintenance. Participant in international and Polish research projects, author of numerous research papers in the field of riveted lap joint fatigue in aviation, and reviewer of foreign academic journals in this area. He received several Rector’s awards for his academic achievement, as well as numerous other awards, including one for the best teacher at the Biomedical Engineering field of study conducted at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science, and Biomedical Engineering. Personally, a computer aficionado, a fan of horsepower, adrenaline, challenges, and travels.

Dr (Eng.) Anna Kwietniak
She is a doctor of Earth Sciences in the field of geophysics but also holds a diploma in mining and geology. All of her degrees were conferred by the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection. During the last year of her master’s degree programme, she was employed as a geologist at Geofizyka Kraków, where she worked for more than 5 years. She truly appreciates her experience working in the industry, which allowed her to merge theoretical knowledge with a practical approach. After her doctoral defence (2016), she was first employed as assistant; now, she works as assistant professor in the Department of Geophysics of the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection. She completed a three-month doctoral internship at Microseismic.INC in Houston. This research visit was an excellent opportunity to meet the western approach to carrying out projects. Her investigations focus on seismic interpretations. She implements grants funded by the National Centre for Research and Development; she is also the leader of her own National Science Centre Sonata grant. She is very lucky to have found a job aligned with her education, which allows her to continue learning new things. She wants to show her students that Earth Sciences are interesting. She is a yoga instructor, languages enthusiast, and avid reader (especially of investigative journalism, biographies, and historical books), she loves live music, walks with her family and beloved dogs. And when she finally has had enough, she finds escape in the mountains.

Dr Witold Majdak
Assistant professor at the Department of Mathematical Analysis, Computational Mathematics, and Probabilistic Methods of the Faculty of Applied Mathematics. His professional interests revolve around functional and nonlinear analyses. His educational passions include giving lectures on various fields of mathematics, during which he engages in discussions with his students. Although his experience is substantial, he claims that, year after year, he learns something new from his students. He is also the supervisor of a Mathematicians’ Student Research Club. He supervised more than 80 theses. He received multiple educational awards from the AGH UST Rector. He had been involved in organising more than a dozen scientific conferences and in many other organisational activities at the university. One of his achievements is a significant input in the development of Opuscula Mathematica, an international scientific journal published at the AGH UST. In his free time, he likes to explore other countries on his own; he is a hiker and skier, and sometimes a sailor as well.

Dr (Eng.) Anna Przewięźlikowska
She works as assistant professor at the Faculty of Geo-Data Science, Geodesy, and Environmental Engineering. Being an academic teacher is her passion. Already during her studies, she managed to obtain teaching qualifications. She continually improves her teaching skills to be able to use all available tools and communication methods in her work. Remote education was a great lesson for her in actively engaging students in her classes. She teaches the following courses: geodesy, real property cadastre, and field classes. She supervised about 120 candidates from Poland and Ukraine. Since 2013, she has been taking students from Ukraine into her custody. Her online educational materials based on her geodesy classes, prepared for a competition, enjoy huge popularity among students of various geodetic universities. Her research work focuses on the fields of property estate cadastre and geodesy. She often publishes her papers in scientific journals. Her publications include more than 40 articles, papers, and book fragments. Personally, she is the mother of three children who inspire her to give her best when working with young people. She really likes to ski, ride a bike, dance, travel, embroider, and grow flowers.

Dr hab. (Eng.) Jacek Tarasiuk, Associate Professor at the AGH UST
From the beginning of his professional career in 1991, he has been focused on teaching and modern education. He taught many classes of his own creation. For several years, he had been actively working with a movement of student research clubs. He co-established the Computational Engineering field of study. Uninterruptedly since 1998, he has been a jury member in a competition for student audivisual works. For many years, he was a member of the AGH UST Centre of e-Learning Programme Council. Between 2013 and 2021, he was Rector’s Proxy for Quality of Education. Since 2017, he has been an expert and since 2020, a member of the Polish Accreditation Committee. He received the highest distinction awarded at the AGH UST for educational activity. In his investigations, he focuses on the use of microtomography in materials research and studying the mechanical properties of bone tissue. He co-authored more than 140 academic publications printed in renowned international journals as well as more than 70 conference presentations. He supervised three defended doctoral dissertations.

Dr (Eng.) Tymoteusz Turlej
Assistant professor at the Department of Power Systems and Environmental Protection Facilities. An AGH UST graduate from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science, and Biomedical Engineering. Author and co-author of several dozen scientific publications. The supervisor of the New-Tech Student Research Club (since 2015) and the AGH Drone Engineering Student Research Club (since 2018), which carry out projects related to 3D printing, numerical control of devices, intelligent home, and pilotless vehicles. Leader and academic supervisor of numerous student projects, including those qualified for ministerial competitions and Rector’s and Dean’s grants at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics. His academic interests include mechanical engineering, environmental protection, multiphase flows, power engineering, and artificial intelligence. Personally, he is an honourable blood donor, traveller, biker, marathoner, mountain hiker, as well as rail transport modelling and 19^th-century industrial architecture aficionado.

Jakub Wojdyła, MSc
An alumnus and assistant professor from the Faculty of Applied Mathematics. He will defend his doctoral dissertation in October 2022. His academic interests focus on mathematical statistics, which he believes to be the sexiest branch of mathematics. It revolves around creating tools for solving multifarious and fascinating problems, also from the practical point of view, using various other branches of mathematics. He is truly passionate about his professional life. For example, he is interested in data analysis using statistical methods and machine learning, as well as its application in the area related to artificial intelligence. As a Data Scientist, he worked on many commercial projects related to real-world data from various branches of industry. With the professional future of his students in mind, he tries to share his experience and passion in and out of class. He claims that the atmosphere of kindness and openness in class is more conducive to learning and discussion, constituting the foundation for cooperation and positively influencing students’ motivation. Privately, he loves physical exercise. He is a keen traveller – Polish mountains or European islands are his thing. He is also interested in computer graphics.

Maciej Żołądek, MSc Eng.
A student of the AGH UST Doctoral School. He works in the Department of Sustainable Energy Development of the Faculty of Energy and Fuels. He focuses mostly on the issues of solar and wind energies. He is a supervisor of the Eko-Energia Student Research Club, with which he carries out the Windy project, which revolves around a wind turbine with a variable-diameter diffuser, as well as many research and construction grants. In his work with students, he is always open to their fresh ideas, while simultaneously being ready to help in the implementation of tested solutions. He actively introduces modern teamwork and management methods to his projects in order to achieve optimal results. With his students, he received numerous Rector’s grants and other grants from industrial plants. Under his care, students win prestigious awards in various competitions. He authored more than 30 research papers and popular science articles. Personally, he is passionate about new technologies: 3D printing, microelectronics, and programming.