Presentation of Division IV Academic Awards

On 12 December 2025, the ceremony of awarding the Scientific Awards of the Fourth Division of Technical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences took place in room 2318 of the Palace of Culture and Science. The meeting was attended by members of the Division, representatives of the Polish Academy of Sciences authorities and gathered guests – scientific supervisors, colleagues and families of the awardees.

The following individuals received equal scientific awards from Division IV:

• Dr Ryszard BUCHALIK – Silesian University of Technology,

The award was granted for a series of publications describing theoretical and experimental research on systems equipped with thermoelectric modules. Patented methods for determining thermal resistance were developed, proprietary simulation software was created, and concepts for optimising multi-stage systems were presented.

• Dr Witold CHROMIŃSKI – Warsaw University of Technology,

Dr Witold Chromiński’s series of articles concerns the possibility of shaping the mechanical properties of light metal alloys through thermal-plastic processing. Thanks to advanced electron microscopy methods, it was possible to understand the mechanisms responsible for strengthening these materials. Research of this type can significantly contribute to the conscious shaping of properties, e.g. during recycling.

• Dr Andrzej KATUNIN – Silesian University of Technology,

The award was granted for a series of works contributing to the development of modern methods for assessing and predicting the durability of composites, including the impact of damage, fatigue processes and thermomechanical phenomena. The developed solutions expand knowledge about the behaviour of composite materials and support their design and safe operation in advanced structural elements.

• Piotr KUWAŁEK, PhD, Eng. – Poznań University of Technology,

Development of a unique solution to increase the effectiveness of voltage fluctuation diagnostics in modern power grids, where simultaneous voltage fluctuations and distortions are common, and performance of complementary studies of the current smart meter infrastructure from the point of view of the feasibility of implementing the proposed approach.

• Dr Reza TEIMOURI – Krakow University of Technology,

for a series of six articles published in renowned scientific journals from the JCR list as a result of the implementation by Dr Reza Teimouri of the project entitled Prediction fatigue life in burnishing of difficult hard material in machining process, financed by the National Agency for Academic Exchange as part of the ULAM-2020 programme

• Dr Piotr WODARSKI – Silesian University of Technology

Award for research work entitled Method of detecting momentary posture corrections as a tool for differentiating strategies for maintaining human balance in the context of diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases.
The work is a breakthrough achievement in the field of patient health monitoring, particularly in the early detection of balance disorders. The developed method is a significant step forward in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases at an early stage. Its application in clinical trials, conducted in collaboration with renowned research centres, including the Department of Surgery at Saarland University and the Department of Neurology at Christian-Albrechts University in Germany, highlights the international scope of the project and creates a real opportunity to implement the developed solution into clinical practice worldwide.

photo: Aneta Karwowska / PAN