Published: 30.11.2020
On the occasion of the forthcoming Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day and the International Students’ Day, the Rector of the University of Pardubice Jiří Málek awarded nine scientists and students for their extraordinary achievements. This year, the Rector’s Plaque for exceptional achievement was awarded for the first time. As a result of the unfavourable epidemiological situation, most of the laureates will receive the awards at a different date.
“The University of Pardubice has always had outstanding personalities and top professionals in their fields. We appreciate their work but also the fact that they educate the next generation of talented scientists. I also appreciate the activities of our colleagues who are able to present the scientific results in an attractive way to wider audiences,” said Prof. Jiří Málek, Rector of the University of Pardubice.
This year, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the University, the Rector awarded a completely new prize—Rector’s Plaque for Exceptional Scientific Achievement. The author of the Rector’s Plaque is the artist and sculptor Jakub Vlček. The first winner for an exceptional international reach of his basic research and implementation of research results in practice is Prof. Ing. Michal Holčapek, Ph.D. He is a graduate from the University of Pardubice, analytical chemist and one of the most cited authors of scientific publications. This year he received a European patent for the detection of pancreatic cancer.
The Silver Medal of Merit for significant contribution to the development of electrical chemistry at the University of Pardubice was awarded in memoriam to Prof. Ing. Karel Vytřas, DrSc. who worked at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemical Technology. During the 1990s, he was also member of the management of the Faculty and the University.
The Rector’s Prize for her prestigious monograph was awarded to Prof. PhDr. Milena Lenderová, CSc. from the Faculty of Arts for her publication entitled Women with a Suitcase and Hope (Midwives in the Czech Lands from Mid-19th Century to Mid-20th Century).
The Rector’s Prize for publications in prestigious scientific journals were received by the following four scientists from the Faculty of Chemical Technology: Dr. Denise Wolrab (lead author of a paper in Trends in Analytical Chemistry published as an outcome of research activities of the team led by Prof. Holčapek), Ing. Petr Košťál, Ph.D. (lead author of a paper in International Materials Reviews published as an outcome of research activities of the team led by Prof. Málek), Ing. Tomáš Chlupatý, Ph.D. (lead author of a paper in Inorganic Chemistry published as an outcome of research activities of the team led by Prof. Růžička) and Ing. Miloš Krbal, Ph.D. (lead author of a paper in Applied Materials Today published as an outcome of research activities of the team led by Dr. Macák).
For the establishment of a tradition of literary meetings and reading at Václav Havel Bench as well as for his own successful literary creation, the Rector gave the Students’ Prize to Mgr. Přemysl Krejčík from the Faculty of Arts. He is a PhD student of History and author of collections of poems, novels, sci-fi stories and other books. This year he succeeded with his detective story Malej NY, which was among the three nominated works for the prestigious Jiří Orten Award.
The Rector’s Prize for science communication was given to Ing. Jiří Nožička, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Transport Engineering, whose popular scientific lectures have in the long-term supported the interest of elementary and secondary school students in education and scientific research.
Mgr. Martina Macková,
Head of the PR Department, University of Pardubice
