Pulaski Scholarships 2016

AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR POLISH CULTURE
$5,000 PULASKI SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

by Marion V. Winters

Five winners of the 16th annual $5,000 Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski Scholarships were announced recently by Mr. Marion Winters, Chairman Pulaski Scholarship Committee, American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC). A record number of applications were received this year. The scholarship program was initiated 16 years ago as a result of a sizeable endowment by the Conrad R. Walas family with continuing support from the Polonia.

Serving with Mr. Winters on the Pulaski Scholarship Committee for 2016 are Mrs. Deborah M. Majka, MS; Mrs. Carolyn Meleski, MS; Mrs. Alicia L. Dutka; and Mr. Stephen Medvec Ph.D. The exceptional qualities of school work and research plus dedicated community services performed by the applicants made the final selection process quite difficult. The Committee felt that most of the applicants deserved recognition for their outstanding achievements and honestly wished that funding was available that could have allowed for several more awards.

The Pulaski Committee selected the following students for the 2016 Pulaski Scholarships for Advanced Studies grants of $5,000 each:

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Zuzanna Fuchs is currently busily engaged in Ph.D. studies in Linguistics at Harvard University. Her impressive listing of scholarships and various awards, including those at Cambridge University, is clearly indicative of her intelligence and integrity. Her dedication to the study of Slavic and Georgian linguistics and numerous publications in prominent linguistic journals on these and other topics is highly commendable.
[gap] The President of the Harvard Polish Society, Mr. Kamil Nawrocki wrote of Ms. Fuchs as "incredibly welcoming and warm, and her desire to get to know new students, whether from Poland, Polish Americans, or anyone else is unparalleled and has been an integral part in helping us to foster a Polish community here on campus over the past few years."

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Izabela Milaniak's scholastic achievements to date, beginning with her B.A. in Psychology and her current Ph.D. studies in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania are most impressive. Highly commendable is Ms. Milaniak's dedication to the study of violence against children and numerous publications in prominent psychology journals on this and other topics. Being a member of Phi Beta Kappa is another instrumental indicator of her high intelligence and integrity.
[gap] Dr. Cathy Spatz Widom of John Jay College of Criminal Justice described Ms. Milaniak as "extremely bright and more sophisticated in her thinking and knowledge than a typical newly minted college graduate. Dr. Widom praised her dedication to find solutions to child abuse and neglect. The Pulaski Committee unanimously echoed Ms. Milaniak's goal to eradicate this scourge to society, worldwide actually.

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Dorota M. Pawlowska's impressive scholastic achievements to-date, beginning with a B.S. in Biology, Summa Cum Laude; current Ph.D. studies in Pharmacy and Master of Public Administration at Fairleigh Dickinson University are most outstanding. Ms. Pawlowska's impressive listing of certifications, including at Saint Peters University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ is indicative of her intelligence and integrity. Commendable also is her dedication to the study of Pharmacy and Public Administration.
[gap] Dr. Georgeta Vaidean, School of Pharmacy, Fairleigh Dickinson U., wrote that Ms. Pawlowska's proposal "Primary prevention of diabetes among college students, fulfilled and exceeded the proposal requirements as the topic and target population are extremely relevant since the project focused on pre-diabetes conditions in young individuals".

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Richard Piszczatowski began his impressive scholastic achievements with a BS degree, which he earned Summa Cum Laude at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. His distinctive list of Awards and Scholarships, as well as his oral presentations, seminars and his most recent publication in the Journal of Cellular Physiology and other publications and published abstracts are outstanding. Impressive is Mr. Piszczatowski's desire to dedicate his life to understanding cancer as a disease and discovering new strategies that can improve the quality of care cancer patients receive.
[gap] Extremely supportive letters of recommendation from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Albert Einstein Medical College not only praise his scholastic achievements, but also highlight his remarkable involvement as President of both the Pediatric Surgery Group and the Neurosurgery Interest Group at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Phrases like "star student", "conceptualizes what he learns", "hands down the best researcher", etc., resonated with the Pulaski Scholarship Committee.

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Joanna P. Tomaszewski has accomplished much in a relatively short time. Not only did she receive her graduate and undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, but shortly afterwards was accepted to study at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Among Ms. Tomaszewski's many ventures in volunteerism, one deed stands out specifically, namely the fact that she travelled to Chicago from her medical school in Utah to help with the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities.
[gap] Her leadership stands out in multiple ways: selection for the "School for Leaders" in Warsaw; chairing and organizing the "Lives in Medicine" Conference at the Polish Museum of America; asking about research/volunteer opportunities; founding and becoming President of the Plastic and Reconstructive Group; and many other activities. She is, as they say, truly a "born leader."
[gap] Letters of recommendation emphasizing her strengths and achievements have stood out among the other applicants for the Pulaski Scholarships for Advanced Studies.
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The Pulaski Scholarships for Advanced Studies Committee wishes these five outstanding students continuing success and is confident that they will attain their career objectives fully. The Committee trusts that they will honor their heritage by ultimately remaining close to the Polish community wherever possible during their careers.