The winner of the 1st Polish edition of FameLab was Monika Koperska from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow.
Monika's field is preservation chemistry, the aim of which is to conserve and maintain widely understood cultural heritage, from artworks to books. Her PhD focuses on stopping the processes of spontaneous destruction of silk, using Wawel banners from the 16th and 17th century as an example. Monika calls herself a "spectroscopist" - she deliberately “ages” objects in order to, later on, study their nature with help from a spectroscope and to use gained knowledge and experience to preserve objects that were ageing in a natural way.
During the national final Monika convinced the jury and the audience that in times of prophesy of the twilight of paper this is in fact the most durable data carrier.
Monika is the vice-president of Jagiellonian University PhD Students Association. In her free time she enjoys watching good, intelligent comedy films.
Apart from the main prize founded by project's partner Foundation for Polish Science (30.000 PLN for future research) and project's co-organiser Copernicus Science Centre (5.000 PLN for use at the winner’s own discretion) Monika received also the Audience Vote prize and Sponsor's prize founded by BMW.
Second prize went to the sound specialist Marcin Zastawnik from AGH-University of Science and Technology in Cracow. He explained where do various mysterious noises and echos we hear in our apartments and houses come from - the sounds that sometimes drives us mad as can be quite intense but sources of which we're unable to locate. Marcin's fascination with sounds began in his childhood - he observed a concert taking place at his school and it was then decided he'd become the "master of the music console". And although inspired by noise - today he creates silence by fitting acoustic protections. At home he breeds not very noisy fish.
Third prize went to Michał Krupiński from Sosnowiec, representative of The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN in Cracow. Within the framework of his PhD Michał runs the research on thin films physics and material engineering. His other passions are popularising science and educating young talented students of physics. For a few years now he's been working with the Polish Children's Fund (Krajowy Fundusz na Rzecz Dzieci), runing workshops for young science enthusiasts. In his spare time Michał enjoys reading, lately he's been absorbed with James Joyce’s „Finnegan's Wake".
CONGRATULATIONS!
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