New members of the Polish Academy of Sciences were elected on 26 June. An employee of the National Centre for Nuclear Research - Prof. Stanisław Mrówczyński, Director of the Department of Fundamental Research of the NCBJ - also joined the group of more than 300 outstanding researchers.

As a result of this year's elections, 45 people have joined the ranks of PAN researchers as correspondence members and 30 of the existing members have been granted the status of full members. These are distinguished specialists whose achievements represent a significant contribution to the development of scientific disciplines at national and international level. Their groundbreaking publications, innovative research projects and contributions to the education of new generations of young scientists strengthen Poland's position on the map of world science.

Prof. Stanisław Mrówczyński, Director of the Department of Fundamental Research, NCBJ, has also become a corresponding member of Division III of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Prof. Mrówczyński's research interests focus on the theoretical description of relativistic collisions of heavy ions and the physics of quark-gluon plasma, in particular its nonequilibrium properties. The quark-gluon plasma is a state of matter that existed shortly after the Big Bang, when quarks and gluons were not trapped inside hadrons. Studying its properties allows us to understand the course of the evolution of the early Universe. "Election to the Academy is a great honour, a recognition from the community, a kind of crowning achievement of scientific activity - all of which gives the lot of satisfaction. It has just been 45 years since I graduated and started working at the Institute of Nuclear Research - the predecessor of the NCBJ. I have been involved in physics for just as long and it has become my way of life. I am constantly following what is happening in my field, I am constantly trying to understand a problem, to find a solution. Membership of the Academy will not, I think, change that. Perhaps participation in the various Academy bodies will open up new areas of activity for me, but I don't know much about that yet. Right now, I am pleased with the election itself."  - comments Professor Mróowczyński.

We sincerely congratulate Professor Mrówczyński on joining this prestigious group of outstanding scientists!