KF Collegium Of Eminent Scientists

The Kosciuszko Foundation Collegium of Eminent Scientists (CES) was established in 2012 at the initiative of the late Professor Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz (1936-2021), a pioneering biomedical researcher and steadfast advocate for promoting Polish intellectual and scientific excellence on the world stage.

The CES honors outstanding Polish-American scientists whose groundbreaking work has advanced scientific knowledge in the United States and internationally. The CES is dedicated to the memory of Maria Sklodowska-Curie, the famous Polish chemist and Nobel Prize laureate who supported the Kosciuszko Foundation.

Membership in CES is reserved for specialists of exceptional merit in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), and related disciplines. Several members of the Collegium are Nobel Prize Laureates, underscoring the remarkable caliber of scholars associated with this initiative.

An Honorary Membership is also extended to American scientists without Polish ancestry who have made significant contributions to the advancement of science in Poland and have been recognized by Polish institutions.

The Collegium’s selection process is overseen by the Committee of the KF Collegium of Eminent Scientists, a standing body established by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The Committee is currently chaired by Dr. Włodek Mandecki, succeeding Dr. Hanna Chroboczek Kelker, and Dr. Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz who previously held the role. The Committee is entrusted with the critical task of evaluating and recommending scientists for inclusion in the Collegium and promoting sciences in the Polish-American community. A publicly accessible online directory of Distinguished Fellows is maintained by the Kosciuszko Foundation. It serves as a resource for academic institutions, researchers, students, and media seeking collaboration, mentorship, or scientific leadership from among the top minds of Polish heritage in the global scientific community.

The CES currently has 454 active members from many disciplines. The CES also honors 24 members who have passed away. Disciplines represented by the CES members are agriculture, archeology, astrophysics, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, medicine, neurobiology, pharmacology, physics, and psychology.

Nobel Prize Winning Members

• Roald Hoffmann, Chemistry, 1981, (Cornell University)
• Frank Wilczek, Physics, 2004, (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• Jack W. Szostak, Physiology or Medicine, 2009, (Harvard Medical School / Massachusetts General Hospital)
• Andrzej (Andrew) Schally, Physiology or Medicine, 1977, (University of Miami / Miami VA Medical Center)

List of CES Members Who Have Passed Away (TBD)