Polish Studies Endowment Committee

HISTORY

In 2003 the Polish Studies Program at the University of Washington in Seattle celebrated its 50th anniversary by organizing a lecture series featuring internationally renowned speakers of Polish origin. Following the success of the lectures, a group of UW alumni, staff, students, and members of Seattle's Polish-American community formed the Polish Studies Endowment Committee (PSEC), dedicated to raising funds and serving as a resource for ideas and strategies to ensure the excellence of Polish Studies for future generations.

ACHIEVEMENTS

To date PSEC has concentrated on fundraising efforts and on continuing the Distinguished Lecturers Series, which has brought to the University of Washington campus experts on topics ranging from astronomy, cinema, finances, history, literature, and art to poetry. Guest speakers have included Agnieszka Holland, Eva Hoffman, Edward Hirsch, Witold Rybczynski, Rafal Olbinski, Stanley Cloud and Lynne Olson, Bożena Shallcross, Adam Zagajewski, and Aleksander Wolszczan. These visits added prestige and visibility to the Polish Studies program and increased knowledge and understanding of historical and contemporary Poland in our community.

SUCCESS

In 2004 the continuation of this successful series was made possible by generous gifts from Andrzej and Izabella Turski. In June 2005, through support of the community, we officially established the Polish Studies Endowment Fund at the University of Washington, a first step toward an Endowed Chair of the Polish Studies. The successful fundraising efforts also made possible the opening of a separate account to support a visiting Fulbright Scholar. As a result, the Polish community, the Polish-US. Fulbright Commission, and the Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies Center are about to sign a three-year agreement to bring a scholar of Polish Studies to the UW.

EFFORTS

The Committee is dedicated to:

• continuing fundraising efforts to augment the Endowment Fund

• maintaining the Distinguished Lecturers Series

• raising funds to support a Fulbright scholar for the next three years, eginning in 2006/07

SUPPORT

• ensure the availability of the Polish Studies Program for future generations

• offer scholarships and fellowships

• provide interdisciplinary support for Polish Studies in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

• support courses, lectures, studies, publications, and research focused on Polish language, heritage, literature, history, or art, and on the social, political and economic aspects of modern Poland

IMMEDIATE GOALS

We also intend to focus on more immediate fundraising goals, including, but not limited to:

• providing support for invited scholars and academic activities in the Polish Studies Program

• providing partial funding for a Polish Studies Fulbright Scholar (first Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Piotr Lewinski, visited the Slavic Department in 2006/07; second Scholar, Dr. Artur Grabowski, began teaching in Fall quarter 2007)

• continuing the Distinguished Polish Speakers Series

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