On 30 March 2022, after a long illness, a great scientist, educator and Rector of the Agricultural Academy, Professor Jerzy Kowalski, passed away. For many years he was engaged in environmental engineering in the field of engineering geology and hydrogeology, protection and management of the water environment and civil engineering.
Prof. Jerzy Kowalski was born on April 14, 1933 in Pyskowice, Gliwice County. Next year he would have celebrated his 90th birthday.
He completed his first cycle studies with the engineer’s degree in land reclamation in 1955 at the Agricultural University of Wrocław, and his second cycle studies in 1956, after presenting his master's thesis entitled "Water management of the Barycz River Valley in the region of Żmigród." He obtained his master's degree in land reclamation. After graduation, he was hired as an assistant in the Department of Soil Science and Civil Engineering. The degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences was conferred on him by the Faculty Council of Land Reclamation of the Agricultural University of Wrocław in 1963 on the basis of a thesis entitled “The analysis of some methods of determining the permeability rate.” He obtained the degree of Doctor Habilitatus of Technical Sciences in the same faculty in 1977 on the basis of his dissertation entitled “The dynamics of the first level of groundwater in the city of Wrocław.” He received the title of associate professor in 1988 and in 1993 – the title of professor.
The professor's academic achievements include over 180 publications, including 6 textbooks and scripts (among them, an academic textbook Hydrogeology with the basics of geology) and 3 patents. He presented the results of his work at numerous conferences and scientific congresses in Poland and abroad, e.g. in Budapest, Dresden, Varna, Rostock and Hamburg. He was a supervisor of 7 doctoral dissertations, a reviewer of many doctoral and habilitation dissertations, and proceedings for granting the title of professor.
His wish as an educator was that those studying hydrogeology would want to see the groundwater system as a certain unity, consisting of rocks in which water accumulates and circulates and basin surface conditions that determine the supply and affect water quality. He taught that the elements of this system are closely connected, and that common disorders of the system, especially those related to circulation and quality, are, unfortunately, the result of human activity. He believed that environmental engineers must be aware that they are interfering directly in the environment with their activities.
Prof. Jerzy Kowalski held a number of responsible organizational positions, including: Rector of the Agricultural Academy (1990-1996), Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations (1987-1990), Dean of the Faculty of Land Reclamation (1981-1987), Deputy Director of the Institute of Water and Civil Engineering (1979-1990), Head of the Department of Geotechnics and Groundwater (1980-2003).
He was the first rector elected by the University community at the time of the breakthrough in 1989. It was a special time of the end of communist Poland and the beginning of a completely new political, economic and social reality. This change was accompanied by financial challenges, such as skyrocketing inflation and ownership transformations related to the University's assets. As previously with the Faculty, he governed the University with an iron hand.
Prof. Andrzej Drabiński, former Vice-Rector of the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław, a few years ago told “Głos Uczelni” about the late rector as one of his masters: “I came in contact with him when I was still a student of the Technical School of Land Reclamation in Wrocław-Pracze. He was a doctoral student at that time and he taught us water engineering. I later continued to have contact with him as a student, a young staff member, and then as a member of the Faculty Council and the dean's subordinate. He governed the university at a time when strong power was needed. We were overstaffed, had a difficult financial situation and needed to restructure.”
Prof. Jerzy Kowalski has received numerous awards for his scientific, teaching and organizational activities. He has been awarded, among others, the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Gold Cross of Merit, the Medal of the Commission of National Education, the Medal of Merit for the Agricultural Academy in Wrocław, the Golden Badge of Merit for the Wrocław Voivodeship and the City of Wrocław, and Merit for the Legnica Voivodeship.
