Professor Antoni Śliwiński - JUBILEE

The Scientific Symposium was held on 15-th of February 1994 at Gdansk University on the occasion of 65-th birthday of Professor Antoni Śliwinski. The Symposium was organized by the Institute of Experimental Physics (University of Gdansk) and the Gdansk Sections of the Polish Acoustical Society and Polish Physical Society. The followers and friends of Professor Śliwinski took part in the Symposium and they represented not only the Gdansk community but other regions such as Gliwice, Krakow, Poznan, Rzeszow, Szczecin, Warszawa and Wroclaw. During the opening ceremony Professor Jerzy Ranachowski (Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of Polish Academy of Sciences) summarized the scientific achievement and the professional career of the honoured guest. Congratulation letters were read on the occasion. Professor J. Burnewicz, pro-rector of Gdansk University and Professor E. Kozaczka, a representative of the Commander of the Naval Academy awarded Professor Śliwinski medals from both Universities. Professor Śliwinski received many congratulations, wishes, thanks and flowers from the well-wishers. Speeches were made. Professor L. Filipczynski (Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of Polish Academy of Sciencess) mentioned his first contacts with Professor Śliwinski. Professor F. Kaczmarek, who has been his collegue since the student time spoke about beginning of their early academic career at Poznan University. Professor E. Hojan (Poznan University) reminded those gathered Professor Śliwinski's contribution is designing the room acoustics during the reconstruction of the Great Opera Theatre in Warsaw under Professors M. Kwiek and E. Karaśkiewicz supervision. Professor Szustakowski read a congratulation letter, written by the Commander of the Technical Military Academy, with thanks for the cooperation in the field of acoustooptics. Directors Dr K. Knapinski (Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Gdansk) and Professor J. Dera (Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences) expressed their thanks for the enormous amount of efforts given to the teaching and research activities in both places. The respectives of the Polish Acoustic Society Professor A. Opilski and Dr T. Pustelny (Gliwice Section), Dr A. Drzymala (Rzeszow Section), Professors E. Hojan and M. Łabowski (Poznan Section) congratulated and wished the further success. Then Professor Śliwinski expressed his career in limeric composed by his family. The participants had the opportunity to listen to the following papers during the Symposium: 1. Acoustic sensor of gasses - Professor A. Opilski (Institute of Physics, Silesian Technical University, Gliwice). 2. Dynamic properties of liquids in ultrasonic fields - Professor R. Plowiec, (Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of Polish Academy of Sciencess). 3. Investigation of the influence of the constant magnetic field on the propagation of ultrasonic field in the conductive media - Professor M. Łabowski (Institute of Acoustic, University of Poznan). 4. Detection of tissue elastic properties by MRJ method. - Professor Cz. Lewa (Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Gdansk). Finally the informal part of the Symposium took place, patronated by the local "Solidarity" Trade Union, with its warm atmosphere, a glass of wine and the song "Sto lat" (that could be expressed as a wish of "One hundred years"). We would like to highlight to the attention some facts of Professor Śliwinski's career. He was born on 15-th of November 1928 in Jarocin (near Poznan). In 1942 he completed grammar school in Gliniak (near Minsk Mazowiecki). In 1947, after graduating from the State Secondary School for Adults in Bydgoszcz, he started his studies in the Department of Mathematics and Natural Science, Physics Division, at Poznan University and graduated with a master of philosophy in physics in 1952. In the meantime (1950) he undertook the post at Poznan University, and nearly from the begining he had been under Professor Marek Kwiek supervision (until Kwiek's tragic death). Promoted by Professor Kwiek he prepared his Ph.D. thesis on the phenomenon of ultrasonic wave propagation in the media being near the critical point, where the fluctuation of the state parameters occured and completed the thesis in 1960. Still with Poznan University he became the associate professor after the presentation of the thesis concern with the light diffraction by ultrasonic waves propagating in the transition media. In 1970 he joined the newly founded Gdansk University where he has been working until now. Beside his scientific, research and teaching activites he appeard to be excellent manager that is why he has been acting as the Head of the Acoustic Group, the Dean of the Mathematics-Physics-Chemistry Faculty, vi-ce-rector of Gdansk University. He has been the initiator of the research work and a leader of the big group of scientists from the very beginning of his activity at Gdansk University. In 1973 he helped to initiate founding for the Environmental Laboratory of the Acoustics and Spectroscopy, the unit that had been devoted to the environment protection of Gdansk region, with special attention to acoustics problems among them noise pollution. Professor Śliwinski scientific outputs is mainly concern with the wide aspects of acoustics: 1. Acoustooptics: investigations of light diffraction by ultrasonic waves, non-linear effects occuring during diffraction of the strong laser light by ultrasonic wave, application of interferometric techniques to the examination of ultrasonic fields and transducers. 2. Molecular investigations and ultrasonic spectroscopy: examinations of the organic substances including polymers and liquid crystals, viscoelastic media. 3. Room acoustics: examinations of noise and vibration, material noise. 4. Hydroacoustics: acoustic examianation of the Baltic Sea, surface water pollution. 5. Photoacoustic spectroscopy. Professor Śliwinski promoted 27 ph.d. thesis, five people among his coworkers become the associated professors and three of them full professors. Number of Ph.D. thesis and dissertation for associate professor degree were reviewed by him as well in Poland as abroad. Either as a referee or reviewer he gave his acess to the nomination procedure for full professors. Professor Śliwinski wrote as an author or co-author more than 200 papers known to the internal audience. He is a member of Physics, Acoustics and Marine Investigation Committees of the Polish Academy of Sciencess and Several Research Councils. Awarded a fellowship he became a member in the international societies such as European Physics Society, Audio-Engineering Society and Polish ones: Polish Acoustic Society (being a President for the last two ,tenures), Polish Physical Society, Gdansk Scientific Society and Gdansk Academic Society. Moreover he took part in the editorial boards of the following journals: Ultrasonic, Acoustic Letters, Archives of Acoustics, Oceanologia, Acustica, Akusticheskij Zhurnal, Optoelectronics Review. During 1981-1987 Professor Śliwinski represented Poland in the International Comission on Acoustics (of Internal Union of Pure and Applied Physics). He was honoured and awarded a number times. The international audience had many opportunities to listen to his lectures during the conferences, meetings or semmars. On the other hand Professor Śliwinski is known as an organizer of many scientific meetings: five of them on acoustooptics, i.e. "Spring School on Acoustooptics and Applications", "Prospects in Modern Acoustics, Education and Development and the Open Seminars on Acoustics. He closely collaborates with foreign academic centers such as Universities in Leuven, Halle, Bremen, Triest and PTB from Braunschweig. Professor Śliwinski has been building his own acousto-optic school, that is regarded as very strong scientific center and that is why the Spring School on Acoustooptics has become so popular as well in Poland as abroad.