We are pleased to announce that by Resolution No. 11/VI/2024 of 18 June 2024, the Scientific Council of the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute granted Mr. Grzegorz Uścinowicz a postdoctoral degree (doctor habilitatus) in the field of Natural Sciences in the discipline 'Earth and Environmental Sciences'.

Grzegorz Uścinowicz in 2001-2006 completed his geological studies at the Institute of Geology, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. He received the master’s degree in geology (in Quaternary geology) based on his thesis 'Extraterrestrial matter in the surroundings of Kaali meteorite craters'. He also received a PhD degree in geology there, defending a dissertation 'Metallic spherules in Cenozoic terrestrial and marine sediments'.

Grzegorz Uścinowicz took the first steps in his professional career at his alma mater, where he pursued doctoral studies. Since 2011, he is employed at the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, in the Marine Geology Branch in Gdańsk. Nota bene, this is the third habilitation in the Branch's history.

Grzegorz Uścinowicz

The postdoctoral degree was conferred by the Scientific Council of the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute after presenting a thematically coherent series of five publications, published between 2014 and 2021, in journals from the Journal Citation Report (JCR) list, indexed in the Web of Science database and the list of journals scored by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Part A. These works made up the series entitled 'Development of selected sections of the Polish coast in the short-term time horizon'.

The main achievement of the habilitation process was the introduction of a methodical approach combining analysis of the marine and terrestrial environments. This enabled a holistic analysis and interpretation of environmental components and processes such as geological structure, relief of the seabed and adjacent land, sediment movement on the seabed, coastal erosion, etc., which were previously considered separately.

Grzegorz Uścinowicz, in the work submitted as a scientific achievement, expanded the knowledge that the development of landslides in coastal cliffs depends not only on marine erosion, but also on processes occurring on land, as well as on the seabed, and the geological conditions of these centers. The research has also shed new light on the interactions between the aforementioned conditions, which can lead to local zones of increased erosion.

The research work was carried out mainly during the implementation of the tasks of the state geological survey on the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea. Crucial for the results obtained was the task of the state geological survey entitled '4D cartography in the coastal zone of the southern Baltic,' of which Grzegorz Uścinowicz is the head. He is currently continuing work on the recognition of the Polish marine areas and the Baltic coastal zone.

Grzegorz Uścinowicz's professional involvement, however, is much greater. He carried out and is carrying out work in the fields of deposit geology, geological mapping, environmental geology, geohazards, geotourism, geology-engineering. Through the implementation of such extensive work, he has established numerous contacts with the administrative and economic sectors.

Grzegorz Uścinowicz