A Message from UW PSEC Chair, Krystyna Untersteiner:
Polish language and culture continued to thrive on our campus throughout the 2025–26 academic year!
In October, Prof. Agnieszka Jeżyk (editor) Prof. José Alaniz (author of Chapter 2: "Post-Soviet Gothic and the Eastern European Zombie"), and scholar and writer Stevi Costa engaged in a lively discussion during the launch of Contemporary Slavic Horror Across Media: Cursed Zones (Manchester University Press, 2025).
In December, Prof. Magdalena Zdrodowska from the Institute of Audiovisual Arts at Jagiellonian University in Krakow delivered a lecture on “Deafening the (Post) Socialist Media Landscape: Deaf Film and Television in Poland, 1960–1990”. The presentation was followed by an engaging discussion with attendees.
In April, the UW Language Learning Center hosted the Spring 2026 Language Fair at the HUB. Polish language student Ilona Skarzynski represented the Polish program, sharing information about Polish studies at UW, distributing fun facts and flyers about Poland, and offering Krówki, the beloved traditional Polish candy.
A week later, “Translating Canons” was featured at the UW REECAS Northwest 2026 Conference. Chaired by Prof. Michael Biggins (UW), the panel included presentations by Prof. Piotr Florczyk (UW), Prof. Andrzej Brylak (USC), Prof. Agnieszka Jeżyk (UW), and Prof. Kārlis Vērdiņš (University of Latvia). The session concluded with a thought-provoking discussion between the panelists and audience members, demonstrating that literary translation remains as important as ever in the age of AI.
During the REECAS Conference, current and former Polish language students, together with students from the Ukrainian program, gathered for lunch with Professors Justyna Zając and Andrzej Brylak. The lively event fostered spirited conversations among participants.
On April 30, in Los Angeles, Ryszard Kott received the prestigious “Outstanding Pole” (“Wybitny Polak”) award in the West Coast U.S. edition of the “Teraz Polska” (“Poland Now”) Foundation competition. A generous funder of the Maria Kott Endowed Professorship of Polish Studies at the UW, Mr. Kott was honored in the Personality category for his exceptional achievements and over 35 years of dedicated service to the Polish community in Seattle.
In May, Prof. Basia Belza, Sarah McKiddy, and Paulina Pergoł-Metko presented research and perspectives related to dementia and healthy aging. Prof. Belza, Endowed Professor and Director of the UW de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging, discussed the benefits of EnhancedFitness program for individuals living with dementia. Sarah McKiddy, a PhD candidate in Nursing Science at UW, explored the relationship between music and mental health. Paulina Pergoł-Metko, a PhD candidate in Nursing Science at the Medical University of Warsaw, examined social support systems for older adults in Sweden, Germany, and Poland.
The academic year concludes with the announcement of the 2026 Best Student of Polish Language Award. This honor, bestowed annually by the Polish Women’s Club since 1987, has been awarded to Sasha Orlova, a doctoral student who demonstrated exceptional dedication and achievement in her study of Polish throughout the year. Congratulations, Sasha!
Finally, please mark your calendars for the 34th Annual Seattle Polish Film Festival this October from the 23rd-25th.
Wishing you a great summer!
– Krystyna Untersteiner, UW PSEC Chair