James S. Pula Distinguished Service Award
This award is given to a member of PAHA who has rendered valuable and sustained service to the organization. The Distinguished Service Award was renamed in 2017 to honor Prof. James S. Pula, a long-time editor of the Polish American Studies, PAHA's past president, current treasurer, awards recipient, and the editor of two PAHA flagship publications, the critically acclaimed Polish American Encyclopedia (McFarland, 2011) and PAHA: The 75th Anniversary of the Polish American Historical Association (PAHA, 2017).
2021: Ewa Barczyk, Emerita Associate Provost and Director of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries
Ewa Barczyk the current President of the Polish American Librarians Association and is actively involved in the works of other professional library science organizations, including American Libraries Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, and World Digital Libraries. In addition to her life-long work as a librarian, she is also engaged in the local Polish community through Polanki, the Polish Women’s Cultural Club of Wisconsin, of which she is past president and where she continues to serve on the board. But it is Ewa’s involvement with and leadership in PAHA that has earned her the James Pula Distinguished Service Award. Ewa currently leads a PAHA project titled Polish Migrant Memoirs and Letters: Documenting the World War II Diaspora, which aims to collect documents and artifacts from the members of the World War II diaspora in North America. She also serves as an advisor on a PAHA grant initiative Documenting the Polish American Experience. Finally, she is completing a book titled Guide to Polish Historical Sites in North America that documents Polish historic sites in North America in. A letter nominating Ewa for this award noted her “enormous investment of time, talent, professionalism, and perseverance,” without which Guide to Polish Historical Sites in North America would not have happened. Ewa also currently serves on PAHA’s Board of Directors and is the organization’s 2nd Vice President.
2020: ANNA MAZURKIEWICZ, University of Gdansk, Poland
Mazurkiewicz is associate professor at the History Department at the University of Gdansk. Her areas of research and teaching expertise include the United States after World War II, US-Polish diplomatic relations, media system in the United States, US policy towards the countries of East Central Europe, political activity of refugees from East Central Europe in the United States after World War II, and political emigration from East Central Europe in 1945-1989. She has been a long-serving member of PAHA and in the years 2017-2018 served as the organization’s President. Although Mazurkiewicz is an accomplished researcher and university educator, this award recognizes her truly exceptional service for PAHA. In the words of one PAHA member who nominated her for the award, “Ania has been a mainstay of PAHA for many years, organizing conferences, including the eminently successful 75th anniversary celebration in Chicago, serving as Polish American Studies book review editor for Poland, obtaining grants to support PAHA activities, and promoting the organization to potential new members. In addition to her direct activities in PAHA, she has also supported the organization by arranging co-sponsorships and other public relations exposure, arranging for PAHA members to be invited to and attend international conferences, and editing for the publication of the excellent volumes that came from one of her Gdansk conferences and featured several PAHA participants.”
2019: DR. IWONA DRAG KORGA, Pilsudski Institute, New York
The 2019 Award was presented to Dr. Iwona Drag Korga Executive Director of the Pilsudski Institute of America, who has been contributing to the success of PAHA for a long time, having served as Chair of the Awards Committee, PAHA Vice-President, and Board Member for many years. Dr. Iwona Korga was nominated by several individuals and an excerpt from one nomination reads as follows: "For years she has been promoting Polish history and culture though both research and public programming as Executive Director of the Piłsudski Institute and more recently as a member of the Board of Directors of the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union." Dr Ewa Hoffman Jędruch, who is a Board Member of the Pilsudski Institute received the award on behalf of Dr. Korga.
2018: Dr. Dorota Praszalowicz, Jagiellonian University, Krakow
The 2018 Award was presented to Prof. Dorota Praszalowicz of Jagiellonian University in Poland, who has been contributing to the success of PAHA for a long time, including her role in securing Polish grants for PAHA’s 75th Anniversary Conference. The series of conferences titled American Ethnicity that she organizes every two years offers an outstanding opportunity for PAHA members to present their work, advance their expertise and knowledge, and connect with distinguished European scholars.
Dr. Kozaczka with Dr. Mazurkiewicz and her Award, Photo by Marcin Szerle.
2017 - Dr. Grazyna Kozaczka, Cazenovia College
Professor of English at Cazenovia College in New York state, Dr. Kozaczka is a long-time PAHA Board Member, PAHA President in 2015-2016 and a faculty member at Cazenovia College since 1984. She currently directs the college-wide Honors Program and took a leadership role in securing trademarks for PAHA's logo and name, organizing many PAHA conferences, and representing the organization at international events, especially in Poland. Dr. Kozaczka's research interests include ethnic American literature, women's literature, literature of the Holocaust as well as traditional Polish folk dress and adornment. She has published scholarly essays, short fiction and popular articles in both English and Polish. She is currently working on a monograph devoted to the representation of immigrant and ethnic women in Polish American literature after World War II.
2016 - Dr. Stephen Leahy, Shantou University, China
Dr. Stephen Leahy of Shantou University, China, received the 2016 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his crucial role as the co-founder and moderator of PAHA’s Facebook group. This role is just one of his many achievements as a long-time PAHA Board member, dedicated to the promotion of the association and its research interests world-wide.
L to R: Dr. Pien Versteegh, Dr. Silvia Dapia, Dr. Theodore Zawistowski, Dr. Anna Jaroszynska-Kirchmann, and PAHA President Dr. Grazyna Kozaczka
2015 - Dr. Pien Versteegh, PAHA Executive Director
The 2015 Award was presented to Dr. Pien Versteegh. Her role as executive director of PAHA since 2007 years has been vital to the smooth and successful operation of the organization and its annual meetings. As Dean of the Avans School of International Studies at the Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda, Netherlands she directs two bachelor programs: International Business and Management Studies (IBMS) and International Financial Management (IFM). Her own scholarly interests focus on Migration/ and Ethnicity and her contributions as a scholar and as a PAHA officer are a model of service and scholarship to the academic community.
2014 - Dr. Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press
Dr. Trochimczyk is PAHA's Newsletter Editor and Online Communications Director. She updated and expanded the organization's internal and external online and print communications including the newsletters, marketing materials, blog (PAHAnews.blogspot.com), and social media. A member of the PAHA Board since in 2009, Dr. Trochimczyk previously received the PAHA's Swastek Prize in 2007 for the best article published in Polish American Studies, "The Impact of Mazowsze and Slask on Polish Folk Dancing in California" (Vol. 63, No. 1, Spring 2006). A music historian and a poet, Dr. Trochimczyk published six books on music and five of poetry, including, most recently, Frederic Chopin: A Research and Information Guide (co-edited with William Smialek, Routledge, June 2015) and a poetry collection, Slicing the Bread (Finishing Line Press, 2014) based on her parents' childhood memories of WWII.
2013 - Anna Jaroszynska-Kirchmann
PAHA's former President (2007-2009), and first Vice President (2004-2007), a former member of Awards Committee, Associate Editor of the Polish American Encyclopedia (ed. by James Pula), serves on the editorial board of Polish American Studies. Dr. Jaroszynska-Kirchmann teaches at the Eastern Connecticut State University, continuously rendering excellent service to PAHA; PAHA board member for many years she has been instrumental in developing new strategies, alert in PAHA's PR activities. Recipient of many prestigious awards, Dr. Jaroszynska-Kirchmann has devoted her time and her skill to the organization caring for the study and promotion of the Polish- American history and culture with visible, positive results.
2012 - Thaddeus V. Gromada & the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
Thaddeus Gromada joined PIASA in 1961, holding posts such as Secretary General, Vice-President, and Executive Director. He also served as a Professor of European History at New Jersey City University. While he edited and contributed books dealing with Polish history, Gromada and PIASA constantly supported the many activities of PAHA.
2011 - Cheryl Pula
Ms. Cheryl Pula as the individual member of PAHA who has rendered valuable and sustained service to the organization. Pula(the sister of Prof.Pula)read the entire manuscript of The Polish American Encyclopedia twice - once in draft form and once in page proofs. The first time she listed 71 pages, single-spaced,of errors,missing information,or unclear statements. The second time she noted over two dozen pages of corrections of the page proofs. In addition, she authored about 20 individual entries.
2010 - Jagiellonian University of Krakow
The University was honored for its long history of supporting foreign exchange programs with American Universities, and for the institution's recent hosting of PAHA's mid?year meeting and conference in the summer of 2010.
2008 - Thomas Duszak
Mr Duszak was nominated for this award for his extensive efforts in working to ensure that PAHA's journal -- Polish American Studies is incorporated into online databases such as EBSCO and J-STOR. Mr. Duszak's devotion and persistence to the project has been exemplary and has proved instrumental at all levels relating to the digitization project. Though Mr. Duszak's work, PAHA has been able to substantially raise its academic profile, and the journal is now available to a global audience.
2007 - Mary Patrice Erdmans
Dr. Erdmans, a noted sociologist, has held several important posts within PAHA, including most recently serving as President from 2003-2006. During her tenure, Dr. Erdmans guided PAHA through a successful reorganization that has now placed the Association on a firm financial footing with an expanding program of scholarly activities and membership base.
2006 - Joseph Wieczerzak
Joseph Wieczerzak is Professor Emeritus of History, Bronx College, CUNY. He has served two terms as PAHA president, is a past recipient of the organization's Haiman Award, and is a current member of the PAHA Board. He is now editor of The Polish Review.
2006 - Theodore Zawistowski
Theodore Zawistowski has taught college courses in the fields of Sociology and Psychology, and has served as a consultant on history and archives to the Commission of the Polish National Catholic Church. He has edited PNCC Studies, The Polish Review, and the PAHA Newsletter. In addition, he has contributed greatly to the annual PNCC conferences.
2005 - Mark Kulikowski
Dr. Mark Kulikowski is Associate Professor of History at State University of New York-Oswego, with expertise in modern Russian and U.S. diplomatic history. Among other works, he has written the well known Bibliography of Slavic Mythology (1989). Professor Kulikowski has been a longtime member of the editorial board of Polish American Studies, as well as a frequent contributor.
2003 - Tom Napierkowski
Dr. Napierkowski is a professor of English at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. His area of specialization is medieval English literature, with particular emphasis on the works of Geoffrey Chaucer and the fifteenth century. Tom has also worked and published in the fields of Slavic literature and Eastern and Central European Culture and Politics. Dr. Napierkowski has served as PAHA president twice, which required that he organize two national conferences. He has been a board member for numerous years, helped to recruit the Kulczycki monies ($20,000+) for what is now the Kulczycki scholarship. In addition, Tom has also helped to broaden the scope of PAHA by including Polish-American literature as a key tool to understanding the Polish migrant experience in America.
2002 - Karen Majewski
Dr. Majewski has served as PAHA's Executive Director and Board Member. In this capacity she provided invaluable service to the organization. She also received the Oskar Halecki Prize for her book about Polish American literature. She currently serves as the Mayor of Hamtramck.
2001 - John J. Bukowczyk
2000 - Thaddeus V. Gromada
1999 - James S. Pula
1998 - Stanislaus Blejwas
1997 - THe Skalny Family
1996 - Boleslaw Wierzbianski
1995 - Rev. Senior Casimir Grotnik
1993 - Msgr. John P. Wodarski
1992 - Frank Harasick
1991 - Walter Lasinski
1988 - Henry Archacki
1986 - Sister Ellen Marie Kuznicki, CSSF, and Mieczyslaw Haiman (posthumously)