in memoriam - Professor Dr Stanislaw Moskal (1921-2008)
Prof. Dr Stanislaw Moskal, a retired research worker and academic lecturer at the Agricultural Chemistry Department of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), died on September 21st, 2008 at the age of 87.
He was well respected in scientific activities and as well as being a well-liked teacher and tutor of many generations of students, research workers and other academic teacher.
Prof. S. Moskal was born on November 10st in Krosno. Immediately after the end of the Higher Education School, he studied at the Faculty of Agricultural at SGGW (1945-1950). He started work at the Agricultural Chemistry Department at SGGW (1948), in 1959 he obtained a doctorate in agricultural, in 1965 he completed his postdoctoral dissertation. He was appointed to the position of associate profesor in 1974.
His scientific output considered of mor than 100 articles, published mainly in scientific journals. Apart from his, he was the author of more than ten chapters in academic books, mor than ten academic cours books as well as other materials. The subject matter of his research was innovative both in Poland and abroad, this being a result of his numerous visits to scientific centers in many countries.
Prof. S. Moskal conduct research using radioactive isotops and he participated in the creation of the first Polish Agricultural Isotope Laboratory of the Polish Academy of Sciences (1956) which was located at the Agricultural Chemistry Department of SGGW. To extend his knowledge of the application radioactive isotopes he took several interships with foreign scientific centres in Belgium , Netherlands Soviet Union, England and USA . In the 70s and 80s he was a coordinator or participant of international research projects.
Prof. S. Moskal scientific activity centred around the following issues: assessment of the methods for determining available phosphorus, natural radioactivity of soil and taking up the radioactive isotopes by plants, content of mobile aluminium in the soil and influence of this element on the availability of various nutrients. The research with phosphorus was used as the subject matter of six doctoral dissertations under his supervision.
Prof. S. Moskal for many years worked on a voluntary basis at the Polish Teacher Union and the Association of SGGW Graduates. He was the Head of the Association in 1977-2001 and then in 2002 he was apointed an Honorary President of this Association. He also performed more voluntary work in various organizations outside of the SGGW. For example: in the years 1975-1988 he was the Head of the Agricultural Commision for Isotopes in the Polish Academy of Sciences, in the years 1984-1996 he was a number of General Committee of the International Fertilizer Centre and from 1972 he was repeatedly selected to the Committee on Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He participated for the longest period and in the most active way for the Polish Society of Soil Science. In 1987-1995 he was the President of the Society and in 1995 he became the Honorary President of the Polish Society of Soil Science.
These extensive actions show that he was a well-known and highly regarded organizer of Polish scientific activities, and he was meny times decorated and awarded for his achievements. The distinctions he was awarded included: Order of Polonia Restituta kinght's Cross, Medal of the Commission of National Education, M. Oczapowski Medal and others.
He will remain in our memories forever as an example to be followed. Academic society has lost an excellent scientist, a voluntary worker and a man of considerable intellectual stature.
Stanislaw Mercik, Warsaw, Poland