Diamond boy

Engineer Paweł Stępień, a student of master studies in the field of renewable energy and waste management, has joined an exclusive circle of Diamond Grant winners. This is a grant awarded by the Ministry of Education to support research carried out by students. In the four subsequent editions of the competition, 300 students from the whole country have received grants amounting to 200 000 PLN. Paweł is the first student of the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław to receive this subsidy. He is very excited about the opportunity of accelerating the research on the “modeling and identification of parameters concerning the process of torrefaction of organic waste”, which – using plain English – means that Paweł has been studying the conditions necessary for organic waste (i.e. plant and food waste from households, sewage deposits, etc.) to be transformed into products with properties similar to coal. It is not hard to imagine how significant it is for the energy sector and hence for the whole economy, to create a material that could successfully replace coal, and especially since the material is obtained from waste.

– In the middle of my first year of studies I already got involved in the activities of the Student Science Circle (SSC) and it turned out to be fascinating. From the very beginning we attended conferences, won many awards and got many offers of collaboration – says Stępień encouraging to engaging to SSC: – I have gained a lot more knowledge and skills out of those activities than many other classes. It is no excuse that studies, classes, and exams take so much time that there is no more for other things because it is not true. And I must admit that the work in the science circle facilitates relationships with professors – adds Stępień – and moreover the more work and effort during studies the easier it gets later. And I have mates that have already finished studies and are worried about their future because they did no extra activities.

The activity in the SSC has made Engineer Stępień think about taking up scientific research and teaching as his future career. Now he is working mostly under the supervision of Professor Andrzej Białowiec. It is Professor Białowiec who first mentioned during one of his lectures about the possibility of doing a doctorate during master studies, and Stępień has successfully made use of this information.