Empower Women in Science & Innovation: invitation to debate

Dr Magdalena Worsa-Kozak – Assistant Professor and Research Laboratory Head at the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology; President of the Polish Hydrogeologists Association; co-founder of Women in Mining Poland; and member of supervisory bodies. She combines scientific expertise with real-world impact on water and mineral resource management in Poland and Europe. Her experience includes coordinating consortia in European grants, membership in advisory bodies of the United Nations and Polish ministries, and the #WIM100 award recognising inspiring women in global mining.

Joanna Moore – With over 15 years in human resources management, she specialises in competency development, talent management, and designing training programmes that support employee growth in technology and industrial organisations. At LG Energy Solution Wrocław, she led the creation and implementation of dedicated development pathways for engineers and technicians, aligning business needs with employee potential. She holds a degree in Management and Production Engineering from Oregon Institute of Technology (USA), a Master’s degree in English Philology from the University of Wrocław, and a postgraduate diploma in Coaching with Elements of Psychology from SWPS University. A certified business trainer, she has gained experience across various industries in the United States and Poland, leading numerous recruitment and training projects. She believes that competency development, access to opportunity, and diversity of experience are key drivers of innovation and organisational success.

Dr Eng. Weronika Urbańska – Assistant Professor (research and teaching) at the Department of Water and Wastewater Management and Waste Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology; Doctor of Engineering in the field of environmental engineering, mining and energy. Her research interests include methods for recovering critical metals from spent Li-ion batteries, sustainable raw material management and off-Earth resource extraction, and space biotechnologies. She is the author of scientific publications and industry reports on waste management, and a participant in scientific and industry conferences. She has served as research team leader in an industrial project and as principal investigator of the Miniatura 6 NCN scientific project on bioleaching of critical metals from spent Li-ion batteries. She was Senior Mission Engineer in the space biotechnology experiment Space Volcanic Algae by Extremo Technologies, conducted aboard the International Space Station during Poland’s first scientific-technological mission IGNIS, featuring a Polish astronaut. A science communicator and expert contributor to radio and television broadcasts, she has received numerous awards, including 30 Creatives of Wrocław 2026 in the science/technology category and Wrocław Woman of the Year 2024 in the research and scientific activity category. She is a member of the Wrocław Academy of Young Scholars and Artists (Chair 2023–2024) and Academia Iuvenum PWr (2024–2026, Chair 2025/2026).

Dr Eng. Monika Magdziak-Tokłowicz – Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, affiliated with the Department of Vehicle Engineering and the Vehicle Dynamics and Safety Laboratory. She conducts research and teaching in mechanical engineering and driver ergonomics in motorsport. Her work focuses on active safety research using cognitive and physiological methods, including eye-tracking (ET), galvanic skin response (GSR), and behavioural data analysis. For 12 years, she has been the owner and Managing Director of the Lower Silesian Orthopaedic Centre and Femistory Menopause Centre — Poland’s first facility providing comprehensive care for women during menopause — and co-founder of the Femistory Foundation. She is widely active in social initiatives, for which she was nominated by Forbes Woman for Woman of the Year 2025 in the Social Activity category. She has experience in managing medical facilities and leading interdisciplinary research projects. At Wrocław University of Science and Technology, she also serves as supervisor of LEM Wrocław Motorsport and co-creates the Student Innovation Centre (CIS and KIS).

Dr Habil. Eng. Anna Jarząb – Immunologist specialising in proteomics and biochemistry. She obtained her Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and her doctorate and habilitation at the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław. She has completed several research fellowships, including at the Technical University of Munich (Germany) and the University of California, Berkeley (USA). She currently leads a research group at IITD PAN in Wrocław and serves as principal investigator on several research projects under the Lider 13 (NCBR), Sonata Bis 13 (NCN), and Alexander von Humboldt Research Linkage Programme schemes. She is the author of numerous scientific publications (Nature Methods, Nucleic Acids Research, Molecular Systems Biology, Vaccine, PLOS ONE), holds patents, and is the recipient of multiple scientific awards, including Top500 Innovators, the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education scholarship for outstanding young researchers, and the prestigious Polityka Science Award and L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award. Her research focuses on the structure and function of proteins in the context of their immunogenicity and thermolability, with particular emphasis on developing antibacterial vaccines and studying the impact of infectious fever on bacterial infections. She has long been developing her expertise in research commercialisation and intellectual property, and considers mentoring early-career researchers a vital part of her scientific work.

Martyna Mrozek – Head of Product Design at CSHARK, academic lecturer at the Department of Graphic Arts, SWPS University, and doctoral candidate at the SWPS Doctoral School, recipient of a ministerial scholarship under the implementation doctorate programme. Co-founder of the Sustainable Digital Design study programme. As a freelancer, she supports the UN Global Accelerator in building technology innovations that are beneficial to people and the planet.

Karolina Zychiewicz –  Strategic Projects Manager, currently serving as Manufacturing Engineering Manager for 3M Wroclaw SuperHub across 3 Business Groups (Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics and Consumer). Starting as a production planner, she has advanced through roles in production and inventory planning, operations management, and leading impactful growth and process improvement projects. Notably, she has driven automation initiatives that boosted efficiency and managed the successful introduction of new products, strengthening the company’s competitive position and market presence. In addition to her technical and managerial skills, she has been a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion since 2017. As part of the Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) teams, she has actively contributed to building a more inclusive organizational culture, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and valued within the company. She holds a degree from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and a postgraduate degree in Project Management from WSB. Privately, she enjoys both short and long-distance travel, exploring new cultures and connecting with people. A strong believer in the importance of relationships, she dedicates her free time to nurturing personal connections and pursuing hobbies such as reading crime novels and travels.

Dr Patrycja Radek – Acceleration Manager of the Startup Booster for Social Impact programme at SWPS University and Innovation Broker at its Knowledge Transfer Centre. A strategic leader and expert in solving complex problems, she has extensive experience in startup acceleration, incubation, and mentoring, working at the intersection of science, business, technology and entrepreneurship. She holds a doctorate on the effectiveness of leadership in research and development (R&D) teams. For over a decade, she has been actively committed to supporting the development of women in the technology sector. She specialises in directly supporting impact-driven startups and scientific teams, and in designing programmes that translate emerging technologies into solutions delivering real social value. She has been recognised on the Forbes Women Poland 24/2024 list.