Kazimierz Wiatr

Senator of the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th term Senate. Born on 18 February 1955 in Kraków. In 1980, he graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics of the AGH University of Science and Technology. He was awarded a doctoral degree in 1987, followed by a post-doctoral degree in 1999 and professorship in 2002. Since 1980, he has been working at the AGH University of Science and Technology, currently as a professor of computer science and electronics and Head of the Reconfigurable Computing Systems Team. Since 2004, he has been the Director of the Cyfronet Academic Computer Centre. Since 2006, he has chaired the Council of the PIONIER Consortium – Polish Optical Internet, and since 2008, also the PL-Grid programme (Polish Infrastructure for Supporting Computational Science in the European Research Space). The programme involved building Poland’s largest supercomputers, repeatedly placed among the top 100 fastest machines in the world. Since 1980, he has been associated with Tarnów, where he conducted research and implementation works on computer-assisted steering of technological production lines and industrial robots at the Fabryka Silników Elektrycznych TAMEL, a manufacturer of electric motors. His efforts led to Tarnów being connected to PIONIER, a high-throughput academic Internet network, whose node is located in the State Higher Vocational School in Tarnów. He initiated the establishment of the Tarnów Scientific Society and the Pearls of Tarnów awards. He also organises the “Tarnów and Modern Technologies” conferences. He specialises in computer-assisted process steering, multi-processor systems, programmable circuits and reconfigurable computing systems. He has led, and is leading, numerous research projects, including those based on grants from the Committee for Scientific Research, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, National Centre for Research and Development and National Science Centre. He is an author of numerous academic books, over 300 articles and papers, and more than 30 implementations. He is also a reviewer for prestigious international journals. He has received numerous awards for his academic and educational work, including from the Minister for Science and Higher Education. He was affiliated with the democratic and pro-independence opposition movement. He has been involved in educating the youth for more than 30 years. He was one of the founders of the independent scouting movement, in particular as part of the Andrzej Małkowski Circles of Scouting Instructors (KIHAM). During the martial law and afterwards, he was part of the leadership of the clandestine Scout Movement of the Republic of Poland. For this activity, he was victimised by the Communist regime. He co-organised the Scouting Association of the Republic (ZHR), serving as its President in 2004-2006. He is the Chancellor of the ZHR Honorary Cross Chancellery. His output includes many articles and reports on the upbringing and situation of children and young people. He also co-authored of the “Report on the Situation of Polish Families” and the “State Pro-Family Policy Programme.” He is the Chair of the Tarnów Scientific Society, a member of the Polish Computer Science Society, EUROMICRO (European Organisation for Information and Microelectronics), and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Computer Society. Since September 1980, he has been a member of the “Solidarity” Independent Self-Governing Trade Union. For his efforts on behalf of regaining independence, in 1990 he was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta awarded by the President of Poland in exile, Ryszard Kaczorowski. From the 6th to 10th term Senate, he was the Chair of the Science, Education and Sport Committee. A widower, with three children and six grandchildren. Member of the Law and Justice party.

Polish politician