Piast Institute
Encyclopedia
The Piast Institute is a national research institute for Polish
and Polish-American affairs based in Hamtramck, Michigan
in the United States, a suburb of Detroit. The Institute was founded in 2003 by Dr. Thaddeus Radzilowski
and Mrs. Virginia Skrzyniarz. With a Board of Directors composed of prominent Polish-American leaders, an international network of Institute Fellows
, and a staff led by Dr. Radzilowski as president and Mrs. Skrzyniarz as executive vice president, Piast Institute has evolved into the only think tank in North America devoted to Polish and Polish-American affairs.
for the 21st Century." With its staff, boards and international network of fellows, Piast develops conferences, seminars, publications, public programs, lectures, and exhibits that provide unbiased, timely and current information about Poland, Poles, and Polish Americans. With its resources and its position as a Census Information Center, Piast Institute also acts as a data resource center helping Polish, Polish American and other community groups develop policy papers and historical, cultural, political, economic, social, and demographic studies on a wide variety of topics. The Institute’s mission and programming also aim to celebrate Polish contributions to American as well as general world culture, and to address and counter any inaccurate or defamatory information released about Poland, Poles or Polish Americans.
(CIC) by the United States Census Bureau. Piast Institute is only one of 59 CIC's, the only Center in the Great Lakes
region, and the only CIC whose primary purpose is to represent a European
ethnic group.
As a CIC, the Piast Institute is integral part of the U.S. Census Bureau's data dissemination network. The program's primary focus is making census information and data available to underserved communities that may not have access to census data through other means of the data dissemination network. In addition to utilizing the Census data for its own studies and research, the Institute serves the Polish and Polish-American communities as well as organizations seeking to forward the goals of other ethnic and minority communities. The Institute also provides census data and reports to businesses for a small fee.
In addition, the Piast Institute sponsors the annual Dekaban Lecture to commemorate and honor the work and spirit of Dr. and Mrs. Dekaban. Recent keynote speakers participating in the Dekaban lectures have included figures such as Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski
, one of the most influential figures in the history of U.S. foreign policy, and Alex Storozynski, a Pulizter-Prize winning journalist.
. He has written extensively on the histories of these regions as well as the migration of peoples from Central and Eastern Europe, with special emphasis on social history and historiography
. He has lectured widely in Europe and North America and has published more than 100 monographs, edited collections, journal articles, book chapters and scholarly papers. In 1999, the President of Poland presented Dr. Radzilowski with the Cavaliers Cross of the Polish Order of Merit for distinguished contributions to the dissemination of Polish culture in the world.
Mrs. Virginia Skrzyniarz serves as Piast Institute executive vice president. Mrs. Skrzyniarz has more than seventeen years of experience in managing non-profit organizations. She has served as an executive level administrator with duties in personnel, risk management and supervision of employees and facilities, and she has also directed of development and events planning. Prior to co-founding the Piast Institute, Ms. Skrzyniarz was Vice President for Administrative Affairs at St. Mary’s College with responsibility for development, fund raising, events, planning, advertising, public relations, security and risk management. She also served as Executive Director and Director of Marketing and Fund Development for Hope Network Southeast, where she wrote and administered state and federal grants and maintained liaison with governmental units as well as private foundations and investors.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Polish-American affairs based in Hamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park...
in the United States, a suburb of Detroit. The Institute was founded in 2003 by Dr. Thaddeus Radzilowski
Thaddeus Radzilowski
Thaddeus C. Radzilowski or Tadeusz Radziłowski is an award-winning Polish-American historian, scholar, author, professor and co-founder of the Piast Institute, a national institute for Polish and Polish-American affairs. Dr. Radzilowski's work has focused on Poland and other Central and Eastern...
and Mrs. Virginia Skrzyniarz. With a Board of Directors composed of prominent Polish-American leaders, an international network of Institute Fellows
Fellows
Fellows or Fellowes is a surname and may refer to:People* Ailwyn Fellowes, 1st Baron Ailwyn , British businessman, farmer and politician* Carol Fellowes, 4th Baron Ailwyn , British peer...
, and a staff led by Dr. Radzilowski as president and Mrs. Skrzyniarz as executive vice president, Piast Institute has evolved into the only think tank in North America devoted to Polish and Polish-American affairs.
Institute Mission
The Piast Institute seeks to "Build a New PoloniaPolonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
for the 21st Century." With its staff, boards and international network of fellows, Piast develops conferences, seminars, publications, public programs, lectures, and exhibits that provide unbiased, timely and current information about Poland, Poles, and Polish Americans. With its resources and its position as a Census Information Center, Piast Institute also acts as a data resource center helping Polish, Polish American and other community groups develop policy papers and historical, cultural, political, economic, social, and demographic studies on a wide variety of topics. The Institute’s mission and programming also aim to celebrate Polish contributions to American as well as general world culture, and to address and counter any inaccurate or defamatory information released about Poland, Poles or Polish Americans.
Census Information Center
In 2006, the Piast Institute was designated as a United States Census Information CenterCensus information center
The Census Information Center program is an integral part of the U.S. Census Bureau's data dissemination network.- History :The Census Information Center Program was started in 1988 to improve access to census data by minority groups and economically disadvantaged segments of the population, who...
(CIC) by the United States Census Bureau. Piast Institute is only one of 59 CIC's, the only Center in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region, and the only CIC whose primary purpose is to represent a European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
ethnic group.
As a CIC, the Piast Institute is integral part of the U.S. Census Bureau's data dissemination network. The program's primary focus is making census information and data available to underserved communities that may not have access to census data through other means of the data dissemination network. In addition to utilizing the Census data for its own studies and research, the Institute serves the Polish and Polish-American communities as well as organizations seeking to forward the goals of other ethnic and minority communities. The Institute also provides census data and reports to businesses for a small fee.
Dekaban Program
The Piast Institute assists the family of Dr. Anatole Dekaban and his wife Mrs. Pamela Liddle-Dekaban in the oversight and management of the work of the Dekaban-Liddle Foundations. The Foundations, established by Dr. and Mrs. Dekaban in 1982, facilitate agricultural, economic, and engineering exchanges between Polish universities and universities located in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The foundations seek to benefit Poland and its citizens by enhancing the quality of Polish science and education.In addition, the Piast Institute sponsors the annual Dekaban Lecture to commemorate and honor the work and spirit of Dr. and Mrs. Dekaban. Recent keynote speakers participating in the Dekaban lectures have included figures such as Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski is a Polish American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman who served as United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981....
, one of the most influential figures in the history of U.S. foreign policy, and Alex Storozynski, a Pulizter-Prize winning journalist.
Executive Staff
Dr. Thaddeus Radzilowski serves as Piast Institute president. Dr. Radzilowski is an award-winning historian focusing on Poland and other Central and Eastern European nations, including RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He has written extensively on the histories of these regions as well as the migration of peoples from Central and Eastern Europe, with special emphasis on social history and historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
. He has lectured widely in Europe and North America and has published more than 100 monographs, edited collections, journal articles, book chapters and scholarly papers. In 1999, the President of Poland presented Dr. Radzilowski with the Cavaliers Cross of the Polish Order of Merit for distinguished contributions to the dissemination of Polish culture in the world.
Mrs. Virginia Skrzyniarz serves as Piast Institute executive vice president. Mrs. Skrzyniarz has more than seventeen years of experience in managing non-profit organizations. She has served as an executive level administrator with duties in personnel, risk management and supervision of employees and facilities, and she has also directed of development and events planning. Prior to co-founding the Piast Institute, Ms. Skrzyniarz was Vice President for Administrative Affairs at St. Mary’s College with responsibility for development, fund raising, events, planning, advertising, public relations, security and risk management. She also served as Executive Director and Director of Marketing and Fund Development for Hope Network Southeast, where she wrote and administered state and federal grants and maintained liaison with governmental units as well as private foundations and investors.
Board of Directors
Piast Institute’s Board of Directors is the executive body governing the Piast Institute. It is a group of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and professional careers, and is charged with advising, supervising and directing the strategy of the Institute.
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Thaddeus Radzilowski Thaddeus C. Radzilowski or Tadeusz Radziłowski is an award-winning Polish-American historian, scholar, author, professor and co-founder of the Piast Institute, a national institute for Polish and Polish-American affairs. Dr. Radzilowski's work has focused on Poland and other Central and Eastern... , Piast Institute president Wayne State University Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and... School of Medicine Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world.... dean and Poland's former Ambassador Ambassador An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization.... to UAE and Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |