University of Pardubice, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Department of Physical Chemistry
I am actually sort of a newbie at the University of Pardubice. I came back here after a break spent in the private sector, and I am currently serving my first year.
At this moment of my life, once again connected with the University of Pardubice, I have returned to the research of heterogenous catalysis and materials characterization, the area of physical chemistry in which I have a doctoral degree and which boasts a long tradition and a good name at the faculty. However, for a long 16 years before that I was focused on applied research, mainly on nanotechnologies – their preparation, research and production of nanofibers from polymerous materials by electrostatic spinning.
I fell in love with chemistry already at primary school. At the time, I was also very fond of history but at grammar school chemistry decidedly won and it has been my number one ever since. I have concerned myself with science since my doctoral studies when I had the honour to work with such experts as Dr. Wichterle, Prof. Bulánek and others. I continued with my scientific work in a private company which conducts its own research. Looking back, it has been quite a while since science stepped into my life and refused to leave.
It is precisely my experience from the private sector that encourages me to participate in the mentoring programme. As head of one of the research groups I have experience with leading my own team, creating budgets, coordinating research activities in my own group and subsequently starting production based on my own research. My activities further involved preparation of materials for preclinical testing, verification, qualification, validation, and preparation of documents for the registration procedure.
An integral part of my job description was also working with people – selecting and interviewing candidates within the admission procedure, building my team, as well as evaluation of co-workers, their support and motivation, and crisis management. The company where I worked was very keen on training young researchers, so I have experience with supervising successful bachelor as well as diploma theses, works of secondary school students in the Amavet competition, and with further promotion of science not only in programmes for secondary schools, but also at various fairs.
It was my work in applied research which helped me gain experience with filing patent applications, whether on a Czech, European or a worldwide scale. I have extensive experience in dealing with patent offices.
As for my hobbies, I love to read. I enjoy reading anything from historical novels, fantasy and young adult genre to detective stories and thrillers. I also like sports, I have not done competitive sport for a while, but I like to move. Also, handicrafts help me clear my head.
