Honorary Degree to Dr. Jerzy Zawistowski
July 7, 2024 – The University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland, recognized the longstanding contributions and scientific achievements of Dr. Jerzy Zawistowski by awarding him a Doctor Honoris Causa. He received the honorary degree at a ceremony in Poland on June 21, 2024.
At UBC, Dr. Zawistowski is the Academic Director of LFS’s Master of Food Science program, a popular course-based program, which he co-founded in 2007. An Adjunct Professor, he also teaches graduate courses in food law and regulations, and in the undergraduate food science program on nutraceuticals and functional foods.
For more than 20 years Dr. Zawistowski has collaborated with the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. From 2003-2006, he researched the effect of black rice extracts and plant sterols on lipid metabolisms and at the same time, developed a muesli bar using their beneficial properties. At the time, he worked with Forbes Medi-Tech in Vancouver.
He has also been involved in teaching at the University of Agriculture’s Faculty of Food Technology in Krakow at the master’s level. In terms of research, Dr. Zawistowski has facilitated research exchanges through the Erasmus+ program, enabling researchers to travel between the University of Agriculture and UBC since 2017.
Dr. Zawistowski’s scientific achievements have been in the area of food science and technology, where he developed and implemented the monoclonal antibody method to determine selected food ingredients, microorganisms and toxic substances. He’s also researched and promoted food ingredients that contribute to health – with a particular focus on plant sterols. He authored and co-authored 94 publications, including 50 peer-reviewed papers, 20 book chapters, and 13 patents. He presented and co-presented over 200 scientific papers, including invited lectures, plenary and keynote talks at national and international conferences and meetings.
He completed his master’s studies in 1981 in human nutrition at the Faculty of Food Technology at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, and his PhD in food enzymology from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba where he worked as a professor from 1988-1998. From 1998-2008, he worked as a VP of Forbes Medi-Tech in Vancouver, responsible for the functional food and nutraceuticals section. At the same time, he began working as an Adjunct Professor at UBC.
Other awards he has received include a Merit Award from the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF) for service and outstanding contribution to the field; IFT certified food scientist, the World Congress of Food and Nutrition Innovation Award for innovation in technology, products or services; and the Garson N. (Gerry) Vogel Memorial Award (University of Manitoba), among others.