A citizen of both Poland and the United States, Ms. Janowski is currently a Ph.D. student in Economics on the Brain, Mind and Society at California Institute of Technology. Her path to a Ph.D. began as an economics major at Yale University where she served as a research assistant to two professors, Prof. Arturo Bris and Christos Cabolis. Together with the two professors, she published her thesis as a chapter in International Mergers & Acquisitions Activity Since 1990: Qualitative Analysis & Recent Research, edited by G. Gregoriou and L. Renneboog (2007).
During her undergraduate studies at Yale, Ms. Janowski served as president of the Polish Society and helped organize numerous events for the students and also for the Polonian Society, such as a screening of the Polish film “Europa Europa”, followed by a discussion with the director Agnieszka Holland herself. All these efforts earned her the Szymon Sadowski Prize, awarded to the student who had done the most in a given year to celebrate and promote Polish culture at Yale.
Upon her graduation from Yale, the University awarded Ms Janowski a European Union Studies Grant to study the integration of Poland into the EU. She spent several weeks in Poland conducting interviews with prominent university professors and top ranking government officials. She put together her findings into a working research paper.
In order to strengthen her mathematics background for more advanced work in economics, Janowska went on to study for a Master’s degree in Applicable Mathematics at the London School of Economics (LSE). During that period she remained actively involved in extracurricular activities. Elected Treasurer of the Polish Society, she undertook inviting interesting speakers to the campus, e.g., the authors of A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron, Lynn Olson and Stanley Cloud. She also served as the Events Chair of the LSE Salsa Society, leading a 3-member team in organizing the Society’s events.
Throughout her studies at undergraduate and graduate levels, Janowska received several fellowships recognizing her extensive involvement in the community and specifically in Polish affairs: The Kosciuszko Fdn., Polish & Slavic FCU, and PSO.
She also supplemented her academic experiences in economics with applied work in a business setting. This involved serving as a consultant at Monitor Group, working in Warsaw, Paris, Madrid and London. Additionally, she was employed as an analyst at the Banco Bilboa Vizcaya Argentaria in Madrid and with Merrill Lynch in NY.
The Pulaski Scholarship Committee was very impressed with Ms. Janowski’s remarkable academic record that boasts a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 at Caltech and that she still finds time to serve the community and to play leadership roles in promoting Polish culture. A letter of recommendation persuaded the Committee that in selecting her for the Pulaski Scholarship, the American Council for Polish Culture will be recognizing “…a young leader who always acts on her commitment to Polish causes…and sharing her knowledge and skills with others in the Polish-American community”. Her goal is to become a professor in the economics department of a top U.S. university or business school. The Committee has little doubt that she will achieve her aims. Her thesis advisor is also confident that her completed Ph.D. projects at the intersection of economics and neuroscience will have a tremendous impact in both fields and be published in top science journals.