Agnieszka Siemion

Agnieszka Siemion is a physicist, an expert in diffractive optics and terahertz radiation, and a professor at the Faculty of Physics at the Warsaw University of Technology. Agnieszka is primarily an experimentalist with a true passion for science and a commitment to research, but she is also a teacher and mentor dedicated to working with students and doctoral candidates, helping them find and explore their scientific fascinations and navigate the intricate paths of contemporary physics.

She graduated from the Faculty of Physics at the Warsaw University of Technology, earning a Master of Science degree in optoelectronics in 2007. Five years later, she obtained her PhD in physical sciences from the same faculty, and in 2021, she achieved the degree of habilitated doctor. Her dedication and teaching talent are genuinely appreciated by her students, as evidenced by her five Golden Chalk Awards, received in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2020, which are granted by the Student Government of the Warsaw University of Technology based on surveys completed by course participants. Agnieszka has supervised around 50 master’s and engineer’s theses. Since 2017, she has been leading the Optical Information Processing Laboratory, and from 2015 to 2020, she served as the Dean’s Representative for student internships. Since 2020, she has held the position of Vice-Dean for Student Affairs at her home faculty.

Throughout her teaching career, Agnieszka has conducted classes at all levels of academic education, ranging from introductory physics to Fourier optics, and advanced subjects related to optical information processing, interference, and holography.
In her research, Agnieszka focuses on pushing the boundaries of optics into the terahertz radiation range, where purely photonic phenomena intersect and blend with effects typical for millimeter waves and microwave radiation, allowing for the discovery and exploration of unique properties of this radiation range. Her most significant scientific works concern optical elements for the terahertz radiation range. She conducts her research in collaboration with teams of scientists from Vilnius University, the Military University of Technology, and previously with the University of Savoie in Chambéry and the University of Montpellier.

She led the LIDER IX project funded by the National Centre for Research and Development titled “THz multifunctional diffractive system to enhance imaging of skin cancer,” followed by the OPUS 18 project funded by the National Science Centre titled “Terahertz optical MIMO system – generation algorithms and functioning of diffractive and hybrid compact structures,” as well as the FOTECH-1 project funded by the Warsaw University of Technology under the Initiative of Excellence – Research University (IDUB) program titled ” Bright and Dark-Field Polarization Resolved Terahertz Imaging of the healthy and cancer tissue phantom,” along with several smaller dean’s grants at the Faculty of Physics at the Warsaw University of Technology.

At the Candela Foundation, Agnieszka provides insights from the perspective of a scientist and academic lecturer, addressing both student and academic staff issues. She encourages discussion and inspires the asking of unconventional questions. As a member of the Foundation’s Council, she also offers reliable substantive and non-substantive support during challenging times. Her teaching, scientific, and experimental experience helps to ensure that the Foundation maintains an appropriate balance in its projects.