Adam Gawin

Adam Mieczysław Gawin
Born	(1939-12-27)December 27, 1939
Died	June 26, 2012(2012-06-26) (aged 72)
Alma mater	AGH University of Science and Technology
Occupation	University professor
Spouse	Helena Dereń
Children	2, including Elżbieta Gawin

Adam Mieczysław Gawin (born December 27, 1939, in Cracow, died June 26, 2012) was a Polish professor of geophysics from 1983 to 2000 at the AGH University of Krakow. His specialities included geophysics, exploration geophysics, drilling geophysics, mining and engineering geology, sedimentary rocks, theoretical physics, astrophysics and relativistic cosmology.

Early life and education

He was born on December 27, 1939, in Cracow, Poland. He graduated from the King Stefan Batory Primary School in Cracow, and then the 3rd Secondary School of the Society of Friends of Children in Cracow. In the years 1957-1962 he studied geology at the Faculty of Geology and Exploration of the AGH University of Science and Technology. He graduated with distinction.

Work in academia

In 1962, he began working as an assistant at the Department of Seismic Exploration Methods and Drilling Geophysics, Department of Geological Geophysics, Faculty of Geology and Exploration. In 1965, based on the thesis "Electromagnetic profiling in a wellbore in the case of environmental heterogeneity", written under the supervision of Professor Henryk Orkisz, he obtained a Ph.D. In 1971, based on his dissertation "Drilling electromagnetic profiling in an anisotropic rock medium", he obtained a habilitated doctor's degree. In the years 1972-1982 he was an assistant professor at the Interministerial Institute of Applied Geophysics and Petroleum Geology, Faculty of Geology and Exploration. In the years 1973-1981 he was the head of the Doctoral Study in Geophysics. In the years 1983-2000 he was a professor at AGH.

In the years 1962-2000 he cooperated with scientific institutes, universities, technical universities, geological and exploration enterprises in Poland and with the Scientific Research Committee of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. He was a member of the Geological Sciences Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Geophysics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Well Geophysics Section, and the Association of Engineers and Technicians of the Petroleum Industry.

He received the 3rd degree individual award of the Minister of Science, Higher Education and Technology, the 2nd degree team award of the Minister of Science, Higher Education and Technology, a Diploma and an Honorary Medal "for active participation in the work of the symposium in the field of mathematical methods and computer science in PTG geodesy", he also received the Rector of AGH University of Science and Technology Award many times.

Personal life and cultural significance

He was married to Helena Gawin née Dereń since 1964. He had two children, including Elżbieta Gawin, a controversial online personality known for streaming on YouTube. Gawin has become somewhat of an internet phenomena due to his daughter, who regularly mentions her father during her livestreams, often idolising him or accusing him of various abuses, making him a topic of discussion in non-academia circles. A nickname “córa belwederska” (Belvedere daughter) was coined because of how Elżbieta Gawin highlights her father's professor's degree; in Poland, the title of professor is awarded to people with a habilitated doctor's degree for outstanding scientific or artistic achievements. Since this title is awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland, and the ceremony related to the awarding of this title sometimes takes place in the Belvedere Palace, the person to whom this title has been granted is also called a “Belvedere professor” in less official circumstances.