2024 Widzinski Senior Fellow Ewa Klekot, Dianne Widzinski, CCPS Director Geneviève Zubrzycki, CCPS Program Coordinator Małgosia Kowalczyk, 2024 Widzinski Senior Fellow Małgorzata Łukianow.

The Copernicus Center for Polish Studies (CCPS) at the University of Michigan is pleased to announce the extension of the Dianne Widzinski Visiting Fellowship Program, which provides Polish scholars with opportunities to conduct and share their research at U-M. “We are incredibly grateful for Ms. Widzinski’s additional gift in support of scholarly exchange between Poland and the United States,” commented Geneviève Zubrzycki, CCPS director, William H. Sewell Jr. Collegiate Professor of Sociology, and Weiser Family Professor in European and Eurasian Studies. “The first cohort of Widzinski Visiting Fellows had such productive, enriching experiences in Ann Arbor, and we are excited to make new connections thanks to Dianne’s continued generosity and her trust in our mission.” 

Dianne Widzinski grew up in Hamtramck—the longtime center of Polish culture in metro Detroit—in a family that was deeply integrated in the local Polish community. Dianne’s father, Leon Widzinski, was committed to passing on Polish culture to his children and was a firm believer in education. He championed his daughter’s goals and ambitions, and those lessons led Dianne to a 20-year career as the Performance Hall Manager at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater and Dance, managing front of the house operations at Hill Auditorium, the Power Center for the Performing Arts, the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, Rackham Auditorium, and the Arthur Miller Theatre.

Widzinski Visiting Fellows Agnieszka Mrozik, Emilia Sieczka, Paweł Bagiński, Jowita Baran, and Małgorzata Łukianow.

Established in 2023, the Dianne Widzinski Visiting Fellowship has already supported three Polish scholars and will allow five more to visit Ann Arbor in 2025. Their areas of focus and research include rule of law, freedom of speech, women’s rights, issues of equity, and social issues in Poland. See their full bios. 

The awards support two categories of fellows: 

  1. Widzinski Senior Fellowship: A three-four month residential fellowship for scholars, artists, journalists, or public figures from Poland to pursue their research, art, or mission while engaging with U-M students, faculty, and the Michigan community.
  2. Widzinski Research Fellowship: A one- to three-month residential fellowship for advanced Polish doctoral students conducting research in Polish studies. 

The application for 2026 fellowships opens on May 1, 2025 with a deadline of August 15. Read more.