The Vice President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Natalia Sobczak (left), presents the award to Beata Ziaja-Motyka (right). (Picture: Piotr Kędzierski)
DESY scientist Beata Ziaja-Motyka, Group Leader at the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) and Full Professor at the 'Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences' (IFJ PAN) in Krakow (Poland) has been awarded the prestigious Bronze Cross of Merit during the official ceremony marking IFJ PAN's 70th anniversary at the Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, on 2 September 2025. The Bronze Cross of Merit is a state honor recognising outstanding public and scientific contributions in Poland.
Ziaja-Motyka was nominated by the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences and decorated by Vice-President Natalia Sobczak, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland. The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from the scientific community and leadership of Poland’s academic institutions.
As a leading researcher in the science of ultrafast processes, Ziaja-Motyka has been instrumental in developing and applying advanced theoretical modeling tools to study transitions in inorganic crystals and magnetic materials occurring within a few femtoseconds. Her work on the demagnetisation of materials using intense X-ray pulses, conducted in close cooperation between European XFEL and IFJ PAN, advances our fundamental understanding of how materials respond to extreme conditions and supports innovations in quantum imaging and next-generation material science.
“Congratulations to Beata Ziaja-Motyka for this exceptional recognition,” says Britta Redlich, Director in charge of Photon Science at DESY. “The Bronze Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland is a fantastic recognition of her dedication and pioneering contributions to our field and an excellent example that cross-institutional collaboration is a real asset!”
