Associate Professor Kummerová graduated from the Institute of Experimental Biology and now works in the Department of Experimental Plant Biology, where she teaches courses in cytology, anatomy, and plant biology. She has conducted extensive research into the impact of environmental pollution on plants, including their growth, development, physiological processes and anatomical changes. She has published numerous original scientific papers as both main author and co-author.  

Outside of our faculty, she is also a member of the doctoral study programme council at the Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University. She is known for her strong work ethic, diligence and determination, and she passes these qualities on to her students. Thanks to her humane approach, openness and sincere kindness, she enjoys their long-term affection and respect. 

For the third consecutive year, the Faculty of Science management have awarded prizes to key collaborating organisations, teachers and graduates. 

Thanks to our collaboration with the Veterinary Medicine Research Institute, we have been able to conduct research into the physiology and immunity of bees at the Institute of Experimental Biology. Specifically, this involved identifying and quantifying bee viruses at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine. The exceptionally successful and long-term collaboration with the Molecular Epidemiology of Viral Infections group, led by Dr Jana Prodělalová, is a prime example of this. This collaboration has been characterised by the efficient acquisition of grant funding, the systematic publication of results in prestigious domestic and international professional journals, the implementation of applied outputs and the active transfer of knowledge to target users, i.e. beekeepers, through professional workshops and lectures. 

The award was accepted by RNDr. Jana Prodělalová, PhD  

BAGHIRRA has a long history of developing innovative technologies in the fields of ecology, monitoring and automation. Over the course of more than twenty years of close collaboration with the RECETOX centre, a range of unique devices have been developed for monitoring air and water quality, including two patented samplers. The exceptional outcomes of this collaboration have been employed for many years in successful Czech and international research projects, as well as in global research infrastructure activities and the education of numerous students in their final theses.

Unfortunately, company representatives were unable to attend the ceremony in person and will receive the award at a later date.  

Our close working relationship with OPTIK INSTRUMENTS is part of a long-term and successful partnership. The company is the official representative of Bruker Optics in the Czech Republic and has been active in the field of infrared and Raman spectrometry for a long time. It specialises in selling and servicing spectrometers and microscopes and provides expert advice to users. In addition to providing regular technical support, OPTIK INSTRUMENTS organises workshops where it presents new products and shares practical user experiences. It also runs an educational portal, the Molecular Spectroscopy Academy, which supports development of the professional community. 

The award was accepted by Ing. David Matoušek. 

Founded by graduates of the Faculty of Science with the support of JIC, World from Space offers solutions for the growing demand for satellite data processing. The company implements projects for both the private and public sectors and is a key partner in the prestigious €50 million AMBIC project funded by the ESA. The company collaborates closely with the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, offering internships to students and providing support for doctoral students, graduates and student conferences, including the Brno Space Student Conference and the NASA-ESA Transatlantic Training programme. 

The award was accepted by Mgr Roman Bohovic, PhD.  

Agico is a Brno-based company that develops and manufactures unique instruments for precise laboratory measurement of the magnetic properties of rocks, which are used in a wide range of geoscience applications. The company has been developing theoretical knowledge in this field for a long time, seeking new scientific applications and actively publishing its results.  

Founded by graduates of the Faculty of Science, Agico not only represents our faculty as a scientific and educational institution that produces high-quality, employable graduates, but also the city of Brno as a centre of scientific, research and technological excellence. 

The company collaborates closely with our faculty on teaching and research projects, providing students with access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and the latest measurement technologies to support their professional development and final theses. 

The award was accepted by Martin Chadima, PhD. 

The Institute of Biophysics has long been a key contributor to the education of students in the laboratory biology and biochemistry programmes at the Faculty of Science. Under the leadership of the current director, Professor Eva Bártová, hundreds of students have been supervised by researchers working on scientific projects. Professor Bártová is personally committed to providing students with a high-quality education and sets an example for her colleagues. She is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Science, where she helps to guide and develop scientific cooperation. The Institute of Biophysics is a rare and valuable example of mutually beneficial cooperation. 

The award was accepted by RNDr. Eva Bártová, PhD, DSc. 

The long-term and successful scientific and educational partnership with the Centre for Polymer Research has resulted in more than ten high-quality publications and the implementation of joint research projects, including one ongoing grant and two completed grants from the Czech Science Foundation, both of which received an excellent rating. This partnership has also made a significant contribution to the education of a new generation of experts. Thanks to this collaboration, dozens of students from the Faculty of Science have been introduced to the fields of biomaterials and applied biology, strengthening their professional development and enhancing the overall quality of research in these areas. 

The award was accepted by Prof. Ing. Petr Humpolíček, PhD 

The Faculty of Science has been collaborating with Meopta Přerov in the field of applied research in thin film optics since the early 1970s. The collaboration has led to the successful completion of numerous joint projects and educational initiatives, while the research has produced many valuable results with clear applications in the optical industry. This fruitful collaboration has also been reflected in the publication of joint professional articles in specialist Journals. Notably, many of our graduates have found employment at Meopta.  

The award was accepted by Ing. David Škoda, PhD 

For over 20 years, the Czechoslovak Ocean Shipping (C.O.S.) Group, represented by its founder and Chairman of the Board, Ing. Dušan Jamný, has reliably and safely organised and provided transportation of people and materials to and from Antarctica for the Czech Antarctic Research Programme, based at the Faculty of Science's Department of Geography. In the early seasons, it was crucial to transport building materials for constructing the J. G. Mendel Czech scientific station on James Ross Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. Ing. Jamný and the C.O.S. Group have long supported the programme, enabling Czech and foreign scientists to work safely and effectively in the inhospitable Antarctic environment and ensuring that the Czech Republic maintains its consultative status in the Antarctic Treaty System.

The award was accepted by Ing. Dušan Jamný. 

Ms Havlátová is an exceptional teacher who has been providing her students at the Tišnov Gymnasium with high-quality education and personal development opportunities for many years. She teaches biology-related subjects, and many of her students go on to study at university. 

She actively pursues her own education by participating in professional courses and collaborating with several scientific institutions to organise lectures, excursions and internships for her students. In 2020, Ms Havlátová received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Learned Society of the Czech Republic. She is an exceptionally hard-working and dedicated teacher and a role model for others in the teaching profession.  

Ms Poláčková is an experienced and dedicated teacher of chemistry and mathematics at Šlapanice Grammar School, where she has inspired her students to take an interest in the natural sciences for many years. She is the director of the Šlapanice Chemistry Centre, a professional platform that supports and encourages innovative teaching methods among chemistry teachers. She also runs a chemistry club at her school and organises the school round of the Chemistry Olympiad, in which her students have achieved regional, national and international success. Thanks to her enthusiasm, many young people choose to study chemistry at university. 

Ms Helceletová is a renowned biology teacher at Biskupské Grammar School in Brno. Her unique approach inspires her students to respect and admire the natural sciences, particularly the geological sciences. 

She is actively involved in summer geology schools and accompanies her students on educational programmes at the Institute of Geological Sciences. Thanks to her enthusiasm and expertise, her students participate in the Geology Olympiad and the Wealth of the Earth competition.  

Her teaching activities significantly contribute to students' knowledge and skill development, positively impacting their personal and professional growth in the long-term. 

Dr Kobza is an exceptional mathematics and physics teacher at the třída kapitána Jaroše Grammar School in Brno. He passes on his wealth of experience from teaching at grammar school to students on the teaching of mathematics course at the Faculty of Science. He has been involved in leading seminars on teaching methods and other practical subjects for a long time. 

His teaching style, which is grounded in solid professional knowledge and a genuine passion for mathematics, inspires future teachers in this field. Dr Kobza is the author of the Masaryk University-published textbook Maturita z matematiky na gymnáziu (High School Mathematics Exam). 

After completing her studies at Masaryk University, Ms Vojáčková enrolled on a chemistry PhD programme at Harvard University, one of the United States’ leading institutions for the natural sciences. The results of her doctoral research, conducted at Harvard, were recently published in the prestigious journal Nature, where she appears as co-author. Her achievements to date have significantly enhanced the Faculty of Science’s prestige both at home and abroad, confirming her exceptional talent, extraordinary diligence and determination. 

Since graduating from the Faculty of Science, Dr Vondráková has worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at Ostrava Technical University. She has contributed to the creation of numerous multimedia teaching materials, and two textbooks co-authored with Dr Plch from the Faculty of Science have received awards from the Czech Association for Distance University Education. She is also involved in several projects focusing on blended and distance learning in mathematics. Dr. Vondráková also co-authored the book Otakar Borůvka, which became an important resource for this year's 125th anniversary celebrations of Professor Otakar Borůvka's birth, organised by Masaryk University in cooperation with the Otakar Borůvka Society. 

Dr Dušek, a graduate of the Faculty of Science, is a highly prominent figures in popularising the natural sciences. During his long tenure as director of the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, he transformed the institution into a modern, open and widely accessible centre for science, culture and education. Under his leadership, one of Europe’s most modern digital projection domes was created. 

Dr Dušek is the author and co-author of numerous scripts for multimedia performances, books and projects that connect astronomy and other natural sciences with everyday life. 

Another important aspect of his work is popularising space exploration and related technologies. He co-organises the Brno Space Days festival and participates in the activities of the Brno Space Cluster, a platform that connects scientific, educational and technological institutions with a focus on space-related topics. Through these activities, he helps to raise awareness of current trends in space research and develop regional cooperation between the academic, public and commercial spheres. 

Dr Střelec graduated from our faculty with a degree in Physics. After completing his studies, he began his career at Tesla in Brno. He then joined the team that founded DELMI, the predecessor of today’s Thermo Fisher Scientific Brno, and participated in developing their first product. Throughout his career, he has held various management positions. He is currently the head of the Brno branch of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Under his leadership, the Brno branch has become a key centre for the development and production of electron microscopes and spectrometers for use in scientific institutions, universities and development centres around the world. The company employs over 2,000 people and is South Moravia’s largest exporter. In 2023, he was awarded the title of TOP CEO in the Czech Republic.  

Dr Střelec is actively involved in collaborating with academic institutions, including Masaryk University. Thermo Fisher Scientific regularly offers students internships, work experience and opportunities to collaborate on their theses. 

Unfortunately, representatives of the Brno Secondary Industrial School of Civil Engineering were unable to attend the ceremony, but we are pleased that they were able to receive the award at a later date. We greatly appreciate their involvement and support to date, and we are delighted that they accepted this title. The award was accepted by the deputy director, Ing. Šárka Skříčková.