By resolution of the Kędzierzyn-Koźle City Council on March 31 this year, the traffic circle at the intersection of Szkolna and Zwycięstwa Streets will bear the name of Włodzimierz Kotowski, an outstanding scientist, extremely meritorious to our city, and long-time director of the institute, who died last October.
Professor Włodzimierz Kotowski was for many years president of the “Blachownia” Chemical Plant, to which he was seconded in 1964, then headed the Mazovian Refining and Petrochemical Plant in Płock, to return to Kędzierzyn in 1976 and take up the position of general director of the then “Blachownia” Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis, which he remained until 1985. He later began teaching and research work at the Higher School of Engineering (today’s Opole University of Technology), where he first became vice-dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and served as rector from 1987 to 1990. His achievements include 9 monographs, 52 patents and nearly 400 scientific and popular science publications. His contributions – to science, the city, the institute, the “Blachownia” Chemical Plant and the university – have been honored with numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal for Long Service, awarded in 2009.
