The 2026 George Hevesy Medal has been awarded to
Professor Jerzy Wojtek Mietelski,
Head of the Nuclear Physics Department, Institute of Nuclear Physics
Kraków, Poland
in recognition of his outstanding and sustained contributions to radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry, nuclear measurement techniques, and radioecology.
His pioneering work has advanced the use of alpha, beta, and gamma spectrometry combined with sophisticated radiochemical separations to identify and quantify difficult-to-detect radionuclides in the environment, originating from both natural sources and nuclear activities. Professor Mietelski achieved lasting recognition for producing the plutonium and radiostrontium contamination maps of Poland following the Chernobyl reactor accident.
The Hevesy Medal Award is given in recognition of excellence through outstanding career achievements in the fields of pure and applied nuclear and radiochemistry, particularly applications to nuclear analytical chemistry. It is named after György Hevesy (1885-1966) who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1943. It comprises an engraved bronze medal and a diploma, which are presented at a major international radiochemical conference occurring in the year of the award.
