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<\/a>Maria Dusinska, senior scientist at NILU, says she was very surprised when she got the phone call from the Slovak president\u2019s office, telling her that she would receive the award.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always regarded the pleasure and fun I get from science as a reward in itself, so I did not expect any more,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are many more deserving Slovak scientists; however, I am deeply honoured to be among this special group of exceptional people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Dusinska also stresses the fact that this award is a result of great support from NILU, her department and especially from the Health Effects Lab team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always lucky to have a great, enthusiastic team and bright young people around me. I would not have gotten this award without their hard work and support. In science it is never one person who deserves recognition. It is always teamwork and thus, it should also be a team award.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Order of \u013dudov\u00edt \u0160t\u00far<\/h2>\n
Alena Bartonova, Research Director and EU coordinator, explains that the \u013dudov\u00edt \u0160t\u00far orders are the highest awards a Slovak citizen can receive, and have been awarded since 1994. This year, there were in total 34 awardees and 16 of them received \u013dudov\u00edt \u0160t\u00far Order: Five awardees received the Order of \u013dudov\u00edt \u0160t\u00far 1st class, eight were awarded the Order of \u013dudov\u00edt \u0160t\u00far 2nd class and three received the Order of 3rd<\/sup> class.<\/p>\n Maria Dusinska was one of only two scientists honoured; the other scientist was Dr Maria Bielikova. She is very well known in the field of artificial intelligence and received the order for her efforts in research, technology, and education.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all extremely proud of Maria\u201d, says Research Director Pernilla Bohlin-Nizzetto at NILU\u2019s department of Environmental Chemistry and Health Effects. \u201cHer extraordinary accomplishments are results of hard work and long-time commitment. This order is well-deserved proof of Maria\u2019s scientific engagement and mission, and a testimony to the perseverance, vision and creativity that have characterized her entire scientific career.\u201d<\/p>\n Senior scientist Maria Dusinska came to NILU in 2006. She soon after founded NILU\u2019s GLP certified Health Effects Laboratory<\/a>, where she was a research director until her part-time retirement last year.<\/p>\n Long-time colleague and Head of section for the Health Effects laboratory, Dr Elise Rund\u00e9n Pran, says that this award is very well deserved and a big achievement for the whole research group.<\/p>\n \u201cI am speaking for the whole group when I say that we are so proud of Maria. We are also extremely grateful for being able to work with and learn from her. She is not only a great scientist, but also a very caring, enthusiastic, dedicated, and motivating colleague, who truly loves to share her knowledge and brilliant ideas with the scientists she meets on her way. Maria is a great researcher, with a unique ability to make friends with everyone \u2013 from the bus drivers to internationally very well recognized scientists.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Brilliant, enthusiastic and caring<\/h2>\n