NOTES ON PEOPLE (09/21/97)

NOTES ON PEOPLE

Defends dissertation in electrical engineering

CINCINNATI - Ksenia Kolcio, having successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in the department of electrical engineering at the University of Cincinnati, on June 13 received her doctor of philosophy degree.

Dr. Kolcio began her studies at the University of Toronto, where she received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering in 1990.

During her doctoral work at the University of Cincinnati, Ms. Kolcio presented papers at six conferences and had a paper published in a technical journal. She was the recipient of a graduate scholarship and a summer research scholarship, as well as a National Science Foundation grant. Her doctoral thesis, titled "Control and Condition Monitoring Oriented Approach to Modelling with Applications in Compressible Fluid Dynamic Systems," was in part funded by a grant from NASA.

Dr. Kolcio is a member of the Ukrainian Engineers Society of America and the American Institute of Aeronautics.

She started her formal education in Ukrainian at the School of Ukrainian Studies in Whippany, N.J., and finished with a diploma from the School of Ukrainian Studies in Newark, N.J. While still a university student, she spent summers broadening her Ukrainian education at Harvard University, and in Rome and Kyiv.

As a member of the Plast Ukrainian Youth Organization, Dr. Kolcio spent her summers as a child attending Plast camps, and as a teenager and young adult continued to return to Plast camps at "Novyi Sokil," "Bobrivka," "Vovcha Tropa" and "Pysanyi Kamin" as a counselor to younger campers. Always interested in sports, she participated in the sports camp organized by the "Chervona Kalyna" Plast fraternity and later returned as a counselor. An avid skier, she participated in many ski camps organized by the "Burlaky" Plast fraternity, both in the U.S. and Canada.

One of Dr. Kolcio's particular interests is sea scouting, and to that end she attended several sea scouting camps and joined the "Chornomorski Khvyli" Plast sorority. After Ukraine declared its independence, she traveled there in 1992 to serve as an instructor for the first Sea Scouting Course held on the Black Sea in Crimea. She returned to Ukraine again in 1995 to serve as an instructor at a Plast camp held on the shores of Lake Svytiaz in the Volyn region of Ukraine.

Traveling the world was always close to the heart of this joyful, tall and always smiling young American woman with a Ukrainian heart and soul. She participated in a student trip to Ukraine before its independence, where she trekked the Carpathian Mountains. She traveled also to France, England, Italy and Greece, and spent two months in distant India. In addition to Ukrainian and English, she speaks French and Russian.

Dr. Kolcio is the daughter of Nestor and Magda Kolcio. She has a younger brother, Bohdan, who graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in East European and international studies, and is involved in promoting trade with Ukraine. The Kolcio family is a benefactor of The Ukrainian Museum in New York, donor to the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard, as well as a contributor to many general community and Plast projects. They reside in the vicinity of Columbus, Ohio, and are active members of the Ukrainian Association of Ohio.

Dr. Kolcio is a member of Branch 88 of the Ukrainian National Association.

Gets public affairs post at U.S. Mission to U.N.

WASHINGTON - Tania B. Chomiak, a foreign service officer with the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), has been assigned as public affairs adviser to the American Mission at the United Nations in New York.

She joined the diplomatic service in 1993 and served for three years as press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Almaty, Kazakstan. During that time she was sent to Kyiv twice to work on President Bill Clinton's visits to Ukraine.

After returning from Kazakstan she worked as special assistant to the counselor of USIA in Washington.

Ms. Chomiak is a 1989 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she majored in international relations. In 1993 she received a master of arts in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

She is a member of Branch 25 of the Ukrainian National Association.

Faculty member cited by Rutgers University

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - During the 231st anniversary commencement of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Prof. Holowinsky was listed among selected faculty honored by the university.

Prof. Holowinsky was honored for being elected a fellow of the American Academy of School Psychology. He is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association, permanent member of the International Council of Psychologists and life member of the American Association of Mental Retardation.

As a scholar, Dr. Holowinsky has to his credit over 100 publications, including four books and numerous chapters in 25 other books.

The Holowinsky family belongs to UNA Branch 353.

Receives promotion at New England utility

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. - Massachusetts Electric Co., a New England Electric System (NEES) retail subsidiary, announced on July 30 that Lydia M. Pastuszek, vice-president of business services for the company's Merrimack Valley district, will add responsibility for the company's North Shore district to her current duties.

Since joining the NEES companies in 1981, Ms. Pastuszek, a resident of Andover, has held a variety of positions. Most recently she was president of Granite State Electric Co., the NEES retail subsidiary in New Hampshire. Ms. Pastuszek's other positions included vice-president of New England Power Co., NEES's wholesale generating subsidiary, and director of demand planning for New England Power Service Co., NEES's service subsidiary.

Prior to joining the NEES companies, Ms. Pastuszek was with the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Council and the New England Regional Commission. She is a graduate of Clark University and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Massachusetts Electric Co. is the largest electric utility in the state, serving 959,000 customers in 146 communities.

Ms. Pastuszek is a member of UNA Branch 231.

Top graduate studying biology at Harvard

FLINT, Mich. - This June Nestor Denys Tomycz, son of Nestor B. and Ulana Zelechivsky Tomycz, graduated as valedictorian of his high school class at Powers Catholic High School in Flint. He is also an AP Scholar with Distinction and won the school department awards in chemistry, English and the humanities, as well as numerous other awards.

Ranked No. 6 in northeastern Michigan, Mr. Tomycz was captain and No. 1 singles player of the varsity tennis team, played board No. 1 on the chess team, and participated in Quiz Bowl and chancel choir.

He won the 1996 Concerto Competition of the Flint School of Performing Arts, which earned him the privilege of being the soloist with the Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra. In his spare time, Mr. Tomycz converses with friends on line, and practices jazz and modern music with his brother and a band.

In September he began classes at Harvard University, where he is majoring in biology. Mr. Tomycz has been a member of the Ukrainian National Association Branch 484 of Utica, N.Y.

Notes on people is a feature geared toward reporting on the achievements of members of the Ukrainian National Association. All submissions should be concise due to space limitations and must include the person's UNA branch number. Items will be published as soon as possible after their receipt, when space permits.

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