Assist. Prof. Nataša Lukić Kovač, PhD, wins the ‘Josif Pančić’ Award

Nataša Lukić Kovač, PhD, assistant professor at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Banja Luka, won the ‘Josif Pančić’ Award by Matica Srpska, for notable scientific research results in botanical sciences.

The official awards ceremony was held on 19 November in the Matica Srpska Ceremonial Hall in Novi Sad.

‘The “Josif Pančić” Award is given every three years as recognition for excellence in research which contributes to the advancement of botanical sciences, preserving the scientific tradition and encouraging further research in this field’, said Assist. Prof. Nataša Lukić, PhD for the ‘Nezavisne novine’.

‘The award represents not only great recognition of my work thus far, but also a responsibility to remain dedicated to advancing my field and sharing the knowledge I have gained with my students’, she noted, explaining that the expert jury for the award comprised five university professors from Belgrade and Novi Sad, who evaluated candidates individually based on their scientific achievements and contributions to the development of botanical sciences.

The awards were presented to Assist. Prof. Lukić Kovač and the other laureates by the President of Matica Srpska, Prof. Dragan Stanić, PhD, who highlighted that Josif Pančić serves as an inspiration for all generations and stressed the need for society to place young scientists and researchers at the forefront.

‘Matica Srpska takes great pride when young people are in the spotlight who have conducted research deserving of the attention of the entire scientific community’, said President Stanić, expressing hope that it is young people that will carry forward the activities of Matica Srpska in the future.

Assist. Prof. Nataša Lukić Kovač, PhD, who has been employed at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Banja Luka since last year, completed her PhD in biological sciences at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, and also earned a second doctorate, in agricultural sciences, at the University of Hohenheim in Germany. She completed her undergraduate and master’s studies in biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka. Before being appointed as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Forestry, she was frequently involved in projects at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and had worked as a biology teacher in primary and secondary schools.

Her research focuses on plant adaptations to environmental changes, and she is also engaged in the study of plant memory, a relatively underexplored area.

In memory of our great scientist Josif Pančić, Matica Srpska has made the decision to establish the new ‘Josif Pančić’ Award, for outstanding scientific and research achievements in the field of botanical disciplines. The award will be presented every three years, starting this year, for significant scientific research results in both fundamental and applied botanical disciplines to young researchers, workers, and associates under the age of 35.

A recording of the award ceremony is available here.