Maria Lewicka

Maria Lewicka is a Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, serving as Director of the Institute of Psychology since 2019. She previously held leadership roles at the University of Warsaw and UiT The Arctic University of Norway (part-time visiting professor, 1994-2004).

• 1978 PhD in Psychology, University of Warsaw
• 1993 Habilitation, University of Warsaw
• 2013 Professor title in Social Sciences (awarded by President of Poland)

Her research focuses on place attachment, social cognition, environmental psychology, and collective memory, with significant contributions to understanding how people form bonds with places and how these relationships influence social behavior. Key publications explore topics like cognitive maps of environments, essentialism in place perception, and cultural capital's role in urban engagement.

Notable scientific awards include the Jean-Paul Codol Medal (2008), Polish Association of Social Psychology Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), and multiple national awards for her monographs. She has mentored 12 PhD students and contributed to over 20 conferences as organizer.