Pitt Professor Recognized by American Council for Polish Culture

PITTSBURGH—The American Council for Polish Culture presented the Distinguished Service Award to the University of Pittsburgh’s Oscar E. Swan. Swan is a professor in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures within the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and director of the Russian and East European Summer Language Institute.

The award recognizes an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to spreading the knowledge and appreciation of Polish culture. The award ceremony was on Aug. 13 during the ACPC’s Annual Convention from Aug. 10 to 14 at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown.

“In Polish and Poland, even the simplest of words can sometimes have a cultural resonance that is a mystery to people on the outside until it is explained to them. More and more I have become interested in this aspect of the Polish language, as I sum up as best I can in my recent Kaleidoscope of Poland: A Cultural Encyclopedia,” said Swan. “I am honored by their recognition of my efforts to bring Polish culture to a wider American audience.”

Swan has written more than 15 books, including Kaleidoscope of Poland (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015). He was honored in 2004 with the Best Book in Linguistics prize for A Grammar of Contemporary Polish (Slavica Publishers, 2002) by the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages. Swan received a PhD and master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

The ACPC is a national nonprofit, charitable, cultural, and educational organization that serves as a network and body of national leadership among affiliated Polish-American cultural organizations throughout the United States. Founded in 1948, the council currently represents the interests of some 21 affiliated organizations located in 15 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.polishcultureacpc.org.

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