Karolina Leszczynska BA MPhil

Cambridge Quaternary
Department of Geography
University of Cambridge
Downing Place
Cambridge CB2 3EN
England

E-mail: km429@cam.ac.uk; k.j.leszczynska@gmail.com
Telephone: +44 (0)1223 766525
Fax: +44 (0)1223 333392

Biography

Karolina studied both physical geography and archaeology at the University of Lodz from 2001-2005 completing her BA and MPhil degrees. 2006 she was awarded with 'A Medal for the outstanding achievements in studies' by the resolution of Academic Senate of the University of Lodz. After MPhil in Quaternary Science, at the University of Cambridge, she became a PhD candidate at the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. She is working under the supervision of Prof. Philip Gibbard, Dr Philip Hughes and Dr Steve Boreham. Her current research focuses on the limit of Anglian Glaciation in Essex, East Anglia and Pleistocene glacigenic deposits.

For latest news about one of Karolina' current sub-projects (joint with Julie Boreham) 'Hidden Ice Worlds' go to Facebook page designed by Julie Boreham and look for group 'Hidden Worlds - Off The Bench'.

Career

October - December 2008: an internship with Tarmac PLC at their offices in Colchester on position of field geologist.
October 2007 - present: teaching: students' supervisions, laboratory and field practicals demonstrations, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge.
February 2004: internship at the Forestry Research Institute of Polish Academy of Science.
February - March 2003: employed as geogprahy teacher at the Technical School for Foresters in Bilowieza, Poland.
September - November 2002: treining period in Public Gymasium in Bialowieza, Poland, geography teacher.

Education

in progress: PhD in Quaternary Palaeoenvironments in Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge.
September 2007: MPhil in Quaternary Sciences, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge.
June 2005: Magister (Master of Philisophy) degree in Physical Geography, specialization Geoecology, Department of Geography, University of Lodz, Poland.
June 2004: Bachelor Diploma in Geography, Department of Geography, University of Lodz.
September 2002 - October 2003: core courses of archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Lodz.

Qualifications

MPhil in Quaternary Science, University of Cambridge
MPhil in Physical Geography and Geoecology University of Lodz
BA in Physical Geography University of Lodz

Awards

February 2006: A Medal for the outstanding achievements in studies' by the resolution of Academic Senate of the University of Lodz.

Scholarships and bursaries

Cambridge Philosophical Society Travel Grant March 2011
Cambridge European Trust bursary from October 2007 untill December 2010
Gulbenkian Studentship awarded by Churchill College from October 2007 untill December 2010
Wiliam Vaughan Lewis Fund (twice, February 2008 and June 2009)
British Society for Geomorphology Postgraduate Research Fund (November 2008)
Quaternary Research Association New Research Workers' Award (October 2008)
Phili Lake Fund, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge (twice, February 2008, March 2011)
Cambridge European Trust bursary for academic year 2006/2007

Publications

Leszczynska, K. (2010) Micromorphological analysis of the periglacially disturbed deposits from the Royal Oak Pit, Essex, England. Quaternary Newsletter 120, 47-51.
Leszczynska, K. (2010) Analysis of the clay mineralogy of the Middle Pleistocene deposits in the Danbury-Tiptree area, Essex, England. Geophemera 109, 14-15.
Leszczynska, K., Boreham, J., Boreham, S. (2011) A novel methodological approach for thin-section description and its application to periglacially disturbed Pleistocene deposits from Danbury, Essex, UK. Netherlands Journal of Geoscience, 90, 271-291.

Conference publications

Leszczynska, K. (2009) Pleistocene glacigenic deposits of the Danbury-Tiptree Ridge, Essex, England. Glacigenic reservoirs and hydrocarbon systems. The Geological Society, conference paper.
Leszczynska, K., Gibbard, P., Boreham, S., Hughes, P. (2010) Osady strefy marginalnej zlodowacenia angielskiego w rejonie Danbury-Tiptree, Essex, Wielka Brytania. POKOS'4 - Treazniejszosc kluczem do przeszlosci. Wspolczesne pracesy sedymentacyjne i ich zapis kopalny. IV Polska konferencja sedymentologiczna, Smoldzino, 21-26 czerwca 2010 r, 26-27.
Leszczynska, K., Boreham, J., Boreham, S. (2010) Osady strefy marginalnej clodowacenia angielskiego w regionie Danbury-Tiptree, Essex, Wielka Brytania - Lodowy Mikrokosmos. POKOS'4 - Terazniejszosc kluczem do przeszlosci. Wspolczesne procesy sedymentacyjne i ich zapis kopalny. IV Polska konferencja sedymentologiczna, Smoldzino, 21-26 czerwca 2010 r, 86-87.

Research

Karolina's research interests are primarily in reconstructing palaeoenvironmental evolution of glaciated areas as well as in sedimentology, stratigraphy and multi-disciplinary methods to establish changing palaeoenvironments.

Past research

During her MPhil project at University of Lodz Karolina developed a model of the pattern between palaeoenvironmental conditions and human occupation of river valleys in Middle Poland.
For her MPhil dissertation in Quaternary Science at the Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group, at University of Cambridge Karolina reconstructed the palaeoenvironmental evolution of floodplain of the river Cam at Hauxton.

Current research

Currently Karolina is working on the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Anglian ice marginal zone in Essex, between Chelmsford and Colchester. Main goals of her PhD are:

To describe the architecture of sediments in the Danbury Tiptree area;
To establish the implications of the internal composition, internal structure and appearance of gravel outcrops for their origin;
To define the relationship between gravel spreads and other sediments within the area
To built a model of evolution of the regional landscape and establish its chronology

After she joined Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group, she developed her interest in glacial geology and palaeoenvironmental processes of deglaciated areas. She worked using multi-disciplinary methods on palaeoreconstruction of the floodplain of the River Cam at Hauxton.

Conferences and public presentations

Polish Sedimentological Conference POKOS'4 (June 2010) - presentation and poster presentation
10^th International Conference 'Methods of absolute chronology' (April 2010) - co-author of a poster
Graduate Forum, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge (April 2010) - presentation
Graduate Seminar, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge (March 2010) - presentation
Glaciogenic Reservoirs and Hydrocarbon Systems, The Geological Society, London (December 2009) - poster presentation
Department of Geography, Univeristy of Cambridge, Alumni Weekend (September 2009), Hidden Ice Worlds - exhibition.
Department of Geography, Univeristy of Cambridge, Open Days, (August 2009), Hidden Ice Worlds - exhibition.
Presentation for Geological Headquarters, results of geological exploration in the Stanway Quarry, Colchester undertaken during internship during October - December 2008.
Quaternary Research Association Postgradute Meeting, Liverpool, UK (September 2008) - poster presentation.
Graduate Forum, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, (January 2008) - presentation.
Quaternary Research Association Annual Discussion Meeting, London, UK (January 2008).
PGI CREA (Polish Geological Institute, Centre of Excellence Research on Abiotic Environment) international conference 'Risk caused by geodynamic phenomena in Europe', Wysowa, Poland (May 2005).
EGEA (European Geography Association for Students and Young Geographers) North and Baltic Regional Congress, 'Challenging Location and Northern know-how', Virpiniemi, Finland (March 2004).
EGEA (European Geography Association for Students and Young Geographers) 'Eastern Regional Congress', Szczawnica, Poland (April 2003).
Polish Geographical Conference for Students, Journeys - randez vous with practical geography (February 2003) - organizer and presentation.
Research seminar at the Department of Geography, University of Lodz (November 2001, December 2002) - presentations.

External activities

Member, Quaternary Research Association
Member, Royal Geographical Society
Member, British Society for Geomorphology
Member, Cambridge Philisophical Society
Vice-chairman,Young Geographers Scientific Society, Department of Geography, University of Lodz (October 2003 - June 2004)
Member, Young Geographers Scientific Society, Department of Geography, University of Lodz (October 2002 - June 2004)

Karolina's personal website.