Leszek Starkel - Biography#

He was born in 1931, in Wierzbnik, Poland. He completed his studies at the Jagellonian University of Cracovia in 1954 and began his scientific career in the Institute of Geography of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

In 1969 he led the Department of Geomorphology and Hydrology in Cracovia (Kraków), where he is still active. He was founder of the Carpatho-Balcan Geomorphological Commission and he is the editor-in-chief of the journal Studia Geomorphologica Carpatho-Balcanica. His main research interests are high mountains geomorphology, particularly of the Carpathians, the Balkans, Mongolia, China and the Himalayas, fluvial and paleogeomorphology, recent geomorphic processes, Quaternary paleohydrology and in general applied geomorphology. In these topics he published 20 books and more than 200 papers.

He organized commissions in the International Quaternary Science Association (INQUA) and chaired the IGCP project on paleohydrology but he is equally active in IGU and IAG. In 1983 he became a Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and honorary member of several academies of sciences. His achievements have been acknowledged by medals on several occasions, among others, he is the holder of the Gold Founders Medal of Royal Geographical Society.