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NEW BRITAIN -- Four nationally recognized authorities on Polish genealogy and Polish history will discuss and provide examples of tracing family roots during the 2004 Polish Conference. The event will be held in the Alumni Complex and Lobby of the Student Center at Central Connecticut State University from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 17 and from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18. Sponsored by the Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast, Inc. (PGSCT/NE), and the Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair of Polish and Polish American Studies at CCSU, the event is open to the public. Free parking is available in campus garages. The experts -- Matthew Bielawa, Dr. Mieczyslaw B. Biskupski, Marcia D. Melnyk, and Jonathan Shea, A.G. -- will present workshops and lectures to help beginners and advanced family history researchers gain access to many newly available archival sources. The speakers will also display sample resources of books, maps and other materials, and they will offer personal help in translating genealogical documents and related research matters. In a beginner’s workshop, Bielawa and Shea will discuss civil and church records, and suggest resources for identifying ancestral villages in Europe, as well as archives in Poland that hold relevant records. Prof. Biskupski will discuss such important questions about Polish history as “Who is a Pole?” and “Where is Poland?” “They are radically different subjects,” he notes. “Why the boundaries of Poland have rarely contained the Polish people is a phenomenon that requires a clear understanding of national consciousness and historical change in the east of Europe.” Ms. Melnyk will explain how databases are constructed, how to search them and to properly interpret the findings that are crucial to obtaining reliable results. As she points out: “With computer access to millions of records and indices, it is especially important to understand how to use electronic resources for successful research.” Melnyk will also lecture on researching a family’s immigrant ancestors, and she will explain the need to understand the records but the time period, as well as ethnic background, religion, and laws pertaining to those records. All four speakers have extensive experience in their respective fields and have been featured speakers at numerous regional and national conferences: Matthew Bielawa, Associate Registrar at Central Connecticut State University, currently serves as Vice-President, Data Coordinator and Webmaster for PGSCT/NE. He holds degrees in Slavic and East European Studies and Slavic Languages and Literatures. Dr. Mierczyslaw B. Biskupski has held the Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair in Polish and Polish American Studies at Central Connecticut State University since 2002. He is the author of seven books, numerous prestigious journal articles and other commentary on Polish history and culture. He is a specialist in modern Central Europe, particularly Poland, as well as international relations. Dr. Biskupski has received many academic and national awards, including being named to the Honor Roll of Polish Science by the Polish Ministry of Education, and being awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Polish Institute and past president of the Polish American Historical Association. Professor Biskupski is also a 2004 recipient of the Polish American Historical Association’s Mieczyslaw Haiman Award, which is presented annually to American scholars for sustained contribution to the study of the Polish American ethnic group in the United States, during ceremonies at the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC. Marcia Iannizzi Melnyk is a professional genealogist who has taught beginning and advanced genealogy courses for more than 15 years. She has also lectured extensively on a variety of subjects and has written many books. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and former executive board member of the New England Regional Genealogical Conference. Jonathan Shea is founding President, Reference Archivist and translator for PGSCT/NE, as well as editor of its journal, Pathways and Passages. An accredited genealogist in the field of Polish research, he is has written many books, and is also an instructor of foreign languages in the Connecticut State University system. The cost for the Friday, September 17, Beginner’s Workshop is $10 per person. Saturday’s event, which includes a Polish-American buffet lunch, is $35. For persons planning to attend the conference on both days, the cost will be $40. Registration forms are available online at http://www.pgsctne.org/confregform_ccsu.html or e-mail pgsconf@yahoo.com or Szepanski@ccsu.edu. Please send registration forms or requests for more information to Diane Szepanski, Conference Chair, 138 Fern Drive, Plantsville, CT 06479. ### |
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