Center for the Study of the Polish Diaspora

Loyola University Chicago is pleased to announce the effort to establish the Center for the Study of the Polish Diaspora thanks to the generous gift of $1 million gift from Dr. Jack and Mrs. Monica Pinkowski and The Poles in American Foundation. The Center, which will be housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, also benefits from a significant collection of books, paintings, articles, and other cultural artifacts generously donated by The Poles in America Foundation to Loyola.

Conceived as an outward-facing institution, Dr. Jack Pinkowski affirmed in making his gift that “the study of Diaspora communities will help to build bridges between them and their host communities. Cultural events, public lectures and symposia, and collaborations with community organizations will benefit Diaspora communities. This will lead to important new perspectives concerning the advantages of immigration and cross-cultural understanding.”

This initiative builds upon Loyola's vibrant Polish Studies program (https://www.luc.edu/polishstudies/), and will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary research and engagement for the exploration and dissemination of the history of the migration, identity, and contributions of Polish communities in Chicago, the United States, and around the world.

To fully establish the Center, Loyola must now raise an additional $1 million in matching funds, which, if successful, will result in Dr. Pinkowski donating an additional $3M to fund an endowed professorship in Polish Diaspora studies. The professorship will be in the name of his father, Edward Pinkowski, an esteemed historian, journalist, and lifelong advocate for preserving Polish American heritage and the founder of the Poles in America Foundation.

If you would like to support the fundraising campaign for the Center, you can do so here: Portal Give.

Connecting the Polish Diaspora

There are a number of organizations and institutions that actively engage in the study, preservation, and the celebration of the global Polish experience. The Center for the Study of the Polish Diaspora at Loyola University shares the mission of these organizations and institutions through the study of Diaspora communities and to build bridges between them and their host communities. To share information about your institution or organization and to help expand this list, please contact John Merchant, Director of Polish Studies (jmerchant@luc.edu):