Three VU Scientists Elected as New Members of the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

With the election of ten new members, this year’s Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences was fully formed. The Young Academy was established four years ago, it is composed of elected motivated scientists working at Lithuanian science and higher education institutions, who have significant scientific achievements and actively engage in professional and social activities. Out of the ten new members of the Young Academy, three are researchers from Vilnius University (VU).

VU historian Dr. Tomas Čelkis is engaged in historical geographic research of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He authored or co-authored five scientific monographs and publications of scientific references, as well as published 30 other research articles in Lithuanian and international publications. During 2014-2015, he received the researcher scholarship of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. In 2015, he was voted the best young researcher of VU and received VU Rector’s Award. He is an expert of the international database Lituanistika and VU expert researcher. He is actively promotes history science by writing articles, giving lectures, and participating in radio and TV shows.

The main research areas of physicist Dr. Mantas Šimėnas are electron paramagnetic resonance, dielectric spectroscopy, and the study of hybrid metal-organic materials by spectral and theoretical modelling methods. He has extensive international research experience, having published 65 papers in peer-reviewed journals over the past eight years, including those that are highly prestigious among the scientific community. The physicist actively takes part in projects and science promotion, and is also involved in organising international conferences.

Chemist Dr. Ieva Plikusienė is also a researcher at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. For more than a decade, she has worked on the application of spectral ellipsometry for the development and improvement of optical biosensors. She published 30 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, took part in seven research projects, and led three of those projects. She actively promotes science and is the winner of the L'Oréal Baltic For Women in Science Programme 2021.

To be eligible for membership at the Young Academy, a researcher must have received his/her doctoral degree within the past ten years and be no more than 40 years old on the last day for the submission of election documents. Every year, ten members are elected for a four-year term. The Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences can comprise up to 40 members in total.