Dean’s Greeting
Physics has been taught at the University of Lviv for over 230 years. Famous scientists studied and taught here, including M.Smoluchowski, L.Infeld, V.Milianczuk, Ya.Dutchak, M.Brodyn, I.Yukhnovskyi, I.Vakarchuk, and others. Among the graduates of the faculty there are famous academicians and corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, heads of the universities and scientific establishments, namely: I.Yukhnovskyi, Yu.Fradkin, M.Brodyn, I.Vakarchuk, I.Mryglod, I.Stasyuk, Z.Nazarchuk, M.Holovko, Yu.Rudavskyi, M.Vakiv, and many others.s.
Ya.Dutchak, V.Prohorenko (1983), R.Lutsiv, Ye.Levin (1984), M.Pashkovskyi, V.Savytskyi (1986). I.Vakarchuk (2000), Yo.Stakhira (2001) were presented with the State awards in the branch of science and technology.
The Faculty of Physics of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv was founded in 1953 as a result of the division of Physics and Mathematics faculty into the Faculties of Physics and of Mechanics and Mathematics. In the beginning years, the Faculty included the following departments: the Department for Theoretical Physics (founded in 1872), the Department for Experimental Physics (founded in 1872), the Department for General Physics (founded in 1945), and the Department for Higher Mathematics. V.Milianczuk was the chairperson of the Department for Theoretical Physics, L.Klimovska headed the Department for Experimental Physics, S.Lytvynenko was the chairperson of the Department for General Physics, and M.Zarytskyi headed the Department of Higher Mathematics
Foundation of the Faculty of Physics became possible due to scientific researches in the branch of physics, which were carried out by the famous academicians of the Lviv University for quite a long period of time. Namely, Rector Dominic Zelionka initiated the opening of the astronomical observatory at the faculty of Philosophy in 1771 and in 1784 initiated the foundation of the Department of Physics, which in 1872 was divided into the Department of Theoretical Physics and the Department of Experimental Physics. Scientific and pedagogical activity was carried out by the famous physicists, namely, T.Stanetskyi, I.Zakshevskyi, R. Nehrush, M.Smolukhovskyi, S.Loria, Sch.Shcheniovskyi, V.Rubinovych and others. Before the foundation of the Faculty in 1953 specialists in the field of physics were taught at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. Such famous physicists as academicians : M.Brodyn, I.Yukhnovskyi, professors A.Lubchenko and I. Dziuba and others studied in the group of physicists. Later, they headed various institutes of The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other scientific and industrial – scientific institutions. The scholars also became the heads of the universities and secondary schools, etc.
Now, there are six departments at the faculty : Department of Theoretical Physics, Department of Experimental Physics, Department of Metals Physics, Department of Astrophysics, Department of General Physics, Department of Solid Body Physics. These departments ensure the teaching of physics not only at the Faculty of Physics, but also at the faculties of : Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Geography, Mechanics and Mathematics and at the Faculty of Electronics. Academic staff of the faculty conducts classes at the College of natural sciences. All the departments of the Faculty are headed by doctors of physics and mathematics. At present, 15 professors and doctors of physics and mathematics, 22 docents and candidates of physics and mathematics work at the faculty.
Educational process of the faculty provides, first and foremost, a thorough and professional teaching of physics, higher mathematics, informatics, programming and also teaching of humanitarian disciplines, namely, foreign languages. Increase in educational quality, renewal of educational base, creation of methodological supply, writing and publication of books are prioritized in the present activity of the academic staff of the faculty.
Today, the faculty of physics is a powerful centre of science and education, famous thanks to its students and their publications not only in Ukraine and Europe but in the whole world.
Dean of the Faculty of Physics