Polish Radio has verified RMF FM’s report, which suggested that Professor Jim Mazurkiewicz from Houston, Texas, is the leading candidate to replace Ambassador Mark Brzezinski in Warsaw.
Prof. Jim Mazurkiewicz from Texas A&M University has been collaborating with Polish scientists for many years. In May 2024, he visited Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM) in Poznań, located in the western part of Poland, where his family is originally from.Photo: UAM
Mazurkiewicz, an American scientist of Polish descent with a Ph.D. in animal science and nearly three decades as a professor at Texas A&M University, confirmed to Polish Radio that he formally submitted his candidacy for U.S. ambassador to Poland in December last year.
However, he has not yet had any formal discussions with the State Department or anyone from Donald Trump’s administration regarding the role and was surprised to see Polish media reporting that he is a top contender, explains Marek Wałkuski, Polish Radio’s White House correspondent.
The candidacy of the Texas A&M University researcher is supported by members of the Polish-American community, academics, and his former students. Specializing in animal science and agricultural advisory, he has been an active advocate for Polish-American cooperation in business, science, and education for many years—a commitment recognized in 2016 when he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
In 2025, Mazurkiewicz will turn 69. A fifth-generation descendant of Polish immigrants, he speaks Polish fluently, as confirmed via social media by RMF FM’s U.S. correspondent, Paweł Żuchowski.
Professor Jim Mazurkiewicz eyed for U.S. Ambassador to Poland
According to the Adam Mickiewicz University portal in Poznań, Professor Mazurkiewicz has long served as the president of the Polish-American Council in Texas, which brings together over 50 active Polish-American organizations, and is well-known among Polish scientists who had the opportunity to collaborate with him last year.
His family hails from Sławno near Pobiedziska, a small municipality in western Poland, as well as from Węglewo, which is located nearby. Because his great-grandparents and grandparents never learned English, Polish was the first language spoken in his household.
“All holidays and family celebrations were held in Polish. Poles have had a significant impact on the history of Texas – I teach that history and give lectures at St. Thomas University in Houston,” says Mazurkiewicz in a statement quoted by the university’s website.
As we previously reported on Radio Poland, Daniel Lawton is currently serving as the Chargé d’Affaires in Warsaw until the new U.S. ambassador to Poland is confirmed and arrives.
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Source: IAR/RMFFM/PR24.pl/X/@Marekwalkuski/@p_zuchowski/uniwersyteckie.pl
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