From metal-stressed soils to mentoring success

Kamila Murawska-Wlodarczyk — 2025 Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award Recipient, University of Arizona Department of Environmental Science

As part of the Luminaries Outstanding Faculty Awards, Kamila Murawska-Wlodarczyk has been recognized with the 2025 Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award for her exceptional dedication to mentorship, research, and community within the Department of Environmental Science.

Kamila’s received her PhD from the University of Arizona, where she explores how plants survive and adapt in some of the planet’s harshest conditions: semi-arid landscapes contaminated with heavy metals. By uncovering how plants and microbes work together to restore polluted soils, a process called phytoremediation, she’s advancing sustainable approaches to land reclamation and ecosystem health.

Beyond her research, Kamila is known for cultivating a culture of inclusion and collaboration. She has mentored students at every stage, from high school interns to PhD candidates, helping them grow as scientists and as people. Her peers describe her as a thoughtful leader whose encouragement and insight have strengthened the department’s sense of community and academic excellence.

Through her scientific innovation and commitment to others’ success, Kamila embodies the Wildcat spirit of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration that defines the Luminaries Awards.