Dr Ana Rebeka Kamšek receives the Jožef Stefan Golden Emblem 2026
On 25 March 2026, the Jožef Stefan Institute presented its traditional Jožef Stefan Golden Emblems as part of the 34th Jožef Stefan Days, recognising the most influential doctoral dissertations in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, medicine and biotechnology completed in the past three years. Among this year’s recipients was Dr Ana Rebeka Kamšek of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, who received the award following a nomination by her mentor, Prof. Nejc Hodnik of the National Institute of Chemistry.
Dr Ana Rebeka Kamšek received the Jožef Stefan Golden Emblem for the excellence and impact of her doctoral dissertation, Crystal Structure of Platinum and Iridium Nanocomposite Electrocatalysts. In her doctoral research, she investigated the relationships between the structure, stability and performance of electrocatalysts for hydrogen technologies, making an important contribution to the understanding of materials for sustainable energy solutions.
According to the award citation, she developed new methods for the automated analysis of images and diffraction patterns, as well as for the quantitative evaluation of electrocatalyst degradation mechanisms. Her work has significantly advanced the understanding of electrocatalyst stability and performance, which is essential for the further development of efficient and reliable hydrogen technologies.
This year’s award recipients work in the fields of advanced materials, physical phenomena and the development of artificial intelligence methods for detecting defects and specific features on material surfaces. In addition to Dr Ana Rebeka Kamšek, the 2026 Jožef Stefan Golden Emblem was also awarded to Dr Luka Pavešić of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, and Dr Vitjan Zavrtanik of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana.
The Jožef Stefan Institute organises the Jožef Stefan Days each year around the anniversary of Jožef Stefan’s birth (24 March 1835). The purpose of this traditional event is to honour the memory of the renowned Slovenian physicist and to promote science. As part of the event, the Institute also presents the Jožef Stefan Golden Emblems, an important recognition of outstanding achievements by early-career researchers.