З ВІДДАНІСТЮ СВОЇЙ СПРАВІ, З ЛЮБОВ’Ю ДО ЛЮДЕЙ ТА З ІСКРОЮ ДОБРА У СЕРЦІ

July 7, 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the renowned scientist in the field of plant physiology and microbiology, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Higher School of Ukraine, Head of the Department of Botany and Zoology of the Ternopil National Pedagogical University and University Svitlana Vasylivna was born in the village of Ishkiv, Koziv district, Ternopil region, to a family of teachers. She started schooling at the Ishkiv eight-year school and later Ternopil Secondary School #8, which she graduated with honours in 1976. In August 1977, she entered Ternopil Pedagogical Institute, Natural Sciences faculty. She graduated with honors in 1982 and got qualification of a teacher of chemistry and biology Since July 1982, Svitlana Vasylivna's work has been associated with the Department of Botany (now the Department of Botany and Zoology of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University), where she became an assistant at the laboratory of plant physiology and biology. As a laboratory assistant, S.V. Pyda commenced her first scientific studies concerned with nitrogen nutrition of legumes supervised by Professor, Head of the Symbiotic Nitrogenation Department of the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine Yukhym Polikarpovych Starchenko, candidates of biological sciences, professor of the Department of Botany of Ternopil Pedagogical Institute Vekirchyk Kuzma Mykolaiovych and associate professor Butnytskyi Ivan Mykolaiovych. From 1989 to 1993 S.V. Pyda carried out scientific research at National Botanical Garden M.M. Hrishko NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv) supervised by professor, head of allelopathy department Holovko Erast Anatoliiovych. May 26, 1994 as a result of scientific research S.V. Pyda became a successful defense of a Ph.D. thesis for the degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences in the specialty 03.00.12 – plant physiology in the specialized scientific council of the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine entitled: «Allelopathic and symbiotic features of lupine at different levels of nitrogen nutrition». During her postgraduate studies, in 1990 S. V. Pyda was transitioned to the position of Assistant Professor of the Department of Botany of Ternopil Pedagogical Institute, and after the defense of her Ph.D. thesis in January 1995 – to the post of Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor of Botany – on December 25, 1997. Pyda S.V. was given the academic title of Associate Professor of Botany. Pyda S.V. managed to combine her teaching career with scientific research concerned with a wide range of questions of plant physiology, biochemistry and ecology, microbiology, agriculture. Her major research focuses on the biological fixation of molecular nitrogen by legumes, allelopathic and biochemical features of species of the genus Lupine and some floral-ornamental plants, problems of chemical interaction between plants in natural and artificial phytocenoses, microorganisms and agriculture. Her 13-year-long scientific work found its expression in the manuscript of the doctoral dissertation, successfully defended on June 14, 2007 for the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences in the specialized academic council of the Uman Agrarian University (now Uman National University of Horticulture) entitled: “Physiology of symbiosis of Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus) – Lupinus L.: allelopathic analysis” specialty 03.00.12 – plant physiology. On April 1, 2008, after a significant achievement in the scientific and pedagogical field, the decision of the Scientific Council of the Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University Pyda S.V. was appointed the professor of the Department of Botany. On January 20, 2011, by the decision of the Attestation Board of the Ministry of Education and Science, Pyda S.V. was awarded the academic title of Professor of Botany. Since November 26, 2014 prof. Pyda S.V. has been the head of the Department of Botany and Zoology after the merging of the departments of Botany and Zoology. Svitlana Vasylivna Pyda’s legacy comprises 342 works, including 4 monographs, 7 utility model patents, over 30 scientific articles, 2 textbooks, 7 methodological tutorials, 1 bibliographic index, 2 e-courses etc. Professor S.V. Pyda has been teaching at the University for many years the disciplines "Plant Physiology", "Microbiology with the Fundamentals of Virology", "Research Methods", "Nutrition and Productivity of Plants", "Mechanisms of Plant Productivity". She is also a teacher of Ternopil Oblast Territory -Municipal Branch of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, a member of the jury and head at the numerous competitions of city and all-Ukrainian importance, the head of the Ternopil branch of the Ukrainian Society of Plant Physiologists and Ternopil branch of the Society of microbiologists of Ukraine. For a significant contribution to the teacher training courses, the introduction of modern technologies of education and upbringing of student youth and the support of gifted students, Svitlana Vasylivna Pyda was elected Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Higher School of Ukraine, awarded by Ternopil state administration, Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil Oblast Ecological and Naturalistic Center student youth, Ternopil Regional Communal Territorial Branch of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, NAS of Ukraine, Ministry of Education and Science, etc. Svitlana Vasylivna considers herself a happy person because she had the best teachers – Yavonenko A.F., Vekirchyk K.M., Shusta I.V., Barna M.M., Butnytskyi I.M., Shymanska V.A., Kuzmovych L.G., Orchuk K.I., Talposha V.S., Grushka S.I., Yakovleva V.O., Yakovenko B.V., Kuratova T.S., colleagues and scholars such as Y. P. Starchenko, E.A. Golovko, V.P.Patyk, I.P. Grygoryuk, friends, and sincere and friendly people. She is a role model and we all appreciate her dignity, integrity, high spirits and loyalty to Ukraine and science.