Jacek F. Gieras graduated in 1971 from the Technical University of Lodz, Poland, with distinction. He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering (Electrical Machines) in 1975, and the Dr habil. degree (corresponding to DSc), also in Electrical Engineering, in 1980 from the University of Technology, Poznan, Poland. His research area is Electrical Machines, Drives, Elec-tromagnetics, Power Systems, and Railway Engineering. From 1971 to 1998 he pursued his academic career at several universities worldwide, including Poland (Poznan University of Technology and University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bydgoszcz), Canada (Queens University, Kingston, Ontario), Jordan (Jordan University of Sciences and Technology, Irbid) and South Africa (University of Cape Town). He was also a Central Japan Railway Company Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo (Endowed Chair in Transportation Systems Engineering); Guest Professor at Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea; and Guest Professor at University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. In 1987 he was promoted to the rank of Full Professor (life title given by the President of the Republic of Poland). Since 1998 he has been affiliated with United Technologies Corporation, USA, most recently with Hamilton Sundstrand² Applied Research. In 2007 he also became Faculty Member (Full Professor) of the University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Prof. Gieras authored and coauthored 11 books, over 250 scientific and technical papers, and holds 30 patents. His most important books are Linear Induction Motors, Oxford University Press, 1994, UK, Permanent Magnet Motors Technology: Design and Applications, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1996, 2nd edition 2002, 3rd edition 2010 (Taylor & Francis), Linear Synchronous Motors: Transportation and Automation Systems, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 1999 (coauthor Z.J. Piech), Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Brushless Machines, Springer-Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston-Dordrecht-London, 2004, 2nd edition 2008 (coauthors R.Wang and M.J. Kamper), Noise of Polyphase Electric Motors, CRC Press – Taylor & Francis, 2005 (coauthors C. Wang and J.C. Lai), and Advancements in Electric Machines, Springer, Dordrecht-London-New York, 2008. He is a Fellow of IEEE, Hamilton Sund-strand Fellow (United Technologies Corporation, USA), Full Member of the International Academy of Electrical Engineering, and member of Steering Committees of numerous international conferences.

Zbigniew (Jerry) Piech graduated in 1975 from the Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland. He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering in 1981, also from the Technical University of Wroclaw. From 1975 to 1989 he was an academic staff member of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bydgoszcz, Poland. In the 1990s, during employment at the United Technologies Research Center, East Hartford, CT, USA, his work has focused on linear motors for roped and ropeless elevators and magnetic bearings for aerospace applications. In 1997-1998 he served as Research and Development Director at Anorad Corporation, Hauppage, NY, one of the leading US companies in linear motor system technology. He returned to United Technologies Corporation in 1998 and joined Otis Engineering³, Farmington, CT. His major contributions in the area of electric machines and power systems include development of a series of permanent magnet brushless motors for Otis elevators Gen2®with flat ropes, linear-motor-driven elevator door openers, electromagnetic brakes, and special actuators. Over the past 10 years he had a leading role in establishing permanent magnet motor technology as the standard for Otis Elevator hoist machines.

Dr Piech authored and coauthored 20 publications and holds 14 patents in the area of electric machine design and controls. He is Otis Fellow (United Technologies Corporation, USA) and member of Connecticut Academy of Sciences and Engineering (CASE).

Bronislaw Z. Tomczuk graduated in 1977 from the Opole University of Technology, Poland, with honors. He received his PhD and Dr habil. (corresponding to DSc) degrees from the Technical University of Lodz, Poland, in 1985 and 1995, respectively. Since 1978, he has been on the academic staff of the Technical University of Opole, Poland. In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of Full Professor (life title given by the President of the Republic of Poland). At present, he is a Full Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the head of the Group of Industrial Electrical Engineering at the Opole University of Technology. His area of interests is 3D mathematical modeling of electromagnetic fields using numerical methods and its applications to CAD of transformers, linear motors, actuators, magnetic bearings, and other electromagnetic devices. Since the 1990s he has been engaged in research collaboration with Polish industry. Since 2003 he has been a leader of three large-scale national research projects.

Prof. Tomczuk is author or coauthor of 5 books, over 170 scientific and technical articles, and holds 10 patents. For his research, he has obtained many professional distinctions and awards, including Gold Cross of Merit from the President of Poland, and Medal of National Committee of Education. He has been a member of Compumag Society (UK) since 2001, Association of Polish Electrical Engineers since 1977, and Polish Society of Theoretical and Applied Electrical Engineering since 1980.