Doc. Ing. Milena Reháková, PhD.

Vice-rector for Education and Student Care

Between 2019–2025, Associate Professor Milena Reháková worked for the STU Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology as Vice-Dean for Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Studies, Other Forms of Education and Student Welfare. She joined the Faculty in 1992 as a research fellow, and, since 2011, she was a docent (associate professor) at the Institute of Natural and Synthetic Polymers. She completed her university studies in the field of chemistry and technology of wood, fibrous materials and composites at the STU Faculty of Chemical Technology in Bratislava (1987). In 1991, she received her doctorate from the STU Faculty of Chemical Technology in the field of technology of macromolecular substances; in 2010, she habilitated in the same field.

Since 2000, her scientific and pedagogical activities are focused on the application of chemistry and chemical technologies in the protection of cultural heritage objects on paper, textiles, parchment and other lignocellulosic materials. She is an author of four patents, two utility models, more than 110 original scientific papers in journals and proceedings, co-author of a monograph, four textbooks and a researcher in more than two dozen domestic and international research projects (e.g. 5th Framework Programme projects Metals in Paper, Protection and conservation of modern cultural heritage objects containing plastics, Preparation and study of polymer gels applied in the protection of cultural heritage), she coordinated the research activities of contractual partners within the task of the governmental research programme Rescue, stabilization and conservation of traditional information carriers in the Slovak Republic. Between 2004-2005, she completed a study stay at The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels, and in 2012, an internship at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Graphic Arts.

In the field of pedagogy, she was a co-founder of the Master study programme of Protection of Materials and Heritage Objects (2008), which she has also co-guaranteed since 2011. Within this study programme and the study programme of Natural and Synthetic Polymers, she designed several profile courses, of which she currently guarantees four. She has supervised 60 Master/Bachelor theses, 12 theses within the Student Research Conferences, trained three successful doctoral students, and currently supervising one. In 2008-2019, she also taught for the Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Restoration.

She chairs the working group of Chemistry in Cultural Heritage of the Slovak Chemical Society. Since 2018, she has been a member of the Chemistry in Cultural Heritage (ChemCH) working group of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS). She worked for the Slovak Police Forensic and Expertise Institute (2012-2021). Currently, she serves as a member of the Scientific Board of the STU Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, and the Scientific Board of the Slovak National Library in Martin. Since 2024 she has been a member of the Sector Board for Chemistry and Pharmacy, and a researcher in the Alliance of Sector Boards project on Anticipating Trends and Needs of the Labour Market. 

The Slovak Chemical Society awarded her for her long-term work for the chemical community.