Dr. Petar Kormushev is the eleventh bearer of the John Atanasoff award

On the professional day of IT specialists, 4 October, President Rosen Plevneliev presented the John Atanasoff award to Dr. Petar Kormushev for considerable achievements in the sphere of information and communication technologies.

Only 33 years old, Dr. Kormushev has accomplished a lot of scientific achievements in different spheres of information technologies – bio information technologies, semantic web, artificial intelligence, robotics. He has made more than 38 scientific publications. His greatest achievements are in the robotics sphere. He took part in the creation of a new generation of robots in Japan and the new methods for the training and self-training of robots devised by him were applied on a lot of contemporary robots and platforms.

For a second year in a row the Head of State awarded four “John Atanasoff” diplomas – for the practical implementation of scientific achievements and for implementing projects of great public significance, as well as the “John Atanasoff – students and their teachers” diploma.

President Rosen Plevneliev awarded Dr. Vladimir Yotov and Dimitar Ivanov with the “for the practical implementation of scientific achievements and for implementing projects of great public significance” diplomas.

The Head of State awarded Christo Benev and Atanas Gospodinov and their teachers Boyko Banchev and Darina Bruncheva the “John Atanasoff – students and their teachers” diplomas for the achieved high results in preparing and holding the competitions in the information technologies sphere.

The “John Atansoff” awards are above all expression of the work done by the young researchers and an impetus for them to continue developing in the professional sphere they have chosen, the Head of State addressed the young prize-winners. They are a convincing proof that the Bulgarian researchers have the capacity to set the agenda in the sphere of high computer technologies on a regional and world level, Rosen Plevneliev further added.   

The Head of State emphasized that Bulgaria has traditions in the training of highly qualified specialists in the sphere of information and communication technologies. In his words, the scholars that have proved their qualities should share their knowledge, skills and motivation with the young generation of researchers.

The President wished the young scholars to continue developing their ideas and fulfilling their ambitions. “It is normal for you to make mistakes. You should learn from your mistakes,” the President addressed the young scholars. The Head of State called on the prize-winners to stay in close contact with their teachers and followers, irrespective of whether they working in Bulgaria or abroad, to stay in touch with their homeland and to take part in the solutions of the problems and challenges our country is facing. Rosen Plevneliev wished their teachers to continue motivating their students and supporting them in their work “on the edge of the known, to discover new features and opportunities which would speed up the development of revolutionary and high-tech productions.”

At the special ceremony in the Coat of Arms Hall the Head of awarded the son and daughter of Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff,  John Atanasoff junior and Joan Geders the “Madarski konnik” I degree medal.

President Rosen Plevneliev awarded the state medals for their contribution to the development of the bilateral relations and cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States.

Joan Geders is a painter, involved in active public and charity activities related to preserving the memory of John Atanasoff and strengthening the relations between the United States and Bulgaria. During her visits to Bulgaria, she met a lot of students and scholars, provided help in building a monument of her famous father in Sofia and a John Atanasoff museum in Iowa.

John Atanasoff II is the youngest son of the inventor, who graduated engineering. He was initiator of and took part in a lot of events in the United States and Bulgaria commemorating the de?d of John Atanasoff. He was chief of the first international initiative committee for setting up an award named after the inventor. He gave computer equipment to the village of Boyadzhik – the birthplace of Ivan Atanassov, grandfather of John Atanasoff.

President Rosen Plevneliev said that today Bulgaria and the world commemorate a very important anniversary – 110 years of the birth of the researcher and inventor of Bulgarian origin Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff. The Head of State pointed out that the invention of the electronic computer Atanasoff-Berry more than 70 years ago marked the beginning of a whole new epoch in the development of the contemporary world.

John Atanasoff II and Joan Geders gave the Head of State as a present a portrait of the famous inventor, painted by Simmie Knox, one of US President Bill Clinton’s favorite artists. The portraits are two and one of them is in the White House, Washington.

The President thanked John Atanasoff’s  children for their loyalty to the heritage of their father, for working to popularize his deed and for having preserved their love for Bulgaria.