The 34-years-old computer specialist from the city of Veliko Turnovo, Petar Petrov became the winner of the prestigious "John Atanasoff" award for 2008.

The Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov personally presented the award Friday at an official ceremony held at the Presidential building in Sofia.

The award, named after the renowned scientist from Bulgarian decent and the creator of the first computer in the world, John Atanasoff, is given for achievements in the development of the information society and has been established in 2003 by Parvanov himself.

Each year, one young Bulgarian becomes the award's recipient for his or her significant contribution to the development of the computer and information technology and the information society in Bulgaria.

This year's award winner - Petar Petrov, has been born in 1974 in Veliko Turnovo. Petrov has attended the professional high school of electronics in Veliko Turnovo. In 1998 he graduated with a Master's Degree in Mathematics and Information Technology from the Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski."

Since 2004 Petrov has been working as a college lecturer at the University of Maryland in College Park in the Washington DC suburbs.

Petrov is the author of 84 international scientific research articles. 14 have been published in prestigious science magazines and 34 have been presented at international science forums. Petrov is the founder of a multinational group working on the application of special processes and is the editor of IEEE publications in this area.

More about John Atanasoff can be found at: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=97553

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