Associate Professor from Western Carolina University

visiting Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria

as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar

Kudos to Bulgarian service!

I can only speak for myself but I have to say that I am truly blown away by the kindness and professionalism of many Bulgarian when I need their help the most. I have mentioned it a few times before that my colleagues at TU-Sofia and the staff at the Fulbright...

The tail end of summer

Since I came to Sofia on Aug 1, the air gets cooler after each rain, some leaves have turned yellow, and some autumn flowers start to blossom. There can still be some hot days occasionally, and before the tail end of summer slips away, I want to mention a few...

The first day of K-12 schools

September 15th is the day when all the K-12 schools start their winter semesters. Although I knew the date, I didn’t expect what this date meant. On my way to my office on September 15th (I didn’t even notice what date it was), I could immediately tell...

Conference in Sozopol

The 10th Automatics conference organized by TU-Sofia was during last weekend in Sozopol, a coastal town by the Black Sea. I left the Fulbright orientation in Sofia early and went to Sozopol to catch the latter part of the conference. Due to COVID, this conference had...

Nestinari (fire dancing)

The Nestinari (fire dancing) ritual is a UNESCO World Heritage legacy of non-material culture in Bulgaria, and many people are wondering how it is done, including me. During the Fulbrighter orientation this week, we had a dinner in a restaurant outdoor and we were...

Eight thousand years of civilization

About eight or nine thousand years ago (6 or 7 millennium BC) , there was already civilization in Bulgaria. The unique patterns on their potteries were distinct from later civilizations (Greek, Roman, or Ottoman, etc.). Bulgaria’s Varna Gold Treasure is...