Pre-9th Mission Idea Contest

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Regional Coordinators

Prof. Plamen I. Dankov

Sofia University

Dr. Dankov

Prof. Plamen I. Dankov received his M.Sc. degree in atomic physics and his PhD degree in Microwave Physics from the Faculty of Physics in Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria, in 1980 and 1988, respectively. In 1989, he joined the Department of Radio-Physics and Electronics in the Faculty of Physics and now he is an Assoc. Professor in Microwave and Wireless Technique. He has established teaching of many courses in the area of Radio-Electronics, Wireless Communications, Microwave and Wireless Technique, Microwave Measurements, Antennas for Wireless Communications, EMC in IC's, Basic Principles of Mission Design with Small Aerospace Vehicles, etc. Currently he is a Chair of two successful Master programs: “Wireless Networks and Devices” and “Aerospace Engineering and Communications”. He is also a scientific consultant for material characterization and antenna radomes in RaySat, Bulgaria and Gilat Ltd. (Gilat Satellite Networks).

The research efforts of Dr. Plamen Dankov are focused on characterization of dielectric material properties and anisotropy; microwave measurements; RF planar devices, antennas and antenna arrays, electromagnetic 3D simulators, near-field measurements; EMC measurements, safety standards for microwaves; satellite communications, aerospace engineering and small satellites, etc. He has more than 125 papers, presented and published in different journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Dankov is member of the Review Board of the Annual European Microwave Conference EuMC (more than 180 review notes), IEEE-MTT, IEEE-MWCL, IEEE Instrumentation and measurements; IEEE Microwave Magazine, etc. He is member of IEEE in 4 societies: 1) Microwave Theory and Technique; 2) Antennas and Propagation, 3) Instrumentation and Measurements, 4) Aerospace and Electronic Systems. Dr. Dankov has participations in several international and local contracts in different areas: material characterizations, plasma antennas, THz beams; controlled thermonuclear fusion (EUROATOM), COST VISTA project: Versatile, Integrated, and Signal-aware Technologies for Antennas, etc. A new joint project between Sofia University and Siberian State Aerospace University in Krasnoyarsk, the Russian federation, is developing now. Similar activity is started together with CASTRA-Bulgaria with the University of Bologna, Italy for 2014/15.

Dr. Dankov organized the MIC2 seminar in Bulgaria, February 2012, and was the leader of the Sofia University team in MIC2, selected for semifinalist in Nagoya, October 2012.

Contact: dankov(at)phys.uni-sofia.bg; PlamenD(at)gilat.com


Regional seminar on 21 May, 2014 at Sofia University.
Contact: Plamen Dankov and Vesselin Vassilev
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Dr. Vesselin Vassilev

CEO, CASTRA
Space and Solar-Terrestrial Research Institute (SSTRI)

Prof. Vassilev

Dr. Vassilev received his M.Sc. diploma engineering degree in Applied Physics - Microelectronics and Optoelectronics from the University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1994. His M.Sc.thesis work was in the field of modelling the quantum properties of semiconductor structures. In 2004, Vesselin received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium being at the same time affiliated to the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC), Belgium, the worlds leading independent R&D centre in the field of semiconductor technologies and applications. Vesselin's Ph.D. research area was in the field of modelling and design of protections circuits against Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) events in semiconductor devices and circuits. In the 2005-2009 Dr. Vassilev was part of the product reliability team of Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas, USA, providing solutions and support to the wirelesses products groups at TI in the area of ESD design for state of the art advanced integrated circuits. In 2009 Dr. Vassilev established the start up company Novorell Ltd., which provides Electronic Device Automation (EDA) software tools and consultancy services to companies worldwide in the areas of ESD design reliability solutions for the nowadays integrated circuits and technologies. In 2010 Dr. Vassilev initiated the establishment of Cluster Aero-Space Technologies, Research and Applications (CASTRA), a non-profit non-government organization in Bulgaria combing the expertise, capacity and resources of 23 (at present time) organizations in the country - such as SME's, Universities and R&D centres with activities related to the aero-space filed and its applications to the benefit of the whole society. At present , Dr.Vassilevs serves as the CASTRA's CEO and is also affiliated to the Space and Solar-Terrestrial Research Institute (SSTRI), part the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - the leading space research organization in Bulgaria, successfully executed in the past two human space flight programs and a numerous international space projects.

Dr. Vassilev is an author and co-author of more than 50 publications in his research fields and co-author of 2 patents. In 2010 Dr. Vassilev served as the General Chair of the Electrostatic discharge/Electrical Overstress Symposium, organized by the international Electrostatic Discharge Association (ESDA)- the worlds leading independent professional organisation focused at the problems of electrostatic events in semiconductor technologies and circuits. Dr. Vassilev is presently a reviewer for several international journals and and alos serves as guest editor for the journal of Microelectronic Reliability in the fields of the ESD reliability topic.

Contact: vesselin.vassilev(at)castra.org

List of Regional Coordinators

Regional Seminar Schedule


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