Botyo Dimitrov is a Fulbright graduate student (AY 2022–23) who completed a Master’s in Materials Sciences and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. An impressive Fulbright nominee with work experience under his belt, Botyo found his perfect academic fit through cooperation with the Fulbright office. His successful graduation from Georgia Institute of Technology opens opportunities for his further scholarly career as a PhD researcher. His outstanding academic performance is not the only achievement related to Georgia Tech – he also celebrated personal milestones! During his graduate studies, Botyo was joined by his wife and fellow architect, Silvia, who became a research assistant at Georgia Tech: making them partners in life and in academic adventures.
Here is what Botyo shares about his life-changing Fulbright journey:
“When I was graduating from Georgia Tech, my advisor jokingly told me: ‘When you applied I initially thought you contacted me by mistake.’ And honestly, I was also filled with doubt about this endeavour. Indeed, my dream research group was in Materials Science, however, I had a background in architecture and computational design. Fast forward two years – I have completed my Master’s degree with top grades, won a couple of awards, presented my research work at a conference, and am currently working on two publications. But most importantly, I was able to pursue my ideas with complete creative freedom and hopefully I’ll start to carve out my unique place in the field.
I had little knowledge of US academia prior to my arrival, but it turned out the American system allows for strong involvement of Master’s students in serious research work. This is an incredible advantage later, when applying for a job or a PhD program, because you can already demonstrate your ability to work at the professional researcher level. In fact, I was allowed to take on as many responsibilities as I could, which allowed me to set personal goals towards a particular skill set and start working to build it.
My wife, Silvia, joined me during my second year, and she enrolled in an online Master’s at the same school. She quickly found a professor to work with and was hired as a graduate assistant, won a teaching assistant award, and is now also working on publications in her field.
In the US, the Fulbright program is highly regarded and is recognized as one of the best possible fellowships. Apart from the academic opportunities, one of the great communities I had the chance to be a part of was the Fulbright Student Association at Georgia Tech, where I served as a vice president during my second year. In addition to the chance to network with future stars from around the globe, it was also a great cultural experience.”
Congratulations to Botyo and Silvia on their achievements – Fulbright Bulgaria wishes them many professional and personal successes in the future!