The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) announces with deep sorrow that Acad. Todor Georgiev Nikolov has died today, the press center of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences announced.
Acad. Todor Nikolov is one of the brightest figures in geological science in Bulgaria. He was born on February 26, 1931 in the village of Varana, Pleven region.
He graduated in Geology from Sofia’s St. Kliment Ohridski University in 1955. In 1960 he specialized in the USSR, in 1968 at the Sorbonne in Paris, and in 1974 at the University of Dijon, France.
In 1967 he was awarded the degree of “Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences”, and in 1984 – Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences. He was elected a corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1984, and an academician in 1997.
Acad. Nikolov has many years of research, teaching and public activities, and a huge contribution to the establishment and promotion of the authority of Bulgarian science and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences – at home and abroad.
His international recognition is confirmed by his honorary title “Doctor Honoris Causa” at the University of Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
He is a member of a number of Bulgarian, foreign and international scientific societies and associations.
Honorary member of the French Geological Society and the Serbian Geological Society, holder of a number of national and foreign orders and medals, Knight of the French Order of Academic Palms.
Acad. Todor Nikolov is the author of numerous publications, monographs, textbooks, scientific articles and studies, with over 1300 citations, longtime editor-in-chief of the magazine “Reports of BAS”, author of extremely interesting and accessible to the general public popular science books – ” The Long Way of Life “,” The Dinosaur Empire “,” Evolution – this sweet mystery “and others that contribute to the popularization of Bulgarian science.
He has held a number of responsible positions with great authority: Head of the Department of Paleontology, Deputy Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Geology and Geography, Vice-Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission, Chairman of the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and engineering sciences to the Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members.
The scientific interests of Acad. Todor Nikolov are related to paleontology and stratigraphy, regional geology of Bulgaria, the theory of evolution, the evolution of behavior, adaptation, crises and catastrophic phenomena, the influence of orbital factors on the geological record, paleoclimates and many others.
The ammonites studied by him, found in the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sediments in Bulgaria, have led to results that are the basis of modern ammonite paleontology and are an unconditional contribution to world science.
Acad. Nikolov established and characterized for the first time in science 12 new ammonite genera, which were subsequently confirmed and cited by foreign scientists from around the world. His scientific works have been published in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine.
Under the leadership of Acad. Todor Nikolov, several generations of Bulgarian geologists have grown up, mostly paleontologists and stratigraphers, graduates, postgraduates and doctoral students, many of whom are now associate professors and professors.
To a large extent the credit for the establishment of the modern Bulgarian paleontological-stratigraphic school in geology is due to Acad. Todor Nikolov.
With his death, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Bulgarian science lost a great and worthy scientist, with a broad culture and erudition, a wonderful pedagogue and a beloved teacher, who left behind worthy heirs, according to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The service will take place on March 28 at 2.30 pm in the St. Sophia Church.
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