ACS Alumni in Science

From classrooms to cutting-edge labs, ACS graduates are making waves in the world of science - and their journeys often begin right here on campus. As part of our ACS Alumni in Science series, we spotlight remarkable alumni like Konstantin Karchev ’15 who is a Researcher at Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA). This feature is part of The Science LAB fundraising campaign, which aims to expand opportunities in STEM for ACS students by enhancing the school's science facilities. Together, these efforts reflect the power of science education - and the lasting impact of investing in young minds with curiosity, courage, and the drive to explore the unknown.

If you had to explain what you do to a curious 10-year-old, how would you describe it?

I'm a cosmologist, so I study how big and old the Universe is, how quickly it's expanding, and whether it will keep growing forever or eventually collapse in a Big Crunch. To do that, I teach artificial intelligence systems to analyze data from the biggest ground- and space-based telescopes and draw precise, reliable, and verifiable conclusions from them. I also really like creating pretty and informative visualizations.

What inspired you to pursue a career in science and how did your time at ACS influence your path?

I've been interested in the night sky ever since I was a kid, but what prompted me to devote myself to physics and astronomy "professionally" were the national competitions and olympiads in these subjects. And while solving intriguing problems and performing surprising experiments under pressure is already rewarding enough, I remember much more fondly the experiences I shared with the other young scientists from the ACS teams while preparing for the competitions, travelling around Bulgaria, and celebrating our successes (and failures) once the rankings were out. 

What’s one project or discovery you’re especially proud of? 

The one project I'm the most proud of is a laboratory "exercise" in the second year of university, in which I had to study the polarized light of exoplanets... which in reality were ping-pong balls "orbiting" a spot light. I had to take many photos, rotating a polarizing filter and positioning the "planet" and "star" in different orientations... which was extremely boring and fiddly. So I spent three out of the four sessions allotted to the project designing and 3D printing custom apparatus, ordering robotic controllers, and writing software to simultaneously control the electric motors and my camera, so that on the last day I could just plug everything together, press a button, sit back, and enjoy the show. While this is certainly not my most "significant achievement", it's the one experience from my career that perfectly epitomizes the ingenuity and kinds of motivation (tedium, but also fascination with creation and originality) that (should!) drive a scientist in their research.

What breakthrough in your field excites you the most right now and why?

We live in a time of "step changes" in the availability of astronomical observations. Ten years ago, while I was listening to a university lecture on "vibrations and waves", the first detection of gravitational waves was announced, opening a previously non-existent "window" onto the Universe and strange newfound processes in it. Now (one week ago), we witnessed the first light of the world's biggest optical camera, which will image the whole southern sky every three days for ten years, producing unprecedented "video" of the dynamic Universe. Ten years in the future, a planned space-based gravitational observatory is expected to start operating, uncovering yet more mysteries, for example about the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang. Analyzing and making full use of those data - that is, effectively demystifying the processes they reveal - in my view is the greatest challenge of the coming decade, and the one my career is devoted to.

Can you share a favorite memory from your science classes or teachers at ACS?

Possibly my most cherished experience from my "science career" in ACS was a short trip to the Rozhen Observatory organized by the Astronomy Club led by Ms. Chakarova. On that trip I took my first (moderately) good night-sky photos and was introduced (by professionals) to the real process of astronomical observations; but much more importantly, I learnt to play the game "mafia", a staple of the astronomical community, and made life-long friends with whom I spent the majority of my remaining (free) time in ACS.

Why do you believe it’s important to invest in science education today?

Science is nowadays undergoing a transformation in which more and more research is being "outsourced" to machines and AI. While certainly automation can greatly enhance scientific output (and has already), it brings about philosophical challenges related to the credibility of "artificial research" (not dissimilar from those we all face in our private and public lives, being swamped with "content" and "news" of various quality and credibility) and boiling down to the reason we do science in the first place: not to produce results but to (we as humans) understand the world and enjoy the road of discovery! The tools we use, however advanced, cannot deliver any of those, and so I believe it's fundamental for the survival of science as a discipline that the scientists of tomorrow are taught, before anything else, to be inspired and driven by their passion for research and the curiosities of the world surrounding us.

At ACS, our students aren’t just learning science - they’re using it to make a difference. They have the talent and drive to solve real‑world problems and they are tackling ambitious projects. Our alumni’s impressive achievements in scientific research and innovation are a testament to the strength of their education—and with your support for The Science LAB fundraising campaign, we can empower the next generation of changemakers. Join us in investing in the future by donating today at: https://acs.bg/giving/donate