On November 3, 2010 two outstanding Hungarian academics, Gabriella Pálla and József Bokor, received the Károly Simonyi Prize at the “Celebration of Hungarian Science 2010” at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. Keynote speaker of the event was Pál Schmitt, President of the Republic of Hungary.

The prize for excellence in physics was granted to Gabriella Pálla, physicist, who, as a notable figure and an internationally acknowledged expert of Hungarian nuclear research, has significantly contributed to the international recognition of Hungarian nuclear and heavy ion physics with her accomplishments in the area of research over half a century.

The prize for excellence in technical education and research was presented to József Bokor, a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, for his outstanding scientific achievements in the area of the theory and the control of high complexity dynamic systems, which have been successfully applied in the automotive industry, both to the dynamic modeling of cars and aircrafts, and to the development of new control systems.

Dr. József Pálinkás, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences congratulated to both awardees.

Last year the Hungarian American Coalition has received a grant from Dr. Charles Simonyi to extend the operation of the Károly Simonyi Prize until 2011 to support the development of scientific endeavors of Hungarians living in Hungary and beyond the borders.

The annual monetary award was first established in 2002 by Dr. Simonyi in honor of his late father, Professor Károly Simonyi, who was an internationally known electrical engineer and author of Physics: A Cultural History. The agreement to provide funding for the operation of the Károly Simonyi Board of Trustees was made between the Hungarian American Coalition and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. The amount of the award is three million Hungarian Forints.