On Tuesday, June 25th, 2019, Bissell Library at ACT- American College of Thessaloniki hosted the Award Ceremony of the 6th Annual «John and Mary Pappajohn Business Plan Competition». More than 135 teams from all over Greece applied to the Competition, which was organized by the Entrepreneurship Hub at ACT. Five winning teams each received €4,000 for the development of their business ideas, an award which was generously donated by Greek-American entrepreneur John Pappajohn. Apart from the award—generously donated by Greek-American entrepreneur John Pappajohn—the winning teams will have access to a variety of events organized by ACT. The Pappajohn Business Plan Competition is one of the major projects led by ACT’s Entrepreneurship Hub, which serves as a start-up accelerator that disseminates valuable know-how and innovative entrepreneurial spirit to the wider community.

The five winning teams of the Competition were:
AidPlex
AidPlex is providing splints, which are 5 times lighter by conventional solutions. Our patent-pending solution is waterproof, skin friendly, breathable and translucent. It is a ready-to-use solution, which reduces the health economics of healthcare organizations. In addition, AidPlex's splints are recyclable, biodegradable and they can be composted and transformed into fertilizer, being part of the circular economy.

SEAMX
SEAMX Is developing a technology-enabled solution with the form of a web platform to help sport event organizers to manage their event more efficiently by providing new, smarter services that can enhance customer experiences.

Sui Generis Seat
The Sui generis Seat is the smartest way of turning a Segway into a self-propelled wheelchair that, in addition to its unique functions also manage to remove part of the "stigma" of disability because it does not look like a medical product.

Twiddle
Twiddle is an Al-powered platform that automatically recommends and positions the best-matching sound effects and music to any video. The Twiddle Mobile App enables anyone to create outstanding videos effortlessly using Twiddle Sound Recommendation technology.

Verge.Capital
Verge.Capital will be a pan-European credit score provider that enables consumers and financial institutions to universally assess affordability and creditworthiness of individuals by utilizing machine learning on top of open banking APIs.
This year’s judging committee included Mr.Thrasos Makios (Deputy CEO, Makios Logistics), Evita Gantina (Professor of Marketing, ACT, & President, Sector of Women Managers and Entrepreneurs – TOGME), Katerina Sarri (Professor & Director of the Entrepreneurship Lab, UOM), Christos Georgiou (Director of Validation & Research (SBE) , Sotiris Siagas (Vice President, i4G), Dimitris Kourtesis (Program Manager & Startup Coach, Ok!Thess).
Kurt Haier, Professor at the University of Iowa and Director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and special guest of the event addressed the 14 finalists and shared with them valuable advice and input from the entrepreneurial world.

In fall 2018, ACT launched the division’s first Career Development Program (CDP) that was designed and facilitated by Mr. Dimitris Diamantis, ACT’s Head of Business Liaison, Career Services, and Alumni Relations Office (BLCSAR), under the auspices of the Associate Dean for Administration and Student Affairs, Dr. Gregory Baglavas. The program was a year-long contest, which gave students the opportunity to accumulate points for their extra-curricular and career-related activities. The students who accumulated the most points enjoyed the following benefits:

· Get awarded a Certificate of Completion

· Attend a full-day Leadership Accelerator workshop

· Have a private meeting/dinner with a prominent local executive

· Be team leaders and mentors for the Fall 2019 incoming class

The preparation began in the previous year, clarifying the activities that would count towards this program, creating a point system for each, setting up the logistics and communications, and publishing the program’s webpage (www.act.edu/cdp).

Each activity had point assigned, which the students were collecting once the activity was completed and verified. Students could also double the points of any activity if they provided a reflection paper for that activity. The activities that counted towards the CDP were:

· Completing any professional certification

· Attending a job search workgroup

· Writing on ACT’s online newspaper

· Preparing a cover letter

· Preparing a resume

· Conducting a mock interview

· Applying for an internship or job

· Being invited for an interview for an internship or job

· Working (internships, part- or full time)

· Volunteering (on- or off-campus)

· Participating in the college’s “Service – Learning” program

· Attending an event (on- off- campus)

· Having systematic coaching from the BLCSAR office

· Reading a book

· Attending a club (MUN, Makers, etc)

Winners

Overall, 67% of the student body participated with at least one activity, with 26% being more engaged and the top 10 receiving the awards. The winners of the program were (listed in order of points collected):

-Daniel Kalemi (sophomore)

-Christiana Smyrli (junior)

-Ahmad Al Khalil (freshman)

-Elisavet Katmada (freshman)

-Anastasia Tertlidou (freshman)

-Despoina Stoikou (freshman)

-Maria-Eleni Athanasiadou (senior)

-Giannis Maragkakis (freshman)

-Panagiotis Pichas (junior)

-Nikos Pilitsis (sophomore)

* Ahmad Al Khalil, Elisavet Katmada and Nikos Pilitsis are not depicted above, as they couldn’t make it to the Leadership Accelerator.

The activities:

A wide spectrum of activities was eligible for awarding points to students:

· Completion of professional certifications

· Participation in career workshops (career purpose, job search, resume, cover letter, etc)

· Participation in the Career Week’s events

· Writing for the ACT Online newspaper

· Preparing their resume or cover letter

· Conducting a mock interview

· Working in any capacity (full- or part-time, internship)

· Volunteering (on- of off-campus)

· Attending any academic or professional related event (on- or off-campus)

· Applying for a job or internship

· Having a job or internship interview

· Receiving a systematic career coaching

· Reading books

· Participating in school clubs or SGA

· Participating in school’s Service Learning program

The Leadership Accelerator

A full-day Leadership Accelerator, designed and facilitated by Dimitri Diamanti, offered to the winners of the year-long Career Development Program. Clarity of purpose, storytelling, personal branding, public speaking - and amazing interaction, connection, and results. The workshop was complemented by the presentation of Ms. Katerina Zougli, introducing our students to the world of storytelling and personal branding, and the contribution of ACT’s Theodore Maleas, who offered his creative touch in documenting this event.

Meeting with the Director of Mediterranean Cosmos

The group of students had the privilege to meet with ACT Alumni and Director of the Mediterranean Cosmos Center, Mr. Kyriakos Kontaxian. Following a tour of the facilities, the students had the opportunity to get an insight into Mr. Kontaxian’s career, share their concerns and acquire useful and practical advice.

The ACT Business Liaison, Career Services and Alumni Relations Office

BLCSAR is a vibrant office, helping ACT students enhance their career readiness with a wide spectrum of initiatives, programs, and activities. Students who systematically follow the office’s activities not only have scored interviews and offers, even from the first year of studies, but they have the privilege to choose jobs. This empowerment increases in significance, if one considers high levels of youth unemployment.

For the 5th consecutive year, the American College of Thessaloniki organizes its Summer Music Performance Program in collaboration with Georgia State University, the Music Society of Macedonia and under the auspices of the Regional Authority of Central Macedonia. The program consists of Master Classes (piano, flute, violin, cello, voice/opera, composition, chamber music), Lectures, Discussion Panels, Student and Faculty Concerts, an Opera Production and the 2nd International Composition Competition. The Summer Music Performance Program will take place from June 27th through July 7th at the premises of ACT and Anatolia College.

In the 10 days of the program, students will have the opportunity to meet world-class artists and gain valuable knowledge and experience while working and collaborating with them in performances. The program which started in 2015 with great success has gained international recognition and attracts students from all over the world (Greece, Ghana, Cyprus, USA, Australia, Armenia, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Canada, The Bahamas, etc.)

For more information, click you can visit http://www.musicanatoliacollege.com/

A group of 10 students from Salem State University in Massachusetts visited Thessaloniki in late May with their Professor, Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello, to observe local and European elections and learn first hand about politics and electioneering in Greece. The Dukakis Center, in the persons of Director David Wisner and ACT alumnus Harry Lalatsis, were on hand to welcome them and to host a discussion session on the current Greek political scene.

Mr. Lalatsis (ACT Class of 2004, ACT MBA 2008), delivered a showcase presentation based on data on political opinions his marketing company has gathered over the years in collaboration with Dukakis Center friend and collaborator Giorgos Siakas, University of Macedonia. The subsequent discussion focused on the climate in which parliamentary elections will be held on July 7, and the principal differences between Greek and European politicking on the one hand, and political behavior in the USA on the other.

Professor Duclos-Orsello had spent the 2015-16 academic year in Greece as a Fulbright scholar and featured at the Dukakis Center's April 2016 conference on "Civic Engagement and the Practices" at the Met Hotel. She coordinates regular study trips to Greece with students from Salem State.

On Wednesday evening, May 22, the public screening of the iconic film Thelma and Louise (directed by Ridley Scott in 1991) served as a prompt for an open discussion at Ypsilon Café. The event was organized by the English Department of ACT as part of the continuous efforts by ACT’s BA in English to bring academic discussions out of the classroom into the public sphere.

More than 80 people enjoyed the film and engaged in a lively discussion. The discussion was led by ACT professors Yvonne Kosma (PhD Sociology of Culture) and Emily Bakola (PhD Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies) who triggered an interesting debate and offered fascinating and valuable insights around the film and behind the scenes.

Ridley Scott’s film exploded on the screen in the early 1990s, challenging the ways genre and gender politics alike defined Hollywood’s narrative style. The film gained prominence in academic circles, as it forced audiences, critics, and scholars to
confront their own definition and understanding of masculinity, femininity, morality, friendship, justice, crime and punishment.

Almost thirty years later, this film still raises questions without offering clear answers: is it really a story of female empowerment? What are the most significant ways that it allows for a feminist reading? In what ways can the film be seen, at the
same time, as a case of female disempowerment?

As the event’s discussion testified, some see this film as an attempt to empower women and redefine gender politics in the postmodern era. Others disagree. Clearly the debate goes on... In the words of Katerina Dimitriadou, ACT English major present at the event, “For students of ACT, challenging our minds and worldviews is a common and familiar stage as this happens during our class time; for some members of the audience, it was a taste of embracing ideas and diversity. The only odd thing for an ACT student, was addressing our professors in Greek, but innovative initiatives such as this event and using ordinary activities to dive into crucial matters while exchanging views through productive conversations, was just another day at the ACT family!”

To mark the completion of the first academic year of the reintroduction of the Psychology degree, ACT offered two wellness workshops to its students. The workshops were held at the end of May and aimed to help the students in view of their final exams.
The first workshop was coordinated by Dr. Elina Kazi, a psychologist for the Parent Academy, Life Long Learning at ACT, who discussed the methodology and the secrets of time management. Dr. Kazi incorporated exercises into her presentation that highlighted ways in which the attendees could free up their time through the goal recognition process.

The second workshop coordinated by Ms. Nelly Florentin, a psychologist at ACT’s Counseling Center, discussed stress management. During this experiential workshop, the participants had the chance to discuss daily stressors, to recognize common triggers and to exchange ideas regarding coping mechanisms. It was a great opportunity for them to further develop their positive thinking patterns in order to manage daily stress more effectively.
After the positive response and enthusiasm shown from both students and faculty, ACT aims at organizing many similar workshops and presentations during the next academic year.

Exciting opportunities are available for psychology undergraduate students to get hands-on learning and valuable research experience. While most students tend to complete internships during their junior or senior years, ACT’s Psychology Program offers internship opportunities with site supervisors from the first year of studies to increase competitiveness in the job market and support students to develop into well-rounded employable graduates.

The Greek Association of Alzheimer Disease and Relative Disorders (Alzheimer Hellas) is a non for profit organization that was founded in 1995, by relatives of patients suffering from Alzheimer Disease as well as by doctors of all specialties - mainly by Neurologists and Psychiatrists and also by other experts (such as psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, etc.) that deal with the problems caused by this disease and by other types of dementia. Today, Alzheimer Hellas operates 2 Day Care Centers in Thessaloniki and has over 4.000 members.

Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (St Eleni Center): Ms. Xenia Maiovi, Stan Assouad (student), Ms. Evaggelia Bakoglidou, Christiana Smyrli (student), Natasa Tertlidou (student)

Christiana Smyrli (completed 100 internship hours at the site):
“A unique experience that showed me how important it is to see theory in practice, and a confirmation that I have chosen the right career". Christiana was also encouraged by her on-site supervisor to contribute to the 3-month Alzheimer’s Journal (Greek) Edition.
-read here part 1
-read here part 2

Natasa Tertlidou (completed 100 internship hours at the site):
“Through our internship at the St. Helena Unit, we have acquired not only practical knowledge in cognitive psychology but also the trigger to explore even more information about brain function. The experience was pleasant and gave us great satisfaction”.

Stan Assouad (completed 100 internship hours at the site):
“At St. Helena's unit I had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of cognitive psychology and to know about people with dementia. The psychologists working in the unit treated me with respect and made me feel welcome”.

Spastic Society of Northern Greece (SSNG): SSNG was founded in 1970 in Thessaloniki as an association for the parents of spastic children and became the Spastics Society of Northern Greece in 1980. Its members are parents of children and youths with special needs, handicapped persons themselves as well as interested friends. The SSNG’s objectives are on the one hand to provide services to the disabled and their families, and on the other, to help bring about suitable conditions in the community for the integration of the handicapped on an equal basis.

Ms. Niki Moshovaki (Psychologist) with the student, Einini Chatzikakou (currently under completion of 100 internship hours at the site)

The Psychology Program highly appreciates the time and effort all supervisors and staff spend with our students and look forward to a continuing relationship with your organizations.

Known for being passionate in promoting Science Asteris Grigoroudis is ready to spread his enthusiasm for Chemistry to young students.

Asteris Grigoroudis, a Chemistry instructor at ACT, studied Chemistry and received a doctoral degree in Biochemistry from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since then, he has evolved as an avid researcher, a ‘master’ teacher, and a passionate advocate for science.

Dr. Grigoroudis’ research has been focused on Signal Transduction Systems in Bacteria, or, in plain words, how bugs sense their environment. Building on the work of Yale University, he was able to identify a potential network of such systems, governing the functions of the ODC-antizyme. Additionally, in collaboration with researchers at the University of South Carolina, he is currently working on the discovery of small molecule protein kinase inhibitors targeting signaling and cell cycle proteins involved in tumor proliferation. Grigoroudis stated that “Development of anti-cancer therapeutics has long been a challenging target of both academia and industry with huge implications to everyday life and society, for the struggle against the disease of the 20th century.”

Grigoroudis’ research background is been transferred into his teachings by using ACT’s state-of-the-art labs, something that he calls “teaching Chemistry in its natural habitat.” In addition to ACT’s degree-seeking students, Grigoroudis is teaching a good number of Engineering, Pre-medicine, Physiotherapy, and Science students from various colleges and universities in the United States that study at ACT as Study Abroad students. These students are able to gain hands-on academic experience in their studies, readying themselves for the next semester, when they will be returning to their home institutions. Affectionately, he has been called by his students as “My Cool Chem Teach.”

Grigoroudis is passionate about science and wants others to catch the science bug as early as possible. Thus, early on he became involved with Greece’s Center for Talented Youth (CTY - Greece), a collaborative venture between Anatolia College and Johns Hopkins University, supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The program identifies and develops the academic talent of young students through time-tested courses that are student-centered and challenging. Initially, at CTY Greece he was the instructor in the “Chemistry and Society” course, while later on, he taught the “Be a Scientist”, a course for 3rd and 4th graders, and “CSI@CTY”, a course for 7th to 10th-grade students. Regarding his CTY Greece involvement, he stated that “CTY Greece gave me the opportunity to take part in international Erasmus+ workshops focused on developing curriculum and teaching students with special abilities, making the research and promotion of giftedness an inspiration and aspiration!”