March 1st, 2006

• ACT Vision is now an "e-zine"
• MBA Alumni Launch New Business
• New TEFL Methodology Program at ACT

Welcome to the first, electronic version of VISION. The facelift is rather substantial and we hope you'll forgive any minor glitches. However, we would very much appreciate your feedback, all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly. So please, click on the link below and tell us what you think. In addition, please note the links to "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" in the bottom. To ensure that you continue to receive VISION uninterrupted by the ever-present spam filters, please be sure to subscribe (it's really quite painless!). On the other hand, if you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, please click on the appropriate link to unsubscribe.

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The new look you will see going up the Bissell Library stairs is an award-winning painting by our alumnus Christos Tsintsaris. It represents freeing of the spirit, in other words, education and the horizons which it opens. I hope that you will contemplate it in the days of hard work and pressure ahead. Incidentally, in addition to being a painter, Christos is also a former nationally-ranked swimmer ... (read more)

This year we again have a good response from Ohio University for our GCP. In the summer, students from Ohio University will be teaming up with students from ACT to get hands-on experience ... (read more)

Sponsored by John Pappajohn, Equity Dynamics, Inc., the Pappajohn Business Plan Competition is intended for students of the American College of Thessaloniki with an ...
(read more)

Dr. Pantsios Honored

Professor of Economics Archontis Pantsios was honored in a ceremony organized by the Women's Cultural Society of his municipality Provatas in Serres. The Society presented Dr. Pantsios with a plaque honoring him for his "continuous effort in Education and Research". The ceremony took place on Saturday, February 11, 2006, and was attended by many dignitaries, including representatives of the Serres Prefecture and by five members of the Greek parliament from the Serres district.

MBA Alumni: Young Debutants in Business

Fresh ideas, a profound education, and hard work are all it took ACT alumni, Panos Dimitriadis, 30, and Spiros Sideris, 27, to enter the business arena in times when opening your own business in Greece is considered a ‘high risk’... (read more)

We have lots of interesting things going on in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences this semester, and a few novelties as well. However, before I proceed I wish to share with you another nice experience I had teaching at ACT last semester. I taught a section of Philosophy 203, and had several students who thoroughly excelled in their course work, specifically their written assignments. I particularly want to commend Nick Apostolides, Nikos Magopoulos, and Zlatko Kostovski, who did nearly perfect work and, in passing, to reaffirm that, despite our occasional worries, there is still a solid core of outstanding talent among the ACT student body.

This semester we will jump the gun a bit on the celebration of ACT's 25th anniversary with several marquee Dukakis and Kulukundis events. The excitement has already begun with another standout Dukakis lecture... (read more)

ALUMNI NOTES

With this issue of ACT Vision, I inaugurate a new series highlighting the exploits of ACT alumni, starting with Polixeni Tsouli ('98) and Blenard Tika ('01)... (read more)

FACULTY NOTES

On February 1-2, 2006, Yanis Tsorbatzoglou participated in an event organized by the Stability Pact on cross-border organized crime in Southeast Europe, co-chairing a closed session on counterfeiting and document fraud... (read more)

NEW TEFL METHODOLOGY PROGRAM AT ACT

The American College of Thessaloniki is offering a 30 – hour methodology course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), to beginners with little or some formal training, proficiency certificate holders and university students or graduates of English... (read more)

FACULTY NEWS

For the Spring 2006 semester, Mr. Mark Lobjoit will carry a half-teaching load along with a number of IT administrative duties, including the administration of the Blackboard course management system. If faculty encounter problems using Blackboard, they should contact Mark at extension 384 or via email at lobjoit@act.edu

Our best wishes to departing faculty member, Dr. George Ziogas, who has decided to devote more time to his other professional activities and hence will not be teaching in the spring 2006 semester.

The Division of Technology & Science is organizing an event that will take place in March. The event will consist of a lecture on information technology by a representative of the AIT and a number of information sessions where ACT computer science students will have the opportunity to become more informed on the type of graduate programs and scholarship opportunities offered by AIT in the area of information technology. Dates for the event will be announced in the near future.

Clubs & Societies are:

• ACT Band
• Adult Training & Continuing Education Center*
• American Football
• Cinema
• Field Trip
• Horse Riding
• History & International Relations Society
• International Student Society
• Lifeguard*
• Marketing Society
• Martial Arts*
• Mountaineering
• PC Games Design
• Radio ACTive
• Sailing*
• Scuba Diving*
• Student Government Association

*Down payment of 50 euros at registration will secure you a 10% fee discount in these clubs.

First off, the Office of Academic & Student Affairs wishes you all a productive Spring semester!

We are pleased to inform the ACT community that the Spring 2006 cohort of U.S. Study Abroad students reached a record number of 53 students representing over 30 colleges and universities, including 3 Katrina refugee students from the University of New Orleans. We trust that all of you will greet them warmly and make them feel right at home!

Marymount Manhattan College Professor of Psychology Peter Cain will be visiting ACT in the period of March 20-31, 2006. Dr. Cain’s postponed visit from last January will include a full itinerary of presentations and class visitations. Details of Dr. Cain’s visit will become available as the date draws nearer.

Students could make course changes until Friday, February 17. The deadline for dropping a course is March 31. Students wishing to drop a course must get their advisor’s signature and stop by the Registrar’s Office to fill out the appropriate form.

Stavros S. Niarchos Grant to two Greek students for a 2 + 2 year program in Psychology or English with Marymount Manhattan College (MMC)

ACT offers the possibility of a 2+2 year program in Psychology or English to two eligible Greek students... (read more)

Stavros S. Niarchos Grant for eligible Greek students for a one-semester student exchange program with MMC. One eligible Greek student per semester over a two-year period that started in Fall 2005. The student’s costs will again be only ACT tuition. Interested students should contact the office of Academic & Student Affairs and fill out an application by April 7.

Spring 2006 Writing Center Hours:

Mondays: 1:00-6:30 pm
Tuesdays: 12:00 noon-5:00 pm
Wednesdays: 1:00-6:30 pm
Thursdays: 12:00 noon-5:00 pm
Fridays: 12:00 noon-4:00 pm

You are cordially invited to attend the 1st ACT.DOC Film Festival that is being held on ACT Campus. Watch some of the most popular documentaries shown in previous Thessaloniki Documentary and Movie Festivals... (read more)

2+2 Program with Hellenic College (HC) in Boston. Interested ACT students can continue their studies at HC and receive a B.A. in areas like Classics, Elementary Education, Human Development and Religious Studies by continuing to pay ACT tuition in their last 2 years of study at HC, but covering all other costs of the receiving institution. Any interested students should contact the office of Academic & Student Affairs.

The front desk as you enter the Bissell Library is the library’s Circulation and Reference desk. Students, faculty and visitors can come to the librarian at this desk whenever they have questions or need help. Librarians at this desk can help by... (read more)

ACT CAREERWIRE

I assume by now that alumni and MBA students will have received the newly designed ACT Careerwire newsletter from the BLCS office. If you have not done so, please contact the career office immediately.

Pireaus Bank Group

The Pireaus Bank Group within the scope of its new activities in Egypt and the Balkans is looking to recruit candidates for branches in Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro. They are looking for candidates who have backgrounds in Banking and Finance or Marketing and a good command of the Greek language, apart from their native language. Branch officers will be stationed in their home countries. Anyone interested must contact the career office immediately!!!!

Date Change for Career Fair Event from KARIERA

Please note there is a change of date for the Career Event hosted by Kariera. The event will be on March 18 and 19, 2006, in the Thessaloniki Port Authority, Warehouse C. This is an excellent opportunity for both students and alumni to network and circulate their CVs. Further information can be found at: www.kariera.gr or at the BLCS office.

Lena Giakoumopoulou
Director, BLCS
2310 398 202 
lenag@act.edu
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00-16:10,
Wed.: 9:00-14:30
New Building, Ground floor,
Office #104

Congratulations to the following students and graduates recently hired:

• Maria CHOUTOU - Anadeixi Stratigiki Karieras, Internship

• George HIOTAKIS - senior selected to finish his studies at the Marymount Manhattan College, Smith Barney, a division of Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., New York, Internship

• Gilda HASSIDIS - Genesis Clinic

• Ioannis KOURGIOTIS - Greek Air Cargo

• Dimitris TSIFOUTIDIS – Haitoglou ABEE

Resources

I’d like to recommend a series of Business Communications DVDs available in Bissell Library. I suggest students watch: The Job Hunt, The Job Interview, Conducting the Interview, and Negotiating.

Pita Cutting

On February 1st, the ACT Alumni Association had its Pita Cutting at 'Le Palace' bar. Many alumni attended the event and exchanged good wishes for the New Year... (read more)

We encourage you to send in news about their lives, careers and events that may be of interest to other alums for inclusion in the newsletter to either Ifigenia Paparoussi- iphigenia@bigfoot.com or Lena Katsarika - lekat@act.edu). Please be sure to mention: "FOR VISION" in your email.