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| SPECIAL EDITION |
July, 2007 |
| In this issue: | |
TOP
STORIES:
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT |
| MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRS | |
| END OF YEAR HAPPENINGS | |
| ANNOUNCEMENTS | |
| ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES | |
| CLASS OF 2007 | |
| ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | |
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| Message from the President | ||||
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Dear ACT Students, Faculty and Alumni, The ACT Commencement June 27 was the capstone of our academic year and reflected a tremendous amount of hard work by all concerned -- by the graduates whose pride and relief were written on their faces, by the faculty who helped to get them there and by all of the public relations and maintenance staff who made this complex event possible. Special thanks also to our Trustee and commencement speaker Kyriakos Tsakopoulos and to Mr. Nicholas Papageorgiou who used the occasion to announce a scholarship endowment for our school. |
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The Spring term and year as a whole have been marked by real accomplishments. Governor Michael Dukakis’ tenure in the ACT chair which bears his name was a highlight for us all. So was the new agreement for a joint executive MBA program with the prestigious ALBA Business School. Watch for the beginning of this new program in January 2008. I have no doubt that the year ahead will also be one of real progress at ACT, and there is already an impressive list of internationally-known speakers lined up for the Fall semester. In September, US Supreme Court Justice Kennedy will lead off and will be followed in October by President Richard Levin of Yale University. I am pleased also to report that we are finalizing plans for co-sponsorship on campus with the Woodrow Wilson Center of Washington of an international conference in December on EU accession by countries of Southeast Europe. Much is, therefore, ahead and I wish each of you an enjoyable and restful remainder of the summer. Sincerely, Richard Jackson |
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| Message from the Chairs | ||||
As we reflect upon the past 2006-07 academic year, I believe that it could be summarized as a positive, constructive experience. The department focused all its efforts to provide the highest quality education in the Thessaloniki area, including the formation of two major alliances. Among the highlights of the academic year: • The 2nd Annual Retail Market & Commercial
Real Estate Development Conference was conducted at the Thessaloniki Chamber
of Commerce. We are looking forward to another exciting year, building upon our achievements from this past year. Have a wonderful summer!!!! Nikolaos Kourkoumelis, PhD |
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Dr. Panos Vlachos Chair, Tech and Sciences Division pvla@act.edu |
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academic year 2006-2007 was a challenging but very productive year. We have
worked together on a number of initiatives and we have seen them
materialize. The Internally Funded Research Initiative provided the
opportunity to six of our colleagues to finance their research projects and
we are pleased to report that all three projects are developing well. We
have worked closely with the Faculty Senate and developed two new procedures
for faculty evaluation and faculty promotion that are clearly better defined
and more transparent. The faculty development funds have provided an
additional opportunity to faculty to make presentations at conferences and
to attend workshops. We have signed collaborative agreements with the ALBA
graduate business school and the University of Iowa that both include a
strong section on faculty exchange and collaboration and we are expecting
very soon to see the first concrete results of these initiatives. We have
also revived the faculty development workshops that this year focused on the
use of the library resources and course management systems.
In the area of information technology, we saw the computer laboratory in the New Building replaced by state of the art equipment through the generosity of the Drakos family. A wireless network was also introduced that is already heavily utilized by students, faculty and visitors. We have also developed and implemented a new system for the end of semester student evaluations which is more informative and easy to access. The registrar’s information system has been upgraded and starting next fall we will benefit from automatic transcript analysis and statistics that will facilitate our advising of students and scheduling of courses. It is true that during the academic year 2007-2008 we will embark on new initiatives and face new challenges. I feel confident thought that working together we will meet these challenges and come up with rewarding outcomes. I want to wish to all of you and your families a relaxing and enjoyable summer and I am looking forward to seeing you again in September. Best Regards, |
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| END OF YEAR HAPPENINGS | |||
| Commencement 2007 | |||
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The Commencement Ceremony for the American College of
Thessaloniki (ACT) class of
2007
that was held June 27, at the open-air amphitheater at
ACT saw 75 excited seniors officially graduate in the presence of
distinguished guests, faculty, staff, alumni, and proud parents and
friends. |
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Dr. Panos Kanellis, Anatolia’s Executive Vice President and COO and ACT’s acting Provost, welcomed guests to the glamorous event and President Richard Jackson introduced the keynote speaker, Mr. Kyriakos Tsakopoulos. Mr Tsakopoulos, an Anatolia trustee, discussed globalization and its impact in addressing the graduating class. He also received in his father’s stead the “Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters” degree that the school awarded to Mr. Angelos Tsakopoulos, a distinguished entrepreneur and philanthropist who’s worked hard to advance the causes of Hellenism in the United States. He founded the “Western Policy Center” in Washington DC, one of the most significant “think tanks” on Southeastern European issues and has contributed to the establishment of Hellenic Studies departments in various universities including California State, Stanford, Georgetown, and Columbia. The “Philip and Marjorie Ireland Humanitarian and Public Service Award” was presented to another distinguished guest, Mr. Nikolaos Papageorgiou, president of the “Papageorgiou” Hospital, for his continuous contributions to his field. In a warm and emotional address, Ms. Maria Foka, this year’s valedictorian, highlighted the impact that ACT faculty members have made during her years at ACT. A mother of two, Maria thanked staff, faculty and classmates for an unforgettable educational experience and stressed the importance of support by friends and family in one’s college endeavours. Various awards were also presented to students for their academic performances in individual disciplines as well as excellence in extracurricular activities. The ceremony concluded with the conferring of degrees. Among the many distinguished guests were the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Mr. Giorgos Kalantzis, the Consul General of the US in Thessaloniki, Mr. Hoytt Brian Yee, members of Parliament, Mssrs. Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Stavros Kalafatis, and member of the city council Mr. Babis Barbounakis. |
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| 2nd INTERNATIONAL BEACH HANDBALL TOURNAMENT | |||
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In cooperation with the Greek Handball Federation, ACT successfully organized the 2nd International Beach Handball Tournament June 22-24. The event, part of the European Beach Handball Tour, took place at ACT's beach sports court. The tournament was also a part of the 8th Greek Beach Handball tour. 12 men's and 6 women's teams participated in a weekend of summer fun. To see the winners' listing, click here. To watch the video, click here. |
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| ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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BISSELL LIBRARY NEWS Library Director Karen Bohrer has been elected to a two-year term as Vice-Chair of the American Consortium of Academic Libraries (AMICAL) Library Assistant Evi Trmantza is leaving ACT and moving to England with her family. She wrote this letter to say “good-bye”: Dear all,
I would like to take a moment to let you know that I am
leaving my position at the Bissell Library of the American College of
Thessaloniki. We are relocating as a family to London and we will be
moving next month. Thank you all. Kind regards, Evi Tramantza, Anatolia ‘83. FALL 2007 DISTINGUISHED GUESTS Every year, ACT organizes business conferences as well as lectures by distinguished diplomats, academics, politicians, businessmen who share their knowledge and experience with students and guests. Fall 2007 is looking rather exciting with a number of distinguished guest lecturers already on the docket and yet more in the planning stage. For now, here are some highlights of what’s to come in the Fall semester. |
| ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES |
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Over the last academic year, the Vision team
has tried to track down ACT's alumni, many of whom have proven to be
real success stories. In case you've missed any, here's a comprehensive
listing of all alum success stories published throughout the last year.
DAMIANOS
KALABRATZIDIS ’96
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| SPECIAL FEATURE: CLASS OF 2007 | |
| Moments before commencement, we asked members of the graduating class to share their plans for the future. Here's what some of them had to say. | |
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PASCHALIS SAROUDIS "I am attending a summer course (Mkt
200, wanted to graduate this summer) which ends on the 20th of July. In
parallel, I might also do some GMAT courses until the middle of August.
I am also working in a family business, so there is not much time for
vacations until mid-August, but I am going to Chalkidiki every weekend
to relax and have fun. SOPIO UZNADZE "My plans for the future are as simple as this: I am going back to my country (Georgia) and planning to get married to my fiancé, as well as accept a job offer from one of the Georgian colleges in the department of International Relations. I am also planning to do my Masters degree after a year of working practice. As you see, I've figured out my plans, and now the only thing I still need is a bit of luck." NIKOS MAGOPOULOS "After graduation I am going to spend a week of holidays and then join the army in August! After that, I am going to work in my family business and hopefully attend an MsC in Finance." CHRISTOPHER SFETSIOS " I have been accepted into a master's degree program at the International School for Social Sciences and Humanities, a department of the University of Amsterdam. So I am off to the Netherlands next year. I'm going to spend some time at home (US) this summer - for the first time in two years - and then I'll return to Thessaloniki in August. In the middle of August I'll embark on a bus and train trip across Europe, visiting some friends along way and eventually ending up in Amsterdam. I'll be pursuing an MSc in Sociology, specializing in Social Theory and Public Affairs. In the long run I hope to return to the U.S. and complete a PhD in political science. But between now and then, we'll just have to wait and see! " EVGENIA KYRIAKIDOU "I am planning to keep on working. I am not sure whether I'll stay at my current work place or try to find another job. Since I had double concentration, in Finance and in Marketing, I would like to spend some time working for an advertising or a financial company, in order to figure out which one of the two fields I enjoy more." FATON LEKAJ "I will spend the summer working in a hotel in Thassos (Ilio Mare Deluxe 5*) and hopefully having a good time. My plans are to continue my master studies at ACT and getting employed at the same time." ZLATKO KOSTOVSKI "I am going to Barcelona for a MSc in Finance. Currently, I am in the middle of collecting all documents required and planning my big move". VICKY AGRI "I will take some time off to relax and take the pressure of heavy studying for four years off my shoulders. I will actually spend my summer vacations in Chalkidiki and Corfu, until the end of August. From September, I will be working as an English language teacher in an English school, teaching English to prejuniors and A-B senior young learners. Although my immediate plans don't include further studies yet, it is definitely one of my future goals." STEFANOS KOSMIDES "I've been accepted at USC (University
of Southern California) in the construction management graduate degree
program. Meanwhile, I co-own and work in a construction company in
Thessaloniki named Atlas Development." |
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Alumni Association News
>> contributed by Eliza Salpisti,‘02, Secretary of ACT Alumni Association |
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ACT Alumni Summer Party 2007 ACT Alumni gathered at TIMES food-bar on
Thursday, May 31st, to welcome the Class of 2007 and remember their own
graduation. A special projection of the latest production (The “ACT
MOMENTS: A glance in the past” collection dvd, with the kind sponsorship
of Chivas Regal) gave the event an element of surprise, as alums were
reliving ACT moments on screen. The summer weather helped create a cozy
atmosphere. The Alumni Board members wish you all a dreamy summer vacation while preparing for another 2 year term full of traditional and special events for the whole ACT Community!
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The Alumni board chose the above photo of Ms. Elina Sarafidou ’03 and Mr. Konstantinos Nousias ’03 as the photo of the night. Note: Alums pictured in each event's Best Photo are entitled to a free copy delivered to their home!
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