President

Dean of Perrotis College;

Chair of the ‘New Food Product & Business Development’ MSc program

Dr. Kiki Zinoviadou is the dean of Perrotis College and Chair of the ‘New Food Product & Business Development’ MSc program. She earned her PhD from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki as a fellow of the Ministry of Education, her MSc. in Product and Ingredient Functionality from Wageningen University in the Netherlands after being awarded a scholarship from NUFFIC (Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education), and her BSc in Food Science from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research interests include the development of delivery systems and biopolymer based antimicrobial packaging, as well as the understanding of the factors that determine the relationship between sensory perception, texture, microstructure, physicochemical properties and shelf-life of food systems. She has attended various seminars concerning the sensory evaluation of olive oil and is a member of the National Table Olive Taste Panel.

Contact: kzinov@afs.edu.gr

Publications

Chair of Sustainable Agriculture & Management Program (full-time)

Dr. Christos Vasilikiotis received his PhD in Molecular & Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.Sc. in Agronomy from Iowa State University and a BSc in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He was a visiting scholar at the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis and he is a visiting professor at the MSc Program on Sustainable Agriculture at MAICH, and has served as a member of the EU CAP Network Focus Group on Regenerative Agriculture for Soil Health. His research focuses on Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture, with expertise in Agroecosystem Design and Soil Health. He is actively developing Organic No-Till Agriculture and serves as the scientific coordinator for the Horizon Europe Lilas4Soils project at Perrotis College.

Contact: cvasil@afs.edu.gr

Lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture & Management (full-time)

Professor Athanasios Gertsis completed undergraduate degrees in Agriculture (BSc in Crop production) , in Thessaloniki and transferred to further his education in the USA. He received his BSc and MSc degrees from Mississippi State University (Miss State, MS) –and a Ph.D. degree from Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) , in USA. Post-Doctoral in the University of Thessaly, Volos-Greece. He was a Scientific collaborator at the Alexandrian Τechnological Education Institution (ATEI). He joined the founding faculty at Perrotis College/American Farm School in 1996 and he leads teaching and research in the upgraded programs (BSc and MSc in Sustainable Agriculture & Management ). He has over 200 publications, conferences, books and other publication materials. He is also the Director of the Krinos Olive Center/Perrotis College. He was awarded by The President of the Hellenic Republic, HE Carolos Papoulias in 2014, for his contribution to Innovative agricultural technologies in Greece.

Lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture & Management (Part-Time)

Nathalie Kamou holds a BSc, a MSc and a PhD in Agricultural Science from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.TH.) with important experience in finding new biological control agents that act against phytopathogenic fungi and in identifying microbial metabolites. She carried out Postdoctoral Research at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in collaboration with the laboratories of Pesticide Science, Agricultural Chemistry, Entomology and Plant Pathology as a researcher in scientific programs with topics related to analytical chemistry and Plant Pathology. She has been working since 2018 as an Adjunct Lecturer, within the framework of the Cardiff Metropolitan University accredited undergraduate program of Perrotis College. She has published 19 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 26 presentations at scientific conferences (h-index = 11).

Adjunct Lecturer (part-time)

Christos Kissoudis holds a BSc and an MSc, with a specialization in Plant Genetics and Breeding, from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During his MSc, he worked on biotechnological approaches to increase herbicide and stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco. He obtained his PhD from Wageningen University in the Netherlands investigating the genetic utilization of wild species and other genetic resources of tomato for achieving increased stress tolerance and pathogen resistance. He subsequently worked as a research and teaching assistant at the Plant Breeding Department of Wageningen University. His research interests include the genetic regulation of environmental adaptation and the nutritional quality of plants and microbiome, metabolome, and microRNA investigations in plants and functional foods. He has participated in Greek, Dutch, and international projects on crop genomics resources and vegetable biotechnology. He authored numerous original research articles and reviews in high-impact international peer-reviewed journals and is a research project evaluator for the Dutch Research Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Lecturer (part-time)

Mr. Saoulidis earned a M.Sc in Decision Sciences and an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia and a BA, with Honors, in International Business from American Intercontinental University in Atlanta, Georgia. He brings over thirty years of experience in farm management and executive leadership, and is also actively involved in adult education and vocational training as an instructor. His core professional interests focus on agribusiness development, entrepreneurship, and equity investments.

Lecturer (part-time)

Dimitrios Psathas is a Lecturer in Olive Cultivation and Processing Systems at Perrotis College in Thessaloniki and founder of Klea Premium Goods, a brand dedicated to the production of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. He holds an MSc in New Food Product and Business Development from Perrotis College and Cardiff Metropolitan University, and a BSc in Agriculture with a specialization in Horticulture and Viticulture from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His work combines hands-on cultivation with consultancy in olive oil production, focusing on quality, sustainability, and sensory evaluation. He is a certified olive oil taster by O.N.A.O.O. (Italy), and has served as a judge in international olive oil competitions, including ARMONIA in Parma. His research includes the volatile profile and ripening characteristics of Greek olive cultivars, with a recent publication on “Chondrolia Chalkidikis” virgin olive oils.

Dr Athanasios Falaras holds a Diploma in Applied Physics (MSc equivalent) from the School of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences of the National Technical University of Athens, an MSc in Information Systems, and a PhD—titled “Exploratory Statistical Analysis of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector”—both from the University of Macedonia. He works as an educator in secondary and post-secondary (non-tertiary) education and as a researcher on Erasmus+ projects. His scholarly output includes five articles in international journals, three book chapters, and five papers in conference proceedings. At Perrotis College, he teaches research methodology in the postgraduate programmes and in the undergraduate Sustainable Agriculture & Management programme.

Manolis Chatzigiannis holds two MSc degrees in Economic Development and Regional Growth from the University of Reading (UK) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has 17 years of work experience as a technology transfer and entrepreneurship consultant at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and since 2022 at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas. Across his career, he was involved in the creation of 17 spin-off companies and managed a portfolio of more than 100 patents. At Perrotis College, he teaches Entrepreneurship. Contact: echatz@afs.edu.gr

Mr Marios Grantas is an Adjunct Lecturer at Perrotis College in the department of International Business. He holds a BSc in Business Administration from University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki and an MBA in Food Marketing & Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University, Michigan, USA. Marios has had more than 20 years experience in Marketing Management as an executive in multinational companies in Greece, USA and Southeast Asia. Since 2004, he has been a Lecturer at undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of Marketing & Management (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania). He has a keen interest in ICT and informatics, marketing technologies, branding, Digital Media, and Strategic Marketing.

Dr. Avraam Mavridis holds a PhD in Engineering (GIS for Agroenvironmental Sustainability), a MSc in Geoinformatics and a BSc in Agriculture from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and he is Post-doctoral Candidate in Applied Informatics of University of Macedonia, Greece. He is an adjunct lecturer in MSc Sustainable Agriculture & Management program of Perrotis College. He has more than 25 years of teaching and research experience (author of 42 papers, co-author of 6 books (currently leading 1), researcher in 65 projects (currently leading 2), evaluator of 159 proposals) with several Universities and organizations in Greece, USA and more (IHU, UoAegean, WPI, etc). He is Expert Consultant of the European Commission, EIP AGRI, EIT, DLR, EUSPA, with several awards and he was a Marie Curie RISE Scholar. He also worked with several Greek organizations (ELSTAT, ELGO DEMETER, NGO ARCTUROS). He supports continuously UN SDGs to make a better world. More: https://gisbioenvinet.blogspot.com/p/cel.html, Email: amavri@afs.edu.gr

Georgios Tziatzios is a graduate of the Department of Agriculture, Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment of the University of Thessaly (2010). He holds a master’s degree in “Environmental Engineering and Science” and attended the direction “Waste and Water Resources Management” at the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Democritus University of Thrace (2012). Since March 2014 he has been a PhD Candidate at the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Thessaly. His main research interests include a) agronomic simulation b) integrated management of water resources c) groundwater flow and solute transport simulation in groundwater systems, d) optimal utilization of groundwater resources e) applications of Geographic Information Systems in Hydrology. He is a research associate of the Hydrology and Aquatic Systems Analysis Laboratory at the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Thessaly.

Chair of Business School (full-time)

Dr. Nikos Zakakis is the Chair of the Business School at Perrotis College, overseeing the International Business, Digital Marketing, and Marketing Programs. He holds a PhD in Media and Organizational Communication, as well as BSc (Cultural Technology and Communication) and MSc (Cultural Informatics) degrees from the University of the Aegean. His research interests include Digital Marketing, Digital Communications, Behavioral Analytics, Corporate Reputation, and media theories such as Agenda-Setting, Framing, and Gatekeeping. His academic contributions include publications in international peer-reviewed journals and presentations at various research conferences. Dr. Nikos Zakakis also specializes as a MarTech Consultant, supporting organizations in Greece and abroad with digital transformation strategies.

Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=asmv9r0AAAAJ

Contact: nzakak@afs.edu.gr

Professor Athanasios Gertsis completed undergraduate degrees in Agriculture (BSc in Crop production) , in Thessaloniki and transferred to further his education in the USA. He received his BSc and MSc degrees from Mississippi State University (Miss State, MS) –and a Ph.D. degree from Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX), in USA. Post-Doctoral in the University of Thessaly, Volos-Greece. He was a Scientific collaborator at the Alexandrian Τechnological Education Institution (ATEI). He joined the founding faculty at Perrotis College/American Farm School in 1996 and he leads teaching and research in the upgraded programs (BSc and MSc in Sustainable Agriculture & Management ). He has over 200 publications, conferences, books and other publication materials. He is also the Director of the Krinos Olive Center/Perrotis College. He was awarded by The President of the Hellenic Republic, HE Carolos Papoulias in 2014, for his contribution to Innovative agricultural technologies in Greece.

Lecturer in in Business Communication, Marketing, and Business Development (Part-Time)

Evita Gantina brings over 25 years of leadership experience in both Greek and international companies, with a specialization in Business Communication, Marketing, and Business Development. Evita has held senior management positions and served on the boards of major companies in the textile industry. Since 2001, she is involved in academic teaching, while also co-owning a marketing and public relations firm since 2011. Evita continues to contribute to the business world as a speaker and mentor in business incubators, and her expertise is often sought after in various advisory and executive committees. She is a graduate of the University of Houston in USA and EU Business School in Montreux, Switzerland. At Perrotis College, she teaches at the undergraduate level in the B.Sc. International Business and B.A. (Hons) Digital Marketing Management programs. At the graduate level, she teaches in the M.Sc. Marketing for the Agro-Food Sector program.

Lecturer (part-time)

Mr Marios Grantas is an Adjunct Lecturer at Perrotis College in the department of International Business. He holds a BSc in Business Administration from University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki and an MBA in Food Marketing & Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University, Michigan, USA. Marios has had more than 20 years experience in Marketing Management as an executive in multinational companies in Greece, USA and Southeast Asia. Since 2004, he has been a Lecturer at undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of Marketing & Management (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania). He has a keen interest in ICT and informatics, marketing technologies, branding, Digital Media, and Strategic Marketing.

Lecturer (part-time)

Mr. Lefteris Papadopoulos holds a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, an M.Sc. degree in Operational Research from the University of Southampton, a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching from the University of Sheffield and is a Fellow of Higher Education Academy in the U.K.. He has spent more than 25 years in Financial Institutions (Greece and Romania) and in parallel as part-time Lecturer and Seminar Instructor for over 35 years. Since 2017, Mr. Papadopoulos is Expert-Evaluator for the SME EIC Accelerator in European Commission covering the sectors of Nanotechnology, E-Learning and Agricultural products. The areas of interest are Operations, Process & Project Management – Finance, Banking & Investments – Sales, teaching in both Undergraduate and postgraduate studies, mainly in Business departments. Contact: epapado@afs.edu.gr.

Lecturer (part-time)

Mr. Saoulidis earned a M.Sc in Decision Sciences and an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia and a BA, with Honors, in International Business from American Intercontinental University in Atlanta, Georgia. He brings over thirty years of experience in farm management and executive leadership, and is also actively involved in adult education and vocational training as an instructor. His core professional interests focus on agribusiness development, entrepreneurship, and equity investments.

Dr Ourania Tremma is an Assistant Professor in Agricultural and Food Economics at University College Dublin. She holds a PhD and two MSc degrees in Economics and Agricultural Economics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She has also completed certificates in Data Analysis and Education from institutions in Greece and the United Kingdom. Before joining UCD, Dr Tremma was a Senior Lecturer at Harper Adams University, where she taught and conducted research for nearly seven years. Her research focuses on the price transmission mechanisms of agricultural products—across countries, along the food supply chain, between quality-differentiated goods, and in relation to price volatility. Dr Tremma has presented her work at international academic conferences and has contributed to both EU- and nationally funded research projects in Greece. Her work aims to inform policy and improve understanding of market dynamics in the agri-food sector.

Kostoula Margariti is a postdoctoral researcher and an adjunct lecturer in Marketing Communications and Digital Marketing. She holds a BSc in Economics (AUTh), an MBA (AUTh), an MSc in Finance and Accounting (UoM), and a PhD in Marketing (AUTh). Her academic interests lie on website and advertising design, luxury branding, cross-cultural advertising and neuromarketing. She has published her work in International Journal of Advertising, Food Research International, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, Journal of Promotion Management, International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, and Sustainability.

Manolis Chatzigiannis holds two MSc degrees in Economic Development and Regional Growth from the University of Reading (UK) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has 17 years of work experience as a technology transfer and entrepreneurship consultant at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and since 2022 at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas. Across his career, he was involved in the creation of 17 spin-off companies and managed a portfolio of more than 100 patents. At Perrotis College, he teaches Entrepreneurship. Contact: echatz@afs.edu.gr

Dr. Kiki Zinoviadou is the Dean of Perrotis College and Chair of the ‘New Food Product & Business Development’ MSc program. She earned her PhD from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki as a fellow of the Ministry of Education, her MSc. in Product and Ingredient Functionality from Wageningen University in the Netherlands after being awarded a scholarship from NUFFIC (Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education), and her BSc in Food Science from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has authored various articles in peer review journals while her work has been referenced more than 1500 times. Moreover, she participates in and coordinates major EU- and nationally-funded research projects. Her research interests include New Product Development, olive oil and table olives quality, development of delivery systems and biopolymer based antimicrobial packaging, as well as the understanding of the factors that determine the relationship between sensory perception, texture, microstructure, physicochemical properties and shelf-life of food systems. She is a jury at Olive Oil competitions and a member of the National Table Olive Taste Panel.

Professor Athanasios Gertsis completed undergraduate degrees in Agriculture (BSc in Crop production) , in Thessaloniki and transferred to further his education in the USA. He received his BSc and MSc degrees from Mississippi State University (Miss State, MS) –and a Ph.D. degree from Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) , in USA. Post-Doctoral in the University of Thessaly, Volos-Greece. He was a Scientific collaborator at the Alexandrian Τechnological Education Institution (ATEI). He joined the founding faculty at Perrotis College/American Farm School in 1996 and he leads teaching and research in the upgraded programs (BSc and MSc in Sustainable Agriculture & Management ). He has over 200 publications, conferences, books and other publication materials. He is also the Director of the Krinos Olive Center/Perrotis College. He was awarded by The President of the Hellenic Republic, HE Carolos Papoulias in 2014, for his contribution to Innovative agricultural technologies in Greece.

Mr Marios Grantas is an Adjunct Lecturer at Perrotis College in the department of International Business. He holds a BSc in Business Administration from University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki and an MBA in Food Marketing & Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University, Michigan, USA. Marios has had more than 20 years experience in Marketing Management as an executive in multinational companies in Greece, USA and Southeast Asia. Since 2004, he has been a Lecturer at undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of Marketing & Management (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania). He has a keen interest in ICT and informatics, marketing technologies, branding, Digital Media, and Strategic Marketing.

Dr Athanasios Falaras holds a Diploma in Applied Physics (MSc equivalent) from the School of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences of the National Technical University of Athens, an MSc in Information Systems, and a PhD—titled “Exploratory Statistical Analysis of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector”—both from the University of Macedonia. He works as an educator in secondary and post-secondary (non-tertiary) education and as a researcher on Erasmus+ projects. His scholarly output includes five articles in international journals, three book chapters, and five papers in conference proceedings. At Perrotis College, he teaches research methodology in the postgraduate programmes and in the undergraduate Sustainable Agriculture & Management programme.

Manolis Chatzigiannis holds two MSc degrees in Economic Development and Regional Growth from the University of Reading (UK) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has 17 years of work experience as a technology transfer and entrepreneurship consultant at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and since 2022 at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas. Across his career, he was involved in the creation of 17 spin-off companies and managed a portfolio of more than 100 patents. At Perrotis College, he teaches Entrepreneurship. Contact: echatz@afs.edu.gr

Christos Kissoudis holds a BSc and an MSc, with a specialization in Plant Genetics and Breeding, from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During his MSc, he worked on biotechnological approaches to increase herbicide and stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco. He obtained his PhD from Wageningen University in the Netherlands investigating the genetic utilization of wild species and other genetic resources of tomato for achieving increased stress tolerance and pathogen resistance. He subsequently worked as a research and teaching assistant at the Plant Breeding Department of Wageningen University. His research interests include the genetic regulation of environmental adaptation and the nutritional quality of plants and microbiome, metabolome, and microRNA investigations in plants and functional foods. He has participated in Greek, Dutch, and international projects on crop genomics resources and vegetable biotechnology. He authored numerous original research articles and reviews in high-impact international peer-reviewed journals and is a research project evaluator for the Dutch Research Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Dr. Christos Ritzoulis, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Perrotis College (full-time), served as a Professor of Food Chemistry at the Department of Food Science and Technology at the International Hellenic University since 2017, while since 2004, he belongs to the Faculty of the Alexander Technological Institute of Thessaloniki, having served as an Adjunct Professor, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Professor. He has worked at the General Chemistry Laboratory of the State between 2004 and 2008.  He earned his Masters and Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Leeds and his undergraduate degree from the Department of Chemistry of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Contact: critzou@afs.edu.gr

In 2010 she joined the position of Chief Financial Officer of the American Farm School and Perrotis College (full-time). Sophia holds a degree in Economics from the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki and a post-graduate degree in European Economic Studies from the College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium. Sophia Mihalaki started her career in 1988 as a Certified Auditor with Ernst & Young in Athens. In 1993, she joined the Thessaloniki office of Deloitte and was soon promoted to Principal, Head of Office. She acquired extensive experience serving Greek and multinational entities. She also served as an auditor at the Hellenic Court of Auditors.  Contact: smihal@afs.edu.gr

Despina Theodoridou has been the Head of Institutional Human Resources since 2010 (full-time). An HR professional with expertise in strategic HR, the application of labor legislation, payroll and benefits, recruitment and selection, professional development and personnel assessment. Despina holds an MBA with a specialization in HR and has attended numerous postgraduate courses in Adult Education and Management. She is a member of the Greek People Management Association and has also worked as Program Coordinator at the Lifelong Learning Department of the American Farm School. Previous appointment (1995-1997), Head of Production of the Galaxidi Marine Farm S.A. nursery.  First degree in Zoology from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Masters in Aquaculture from Stirling University. Fluent in English and German. Contact: dtheod@afs.edu.gr 

Polina Tzourtzoukli is the Administrative Assistant at the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ Office (full-time). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Archeology with a specialization in History from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In 2016 she started working at the American Farm School as a school escort and then she continued as a School Administrative Assistant at the Preschool Education, Elementary and Junior High School. After more than 5 years of experience in administrative positions in all school education levels, she has acquired the knowledge and skills required for being an administrator of higher education providing optimal service to stakeholders. Contact: ttzourt@afs.edu.gr.

Maria is currently the Resources Coordinator at Perrotis College (full-time). Maria Kostouda holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Archeology with a specialization in History from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. After more than 10 years of experience in administrative positions in the private sector in the fields of healthcare and education, she has acquired the knowledge and skills required for being an administrator of a large educational institution providing optimal service to stakeholders. She possesses highly developed interpersonal skills and extensive experience in crisis management and business development. Maria is currently the Resources Coordinator at Perrotis College. Contact: mkosto@afs.edu.gr

Pantelis Hantzaras is the Coordinator of Student and Alumni Affairs (full-time). He received his Bachelor degree from Perrotis College, with a major in International Business, after completing his secondary education at the American Farm School. In both educational programs, he received the prestigious Bruce and Tad Lansdale Leadership Award. He has undertaken training in Student Affairs from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Colorado State University and National Kapodistrian University. As a resident student on the campus of the American Farm School and Perrotis College throughout his education, Pantelis has developed a strong multicultural perspective. He is also an experienced graphic designer. Contact: phantz@afs.edu.gr 

Contact: phantz@afs.edu.gr

Maria Liakou holds a degree in Tourism Business Management and is a Residence Life Staff Member since 2023 (full-time). She has gained insight into different levels of customer service and workplaces management through her experience in administrative positions and especially in the tourism industry. She sees teenagers and students as the future citizens of the world with wide open horizons in front of them, and being there to help them whenever needed makes her feel that she does something meaningful and important. Contact: mliako@afs.edu.gr

Katherine Pitselis is the Outreach & Internships Coordinator (full-time). She has lived and studied in Canada and the U.S. for many years. She is a graduate of McGill University with degrees in Industrial Relations and Social Sciences. Katherine received her English teaching diploma from the University of Michigan. She has a wide range of experience teaching English and preparing students for various level Cambridge and Michigan language exams. Her career experience includes having worked at Mandoulides Private Schools and Perrotis College/American Farm School, where she taught advanced level English to students and trained them to enter various undergraduate degree programs. Her activities also include the language improvement of professionals in various fields (e.g. Administration, economics, accounting) as well as English translation of professional texts. Contact: apitsel@afs.edu.gr

Kally Chalkia is the Registrar at Perrotis College (full-time). She brings over 15 years of diverse international experience in higher education and nonprofit organizations across the US, UK, and Greece. She holds an MA in Marketing Communications from Bournemouth University (UK) and a BSc in Marketing from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago (USA). She is currently furthering her education through an MSc in Tourism and Local Development at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specializing in Environment and Sustainable Tourism. She has also earned a certification in Circular Economy (EOPPEP), strengthening her knowledge in sustainable resource management and innovative economic models. Having spent 11 years living and working in Chicago and London, she developed a deep understanding of cross-cultural communication and institutional support frameworks. Contact: kchalk@afs.edu.gr

Katerina Stamatika is the Special Education Expert and Academic Learning Specialist of the American Farm School and Perrotis college students (full-time). She holds a Master’s of Science degree in Special Education with specialization in learning disabilities and behavioral issues from Indiana State University. She has been working at the American Farm School for the past 20 years supporting and training students, faculty members and parents. Contact: kstama@afs.edu.gr

Helen Yarenis is the Study Abroad Coordinator of Marketing and Communications at Perrotis College (full-time). Born and raised in New Jersey, she received her BA in Psychology from Boston University, USA and CELTA from Center for English Studies in New York. After teaching ESL in Greece for two years, Helen returned to the US to work in the Admissions Department of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She moved back to Greece in 2004, teaching ESL, advising students seeking post-graduate studies and working as an examiner for several language certification bodies.  At Perrotis College, Helen is responsible for creating marketing content and coordinating communication strategies for study abroad programs.

Contact: hyaren@afs.edu.gr

Eleni Kantyltzoglou is the Coordinator of Outreach & Development in the Study Abroad Department of Perrotis College (full-time). She was born and raised in New York before returning to her home country of Greece at the age of 15. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Flagler College, USA in Sport Management and Business Administration. Eleni has extensive experience in the tourism industry in Greece, organizing and leading trips for businesses, travelers, and professional groups. Eleni has also successfully coordinated and managed faculty-led groups from large-scale American universities in Greece and abroad. Her love of education and travel motivated her transition to higher education and study abroad. At Perrotis, Eleni directs the promotion, development, and coordination of the study abroad programs.

Contact: ekanty@afs.edu.gr

Alexandros Charalampidis is an Adjunct Lecturer at Perrotis College in the Department of Digital Marketing Management (part-time). He holds an MSc Degree in Digital Marketing from the University of Huddersfield. His professional experience spans various facets of digital marketing, including Digital Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Marketing, Performance Marketing, and Social and e-Commerce tactics. In addition to hands-on industry experience, he has a strong academic background, with 13 years of teaching experience in the UK Education system. His teaching philosophy centres on empowering students through practical, hands-on learning experiences. Teaching modules: Search marketing, E-commerce.

Haroula Katzani is the Director of Finance (full-time). She is an Economist with a BSc in Business Economic Administration from the Department of Law & Economics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.  She is responsible for overseeing all the College’s financial activities in order to ensure its strong financial structure and economic development.  Her career experience includes having worked at the Financial Department of the American Farm School since 1994.  In her current position she is responsible for preparing the annual operating and capital budget, monitoring the cash flow on daily basis, analyzing financial data into key performance metrics as well as overseeing the annual audit & any special audits. She also manages incoming gifts and monitors financial aspects of all privately and state-funded projects.

Contact: hkatza@afs.edu.gr

Damiana Koutsomiha is the Head Librarian of Dimitris & Aliki Perrotis Library (full-time). She holds a BSc on Library and Information Systems and a MScEcon on Management of Library and Information Services from the University of Aberystwyth, Wales. She promotes library services to the community through education, outreach and participation in professional conferences, trainings, publications and research groups. Her research interests cover a range of issues such as digital literacies, evaluation of Web resources, knowledge management, library instruction. Over the years her vision and mission as a librarian has taken concrete form: to strengthen the learning process of students and the general public and provide the means and foundations through teaching for the development of critical thinking in the chaos of information and the fundamental value of lifelong learning. When not teaching she likes to return to her first favorite job as librarian: identifying information and reaching where her users cannot and ultimately provide them with the necessary tools to reach the desired information on their own.

Contact: dkouts@afs.edu.gr

Iro Sotiriadou is the Perrotis College Librarian working at the “Dimitris & Aliki Perrotis” Central Library of the AFS and she is responsible for managing the Library’s electronic resources. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Translation Studies both from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as a BSc in Library Science and Information Systems from the Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki. She is also a faculty member teaching Information Literacy at Perrotis College Undergraduate program at Level 4.

Some of her publications: https://repository.afs.edu.gr/handle/6000/378, https://repository.afs.edu.gr/handle/6000/377 Contact: isotir@afs.edu.gr

Katerina Roumelioti is the Head of the Europe Direct Central Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece, hosted by Perrotis College (full-time). She holds a BSc in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, an MSc in Environmental Sciences from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands and a Diploma in Education for Sustainability from the University of the Aegean. She works for more than two decades on European funded programs especially on the environment, education and environmental policy. Contact: kroume@afs.edu.gr

Sophia Gourgouri is the Administrative Assistant of the Head of the Europe Direct Central Macedonia (full-time) hosted by Perrotis College working specially on the social media/ website management and event organization. She received her Bachelor degree from Perrotis College in Digital Marketing Management where she excelled academically and stood out for her ethos. Contact: sgourg@afs.edu.gr