Pictured: (from left) Provost Ahmed Abdelal; President Joseph Aoun; Greek Ambassador to the United States Alexandros Mallias; Trustee Vice Chairman Emeritus George Behrakis, P '57, Hon. '98; and Consul General Constantinos Orphanides.

Greek Ambassador Visits Northeastern University

At Northeastern the term “Greek Life” took on a whole new meaning when Greece’s ambassador to the United States visited campus to explore further partnering opportunities between Greek institutions and the university. During the stay he also had the opportunity to address Greek alumni, faculty and students.

“Knowledge is power,” Ambassador Alexandros Mallias told the Hellenic gathering, “so let’s gather the knowledge that allows us to remain on the competitive edge.”

Mallias praised ongoing and potential partnerships between Northeastern and institutions in his home country as part of the creation of “a global economy” in which “borders are already somewhat irrelevant.”

The ambassador, along with Consul General Constantinos Orphanides, toured some of the university’s nanotechnology facilities and new buildings on Oct. 17, accompanied by university officials, including Northeastern President Joseph Aoun; Interim Senior Vice President for Development George Triantaris; and Trustee Vice Chairman Emeritus George Behrakis. Behrakis, a key university leader and alumnus, is the benefactor of Northeastern’s Behrakis Health Sciences Center.

Aoun and Behrakis, along with Vice Provost Sri Sridhar, explained the university’s nanotech efforts during a stop in the George Kostas Nanotechology Center. Northeastern named the facility in honor of Kostas, a benefactor of the University and 1943 graduate of the College of Engineering. Kostas lives in Houston, Texas and has been an outspoken advocate for Northeastern and Hellenic collaborations.

And in a visit to a new dormitory, the diplomats heard an explanation of the university’s co-op program from criminal justice Dean Jack Greene and Dean of Admissions Ronné Turner, as well as Leonard Morrison, director of the M.B.A. Career Center. Co-op helps create “competence and confidence” among students, Greene said.

Professor Michael Silevitch, director of the Bernard M. Gordon Center for Subsurface Imaging and Sensing Systems, spoke briefly about CenSSIS’ partnerships with corporations and other academic institutions to create cutting-edge sensing devices, including work on a device that might help detect suicide bombers. The center is seen as “a catalyst, not a competitor,” by businesses looking to translate research into real-world applications, he said.

The tour concluded with a reception at the Behrakis Health Sciences Center, at which Mallias and Orphanides talked with Greek students and Greek-American faculty about the future of global competition and cooperation. Behrakis, the son of immigrant parents from Greece, conversed at the reception with students in Greek, inquiring about their courses of study at the university.

Mallias, a native of Athens, has served in Greece’s diplomatic corps since 1976. Among his postings, he served more than a decade in the Balkans before being appointed to Washington in fall 2005.

The ambassador’s visit follows a June trip to Athens, Greece by a delegation of key university officials and governing board members intended to expand collaborations with leading academic institutions and strengthen alumni connections. As part of that visit, more than 120 Northeastern alumni attended a reception at the Hilton Athens, learning about the importance of stronger ties between Greek alumni and their alma mater.

By James Chiavelli and Glen Summit