Digalakis Vassilis

Prof. Vassilis Digalakis is a Professor at the Technical University of Crete in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, part of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Systems Engineering from Boston University and has extensive experience in academia, industry, and public service. His roles include former Rector of the Technical University of Crete (2013-2017) and Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs (2020-2021).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Electrical and Systems Engineering, Boston University (1992)
• M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Northeastern University (1988)
• B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (1986)

Research Interests: Prof. Digalakis specializes in machine learning, speech recognition, pattern recognition, and dialog systems. His work emphasizes developing advanced algorithms for speech processing, multimodal interfaces, and adaptive systems. Notable contributions include innovations in linear dynamical models for speech synthesis and robust pronunciation evaluation techniques.

Awards and Recognition: He has received two IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Paper Awards (1999, 2000) and holds five patents related to speech recognition technologies. His leadership roles include Director of the Telecommunications Systems Institute (2005–2013) and Chair of the ECE Department (2003–2005).

Professional Activities: He served as President of the Hellenic Universities Rectors’ Synod (2015) and later as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Cultural and Educational Affairs. His work extends to industry collaborations, including founding contributions to Nuance Communications and Dialogos Speech Communications.

Labs and Projects: Associated with the Information and Networks Laboratory at TUC, his research focuses on cutting-edge solutions in telecommunications and AI-driven speech technologies.