Markos Koutras

Markos Koutras is a Professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Piraeus, where he has been serving since September 2000. He previously held academic positions at the University of Athens, including Scientific Associate (1981-1983, 1985-1986), Lecturer (1986-1989), Assistant Professor (1989-1993), and Associate Professor (1993-2000). He has also served as Visiting Researcher at several international institutions including the University of Manitoba (Canada), Queen Mary and Westfield College (London), and McMaster University (Canada).

His educational background includes:

• 1979: Degree from the University of Athens, Department of Mathematics (Grade: 9 and 6/20)
• 1981: MSc from the University of Athens, Department of Mathematics, in Computer Science and Operations Research (Grade: 9 and 7/16)
• 1983: PhD from the University of Athens, Department of Mathematics, with thesis 'Contribution to the theory of Spherical Distributions and related Taxonomic Problems' (Grade: Excellent)

Professor Koutras specializes in several key areas of statistics and probability theory. His primary research interests focus on Reliability Theory, where he has made significant contributions to the understanding of system reliability, failure models, and maintenance policies. He has extensively researched Scan Statistics and Run Theory, developing methodologies for pattern recognition in sequences of trials and applications in quality control. His work in Multivariate Analysis has advanced techniques for analyzing complex data structures, while his contributions to Statistical Quality Control have provided new methodologies for process monitoring and improvement. He has also made notable contributions to Combinatorial Distributions, exploring the theoretical properties and applications of specialized probability distributions.

With over 70 publications in international peer-reviewed journals (h-index: 16 as of January 2014) and 13 publications in international peer-reviewed volumes totaling more than 700 citations, Professor Koutras has established himself as a leading researcher in his fields. His work shows a clear progression from theoretical foundations in probability and reliability to practical applications in quality control, medical statistics, and risk management. A significant portion of his recent work focuses on scan statistics, run theory, and their applications in statistical process monitoring, demonstrating his continued contribution to advancing methodological frameworks in these areas.

Professor Koutras has received significant recognition for his scholarly work:

• Associate Editor for 8 international journals including Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability and Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference
• Referee for papers submitted to more than 30 different journals
• President of the local organizing committee for 3 major international conferences
• Co-Chair of the International Organizing Committee for 7 International Workshops in Applied Probability
• Member of the Scientific Committee for 10 international conferences
• Elected member of the European Regional Committee of the Bernoulli Society (2013-present)
• Scientific responsible for more than 10 Research and Educational projects, including MarieCurie (2013-2016) and Aristeia (2014-2015)

Professor Koutras has supervised 6 doctoral theses (5 completed, 1 in progress) and has been actively involved in research grant management. His leadership extends to administrative roles, having served as Director of Studies for the Postgraduate Program in Applied Statistics (2001-2004, 2007-2011), Chairman of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science (2003-2007, 2011-2013), and Dean of the School of Finance and Statistics (2013-2017). He has also been President of the Interdepartmental Committee for the Interuniversity Postgraduate Program in Biostatistics at the University of Athens.

Professor Koutras leads a research group focused on reliability theory, scan statistics, and their applications. His team collaborates internationally, particularly through the International Workshops in Applied Probability that he has helped organize since 2002. His research has practical applications in quality control, medical statistics, and risk assessment, contributing to both theoretical advances and real-world problem solving.