Amalia Foka is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science Applications for the Arts at the Department of Fine Arts & Art Sciences , School of Fine Arts , University of Ioannina , Greece. She has held academic positions at the University of Patras (2005-2013), University of Ioannina (2005-2008), and Computer Technology Institute & Press "Diophantus" (2014-2015). Her research bridges Artificial Intelligence with Digital Art , focusing on Generative AI , Social Media Mining , and Human-Computer Interaction within artistic contexts. Education: BEng in Computer Systems Engineering (1998) from the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST) , UK MSc in Advanced Control (1999) from UMIST PhD in Robotics (2005) from the Department of Computer Science , University of Crete Her artistic research includes projects like Bushwalking (StyleGAN2 landscape generation), Breaking the Silence (NLP analysis of taboo topics), and The Invisible Structures of the Artworld (social media-driven network visualization). She leads the Multimedia Lab at the University of Ioannina, focusing on AI in Creative Processes and Digital Interaction methodologies.
George Vasilakopoulos is a Professor in the Department of Digital Systems at the University of Piraeus , where he also serves as Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Personnel. By law, he is President of the Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP) and the Employment and Career Structure (DASTA) of the university, overseeing the development of modern information systems. He earned his PhD from the University of London and has held leadership roles including Department President, Director of Postgraduate Programs, and Scientific Director of the Digital Health Services Laboratory. PhD: University of London Current Roles: Vice-Chancellor, Department of Digital Systems Professor Labs: Digital Health Services Laboratory His research focuses on Health Informatics , Cloud Computing , and Medical Data Security , with key contributions to: Emergency healthcare process automation Privacy-preserving personal health record systems Context-aware authorization models Cloud-based medical service frameworks Machine learning in clinical data analysis Interoperable health information systems The trends in his 15 most recent articles (2010-2015) reveal a consistent emphasis on integrating cloud infrastructure , semantic technologies , and mobile platforms to enhance emergency care, chronic disease management, and patient data security. His work bridges biomedical engineering , software architecture , and public health policy . He has held advisory roles for the Minister of Health on IT issues, served on hospital boards, and contributed to national committees for healthcare technology standards. His professional activities include project evaluation for Greek and European research programs and authoring three books on health informatics.
Dr. Ioanna Kantzavelou is an Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica. She leads the INSSec Research Group, focusing on Information, Networks, and Systems Security. Her expertise spans Cybersecurity, Game Theoretic approaches in Intrusion Detection, and Critical Infrastructure Protection. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of the Aegean (2011), an M.Sc. from University College Dublin (1994), and a B.Sc. from the Technological Educational Institution of Athens (1991). Education: Ph.D. in Intrusion Detection with Game Theoretic Approaches – University of the Aegean (2011) M.Sc. in Computer Security – University College Dublin (1994) B.Sc. in Informatics – TEI of Athens (1991) Research Interests: Intrusion Detection in IoT/Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and Cyber-Physical Systems Cyber Ranges for Education and Research Cybersecurity for Merchant Shipping and Critical Infrastructures Hybrid Threats, Cyberterrorism, and Cyberwarfare Digital Forensics and Blockchain-Based Authentication Systems Her work includes over 30 peer-reviewed publications, three books, and contributions to R&D projects funded by the Greek government, EU, and Irish government. She actively reviews for IEEE, Elsevier, and Springer journals, and is a member of ACM, IEEE Computer Society, and the Greek Computer Society. Grants & Collaborations: EU-funded projects on Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Greek government grants for Cyber Ranges and IoT Security Labs/Teams: Head of the INSSec Research Group, collaborating with industry partners on Cybersecurity solutions for maritime and industrial sectors.
Chrisanthi Avgerou is Professor of Information Systems at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), affiliated with the Department of Management Science and Technology in the School of Business. She chairs IFIP Technical Committee 9 on Social Implications of Information Technology and serves as Associate Editor for Information Systems Research Journal and The Information Society Journal. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Information Systems, London School of Economics, 1989 M.Sc. in Computer Science, Loughborough University of Technology, 1978 B.Sc.(Hons) in Mathematics, University of Athens, Greece, 1977 Professor Avgerou's research examines ICT's relationship with organizational transformation and socio-economic development, with emphasis on critical perspectives and developing country contexts. Her work bridges technical implementation with social theory, exploring power dynamics in socio-technical change and institutional barriers to ICT adoption. She pioneered studies on computers in developing countries through IFIP WG 9.4 leadership (1996-2003). Analysis of her 1998-2007 publications reveals consistent focus on three interconnected domains: (1) socio-technical change in organizations using institutional theory, (2) ICT's role in development contexts through critical policy analysis, and (3) philosophical foundations of information systems research. Her editorial work in The Oxford Handbook of ICT (2007) synthesizes global perspectives on digital transformation. Her scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the British Computer Society Fellow of the Association for Information Systems She coordinates the BSc Information Systems and Management program for the University of London External Programme and teaches Social Study of IS (IS470) and Information Society, Theory and Policy (IS412/478). Her research is conducted through LSE's Information Systems and Innovation Group, which examines technology's societal impacts through interdisciplinary collaboration. She currently organizes the Human Choice and Computers conference series, advancing discourse on technology ethics.
Dr. Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos (National Technical University of Athens, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) is a multidisciplinary academic with 25+ years of teaching experience at NTUA and 10+ years across institutions like the Naval Academy and Athens School of Pedagogical and Technological Education. Holding dual PhDs in Low Carbon Economy and Chemical Engineering, he has 22 academic qualifications spanning Environmental Design, Energy, Theology, and Mental Health Counselling. PhD: Low Carbon Economy (Democritus University of Thrace, 2022) PhD: Chemical Engineering (NTUA, 2005) MSc: Environmental Design of Cities & Buildings (Hellenic Open University, 2018) MSc: Energy (Heriot-Watt University, 2017) MA: Orthodox Theology (Hellenic Open University, 2016) As a Researcher at NTUA, his work bridges Engineering, Energy, and Environmental Economics , with 134 publications, 2160 peer-reviewed papers reviewed, and 6700+ manuscript evaluations. He ranks in the World's Top 2% of Highly Cited Scientists (Stanford University, 2020-2023) and received the Sentinels of Science Award (2016) . His editorial roles include Frontiers in Environmental Science and PLOS ONE , while leading special issues on Microplastics Pollution and Digital Transformation Sustainability . Key research themes include Circular Economy , Renewable Energy Systems , and Behavioral Ecology , with empirical work on Wastewater Reuse and Climate Neutrality implementation. His 17833 citations (Scopus top-250 papers) reflect global impact, particularly in Energy Policy and Environmental Systems . Conference participation spans 500+ reviews at events like NEFES and DTI , with leadership in SMART-ICAE 2018 and NEFES 2022 .
Sarah E. Chasins is an Assistant Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) department at the University of California, Berkeley, with research spanning programming languages and human-computer interaction. She leads the PLAIT Lab (Programming Languages for Approachable and Inclusive Tools) and serves as a faculty affiliate at the Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS). Her work bridges computer science with social sciences, climate reporting, legal systems, and biological research through extensive collaborations. Dr. Chasins' research focuses on democratizing programming for non-traditional programmers including scientists, social scientists, journalists, and data scientists. Her work emphasizes creating approachable programming tools that help practitioners reach correct programs while understanding, extending, and trusting those programs. She specifically investigates program synthesis, programming tools for scientific domains, and human-centered programming language design. Her research mission aims to make programming a path to a more informed and evidence-driven society rather than just a way to get wrong answers faster. Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward making programming more accessible and understandable. The work spans code search techniques, program synthesis approaches, refactoring tools, and studies of how domain experts interact with programming languages. A consistent theme across her research is placing human needs at the center of programming language design and implementation. Dr. Chasins actively mentors PhD students including Justin Lubin, Eric Rawn, Parker Ziegler, Sarah "Slim" Lim, Hellina Hailu Nigatu, David Minh-Duy Cao, and Marlena Preigh. She has previously advised numerous master's and undergraduate students who have gone on to work in both academia and industry. Her teaching includes core courses like CS164 (Programming Languages and Compilers) and specialized courses like CS294-184 (Building User-Centered Programming Tools) and CS39-001 (Technology, Society, and Power). She maintains an active service record in the programming languages community, having served on program committees for major conferences including PLDI, POPL, OOPSLA, and SPLASH. Notably, she co-chaired the Student Research Competition at PLDI 2020 and 2021 and has been involved in organizing workshops focused on programming languages and human-computer interaction.
Maria Virvou serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Informatics at the University of Piraeus, where she also directs the Graduate Program in Informatics and leads the Research Laboratory 'Software Technology'. She holds significant institutional leadership roles including membership in the University Senate and has chaired the Department of Informatics for multiple terms. As Editor-in-Chief of Springer book series 'Learning and Analytics in Intelligent Systems' and 'Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Software and Systems Engineering', she maintains substantial academic influence across international scholarly platforms. Dr. Virvou earned her PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from the University of Sussex with a scholarship from the State Scholarships Foundation, a Master of Science in Computer Science from University College London, and her undergraduate degree from the Department of Mathematics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her educational background in both mathematics and computer science has provided a strong foundation for her interdisciplinary research approach. Professor Virvou's research spans Software Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Educational Software and Games, User Modeling, and Human-Computer Interaction. She has pioneered work in personalized interactive software systems, applying fuzzy logic and machine learning techniques to create adaptive educational environments. Her recent work demonstrates a strategic expansion into AI applications for healthcare, with significant contributions to medical diagnostics using large language models and multimodal AI systems. She has also made notable advances in smart tourism applications through personalization techniques. With over 400 publications to her name, Professor Virvou's scholarly output shows a clear progression from foundational work in user modeling toward increasingly sophisticated AI applications across multiple domains. Her publication trends reveal a strategic focus on explainable AI, multimodal systems, and practical implementations that bridge theoretical advances with real-world applications, particularly in healthcare and education sectors. Ranked #1 worldwide in 'User Modelling' publications (147,450 total publications) according to Scopus Ranked #1 worldwide in 'Educational Software' publications according to both Scopus and Microsoft Academic Search Recognized among the top 2% of most influential Artificial Intelligence scientists worldwide by Stanford University General Co-Chair at the 14th IISA Conference 2023 Invited Keynote Speaker at the 35th IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T 2023) As Director of the Research Laboratory 'Software Technology', Professor Virvou has built a robust research team focused on AI applications across multiple domains. She co-founded and co-chairs the IEEE Intelligent Information Systems and Applications international conference series, creating a significant platform for scholarly exchange. Her leadership extends to editorial roles with major academic publishers and active participation in international research collaborations that have secured substantial funding for innovative projects in AI and software engineering.
Professor Gregoris Mentzas is a faculty member at the National Technical University of Athens, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he directs the Division of Industrial Electric Devices and Decision Systems. His research focuses on AI-enabled decision systems, knowledge management, and semantic technologies applied to digital enterprises and e-government. With over 350 publications, he ranks among the top 2% most cited scientists globally. Research Interests: Artificial intelligence for decision augmentation, big data analytics in personalized health and smart mobility, semantic web technologies, and industrial internet of things. Current projects investigate trustworthy AI frameworks and hybrid intelligence systems for Industry 5.0. Teaching: Leads courses in Digital Enterprise Management, Strategic Information Systems, and Project Management at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, incorporating industry case studies and experiential learning approaches. Awards & Leadership: Top 2% Highly Cited Scientist (PLOS Biology 2021) 5 Best Paper Awards in international conferences Director of Information Management Unit (1997-present) Board Member of Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (2006-2009) Projects & Funding: Secured over €18 million in research grants through 60+ European projects with industry partners including SAP, IBM, and Siemens. Research outcomes led to three technology spin-offs.
Angeliki Gazi is an Associate Professor at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Athens) and Visiting Professor at the University of Athens. She specializes in Media Psychology and Technology, focusing on identity, emotions, and mediated communication through digital platforms. Her academic journey includes roles at Cyprus University of Technology (2009–2018) and teaching at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She holds a PhD from the latter in Media Psychology (identity and radio studies), an MA in Communication, and a Psychology degree from the University of Ioannina. Her clinical training in group analysis was completed at CIRFIP and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Research interests span hybrid media environments, social media, mobile technology impacts, and mediated identities. She is a founding member of the Media Psychology and Technology Division at the Hellenic Psychological Association and contributed to the Scientific Board of the Social Computing Research Center (Cyprus). Her work involves EU/National research projects, publications in international journals, and three authored books. Key research trends in her articles include digital mediation of cultural trauma, participatory web radio, audiovisual resistance in Greece, and sensory urban studies. She explores how technology reshapes human interaction, identity, and emotional expression across media platforms. Her contributions address both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in hybrid environments, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Professional service includes editorial roles at Journal of Radio and Audio Media and Radio Journal , and leadership roles in international academic associations like ECREA. Her teaching focuses on research methods and mediated communication practices.
Stavrakakis Ioannis is a Professor at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, School of Science, University of Athens, where he has served since 2002. He previously held academic positions at Northeastern University (1994-1999) and University of Vermont (1988-1994). Ph.D., Electrical Engineering (1988), University of Virginia Diploma, Electrical Engineering (1983), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki His research focuses on network resource allocation algorithms , cooperative content dissemination , mobile ad hoc networks , and privacy-aware protocols . He leads the Advanced Networking Research (ANR) Group. Recent publications highlight trends in AI-driven network optimization , edge computing for VR , drone-assisted sensor networks , and privacy in vehicular systems . Key themes include game theory applications, energy-efficient protocols, and distributed learning frameworks. Contact: ioannis@di.uoa.gr
Aggelos Bletsas is a Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Crete. He holds a PhD from MIT (2005) and has expertise in wireless communication, backscatter networks, and RFID systems. His research focuses on scalable wireless networks, ultra-low-cost sensor technologies, and signal processing. Education: PhD, MIT Media Lab (2005) MSc, MIT Media Lab (2001) Diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1998) Research Interests: His work spans wireless transmission techniques, backscatter sensor networks, and RFID systems. Key areas include: Ultra-low-cost sensor deployment RFID localization and multi-static systems Energy-efficient hardware implementations Probabilistic inference in distributed networks Awards: IEEE Marconi Prize Paper Award (2008) Technical University of Crete Research Excellence Award (2012-2013) Multiple best paper awards at RFID-TA, ISWCS, and SENSORS Academic Contributions: He advises students who have won IEEE best thesis awards and leads projects funded by ERC grants. His laboratory focuses on practical implementations of wireless sensor networks and backscatter systems. Labs & Affiliations: Director of the Telecommunications Laboratory and affiliated with the Telecommunication Systems Institute (TSI).
Georgios Lappas is a Professor of Information Technology with emphases on Social and Political Informatics at the Department of Communication and Digital Media, University of Western Macedonia. He serves as Head of the Department, Director of the Digital Media and Strategic Communication Laboratory, and Vice-Director of the MSc Programs "Public Discourse and Digital Media" and "Digital Games and Multimedia Development". He is also a member of the Regional Council for Research and Innovation of the Region of Western Macedonia. Professor Lappas holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MSc in Applied Artificial Intelligence. His academic career spans numerous research contributions and leadership roles within the university and research community. His primary research interests focus on Social Informatics, E-Government, E-Democracy, Online Politics, Human-Computer Interaction, Digital Marketing, Online Reputation Management, Web Mining, Opinion Mining, Artificial Intelligence, Web Intelligence, and Social Network Analysis. His work bridges computer science with social and political sciences, particularly examining how digital technologies impact governance, political communication, and social interactions. Professor Lappas has published extensively, with over 100 papers in international journals, conference proceedings, and book chapters. His recent work examines social media campaigns in political contexts, citizen engagement with digital government services, and the application of emerging technologies like augmented reality in various sectors. His publications appear in prestigious journals such as New Media and Society, Journal of Information Technology and Politics, Local Government Studies, and International Journal of Electronic Governance. He has served as Program Committee member in more than 130 international conferences and on editorial boards of journals including Journal of Information Technology and Politics, International Journal of Entertainment Technology and Management, and Journal of E-Government. Professor Lappas has chaired or co-chaired four international conferences, served on organizing committees for seven conferences, acted as publicity chair for two conferences, and chaired sessions at over 20 international conferences. Professor Lappas has participated in numerous national and EU-funded projects. Currently, he coordinates the "Wine Live Label Innovative Augmented Reality Applications in Wine Product Labeling" project under the "Research-Create-Innovate" program, and leads work package 5 of the "AGRO-TOUR" project focused on mixed reality applications for promoting mountain trails in Western Macedonia. He teaches courses including Human-Machine Communication, Digital Marketing and Online Entrepreneurship, Online Reputational Management, E-Government, E-Democracy and Political Campaigns on the Internet, Special Issues on Social Informatics, and Big Data and Web Intelligence.
Aggelos Bletsas Aggelos Bletsas is a Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Technical University of Crete (TUC). He holds a PhD from MIT and has expertise in wireless communication, backscatter radio, and IoT. His research focuses on ultra-low-cost sensor networks and ambiently-powered systems. Education PhD in Media Arts and Sciences, MIT (2005) MSc in Media Arts and Sciences, MIT (2001) 5-year Diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1998) Research Interests Bletsas' work spans scalable wireless networks, backscatter radio, RFID systems, and energy harvesting. He pioneers batteryless IoT devices and environmental sensing technologies. His lab develops hardware and algorithms for low-cost, long-range communication. Awards & Recognition IEEE Fellow (2023) 2012-2013 TUC Research Excellence Award Multiple Best Paper Awards (ISWCS, RFID-TA, SENSORS) IEEE ComSoc and RFID Council Distinguished Lecturer (2022-2025) Labs & Projects Bletsas leads the Telecommunications Laboratory at TUC, focusing on batteryless sensors, scatter radio, and robotic inventory systems. Key projects include 'Internet of Plants' and ambiently-powered inference networks.
Panayiotis Tsaparas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Ioannina, Greece. He is also a Collaborating Senior Researcher at the Archimedes Research Center since 2023. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, postdoctoral work at the University of Rome (La Sapienza) and the University of Helsinki, and research experience at Microsoft Research, Search Labs. Education: B.Sc., University of Crete, Greece Ph.D., University of Toronto, Canada, supervised by Allan Borodin His research focuses on algorithmic fairness, social network and media analysis, and data mining . He investigates how opinions form and spread in networks, how bias manifests in algorithms like PageRank, and how to design fair recommendation systems. His work bridges theoretical algorithm development with practical applications in social computing. His recent publications, appearing in top venues like WWW, KDD, WSDM, and SDM, reveal strong trends in fairness-aware algorithms, opinion dynamics, polarization modeling, and temporal network analysis . He has pioneered work on fairness in PageRank and link recommendations, and on measuring and moderating polarization in online communities. Scientific Awards: Best paper award at ACM SIGMOD Workshop on Data Bases and Social Networks (DBSocial), 2013 Best paper award runner-up at ACM KDD, 2006 He leads a research group and has advised students on topics including internet review analysis and election prediction using Twitter. He has secured significant funding, notably a Marie Curie Reintegration Grant (JMUGCS) , which supported research on jointly mining user-generated content across reviews, social networks, and behavioral data. His teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses such as Data Mining and Online Social Networks and Media . He collaborates extensively with researchers like Evaggelia Pitoura, Nikos Mamoulis, Aristides Gionis, and others, forming a strong network in the data mining and social network analysis community.
Sotiris Christodoulou is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering within the College of Engineering at the University of Peloponnese. He also serves as a research associate at the 'Diofantos' Institute of Computer Technology and Publishing. His academic career spans multiple institutions where he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses across seven different universities since 2004. Dr. Christodoulou earned his B.A. in Computer Engineering and Informatics from the University of Patras in 1994 and completed his PhD in Web Engineering from the same institution in 2004. His educational background established the foundation for his extensive research career focused on web technologies and applications. His primary research interests include Web Engineering, Web Application Performance Optimization, Web Code Quality, Semantic Web technologies, Hypermedia Systems, and emerging Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 technologies. His work extends to Virtual Interactive Environments, 3D and Augmented Reality applications, and Spatial Hypertext systems. Christodoulou's research bridges theoretical web engineering principles with practical applications in cultural heritage, education, and urban infrastructure systems. His research output comprises over 45 publications in international journals, book chapters, and conferences, accumulating more than 450 citations. He has participated in over 23 European and National Research and Development Projects focused on web software technology, hypermedia applications, and 3D educational and cultural applications. Professional member of ACM Professional member of IEEE Member of organizing committees for over 15 international scientific conferences Reviewer for recognized international journals (ACM, IEEE, etc.) Christodoulou has extensive teaching experience across seven universities, specializing in programming languages, web software engineering, software quality, and data management. His research projects typically combine applied research with cutting-edge technology implementation for real-world problems in large organizational information systems. He maintains regular office hours at Building K, Office K2.02 at the University of Peloponnese, with appointments available on Mondays and Thursdays.
