Steven W. Medeiros, earned a B.A., magna cum laude, in English from Yale, an M.A. in English and American Literature from Middlebury (including a semester's study at Lincoln College, Oxford University), and an Ed.M. in Teaching, Curriculum and Learning Environments from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has also completed post-graduate study at the University of California - Berkeley (Extension) and Northeastern University, and earned a Certificate in International School Leadership from the Principal's Training Center.

Currently the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Institute for Innovation and Creativity at ACS Athens, Mr. Medeiros has been at ACS Athens since 1981. He has been a teacher of English, Humanities, IB Theory of Knowledge, IB Art History and IB Theater Arts He has been recognized for excellence in teaching by the University of Chicago and Tufts University. He served as Principal of the Academy for six years and of the Middle School for three. In addition to his duties as teacher and principal, Mr. Medeiros has held a variety of professional positions at ACS Athens, including English Department Chair; Writing Project Coordinator: Academy Assistant Principal; acting Elementary School Principal; IB DP and MYP Coordinator; Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Human Resources; and Assistant Superintendent.

For over ten years, Mr. Medeiros served as lecturer in English and American Literature at the University of Laverne, Athens, and as adjunct faculty member in the writing program of the University of California - Berkeley (Extension). As co-founder and co-director of the Athens Writing Project and National Writing Project Teacher Consultant, Mr. Medeiros has led numerous seminars and workshops in teaching/learning/writing/thinking connections for teachers from around the world. He has represented the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges as a member of 11 accreditation Validation Teams, serving as team chair six times. One of his most memorable intellectual experiences was the semester he spent studying and writing poetry in a workshop led by Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney.

email: medeiross@acs.gr

Ms. Alexopoulos is Coordinator of Special Projects & Public Affairs for the Institute of Innovation and Creativity and Office of the President. She first joined the ACS Athens team in 2012. Daughter of Greek immigrants, she is a native of Chicago, IL and has lived in Greece, extensively. Ms. Alexopoulos has earned two graduate degrees, both with high honors. Her Master of Business Administration degree was completed at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a decade later, she earned an M.Sc. in Marketing at The American College of Greece – DEREE, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology.

She has 15 years work experience with industry leaders diverse fields in both in the United States and Greece (including McGraw-Hill Higher Education, The Gap Inc., Nordstrom, The American College of Greece), in areas including retail management, project management, education, marketing and communications.

email: alexopoulosv@acs.gr

Maria D. Avgerinou, Ph.D. holds a B.Litt. in Byzantine and Modern Greek Language and Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), an M.Ed. and a Ph.D. in Educational Technology and Psychology from the University of Bath (UK) with research focus on Visual Literacy, Assessment, and Mixed Research Methods. She holds postdoctoral diplomas on eLearning Design, Implementation, and Evaluation from the Institute of Education, University of London (UK), the University of Hull (UK), and more recently from Indiana University (US). For the past 20 years as a certified online educator and a former academic in American, British, and Greek universities, she has taught, published, and presented extensively on the research and practice of online and blended learning, action research, and visual literacy for education and training with particular emphasis on teacher education and professional development.

As an international scholar, Dr. Avgerinou has been active in a number of professional associations such as the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), the European Distance and eLearning Network (EDEN), and the International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA). In recognition of her contribution especially to the field of Visual Literacy, Dr. Avgerinou has received various awards, most notably IVLA's Research Award (2009), and the Braden & Beauchamp Award (2001, 2010). In 2012, she was elected the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Visual Literacy (JVL/Routledge), the oldest international academic journal in the field. Furthermore, she currently serves as a Master Reviewer for Quality Matters® (MarylandOnline/US), and an external specialist for European Commission's Key Action 2: Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices.

Dr. Avgerinou has been with the ACS Athens community of learners since 2013 as the Director for Educational Technology and eLearning (i2Flex). Most recently, her role has been extended to incorporate that of the K-12 Lead Researcher in the Learning Commons of the Sabbagh Library. She is a proud mom of two Elementary School children, and an enthusiastic member of ACS Athens’ Tennis Academy.

email: avgerinoum@acs.gr

Ms. Perakis was raised in Newport, Rhode Island. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary and Special Education from Salve Regina College and a Masters of Arts in Special Education from Lesley College. She is currently working on a post graduate degree on Improving Student Learning and Quality of Teaching in International Schools from Buffalo State SUNY University. Ms. Perakis holds several teaching certificates including certificates for teaching students with mild-moderate-severe learning differences and handicaps.

For the past ten years, she has co organized the ACS Athens Annual Learning Differences Conferences, a continuing effort to raise awareness on the subject of educating children with learning differences. Ms. Perakis has also served as a team member on the Committee of Institution-wide Accreditation of the Middle School Association of Colleges and School (MSA), and on the study and research group at John Hopkins University for bringing the CTY program to Greece.

Since 2010, Ms. Perakis has been selected to serve on The European Council of International Schools (ECIS) Special Education Needs (SEN) Committee. She is also the Vice President for the Professional Special Education Society in Greece, a founding member of the Hellenic Institute for Study and Research of Learning Disabilities and serving on the IB Special Education Needs (SEN) Committee, as well as, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Education committee for Learning Differences.

email: perakisc@acs.gr

Marietta Garbis was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. She completed a program of Business Studies at Lasalle College in Montreal.

She has been at ACS Athens since 1992, and has served as the Academy Attendance Officer and in administrative support roles in the Academy and Middle School offices and Student Services. She is currently the Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the Institute for Innovation & Creativity. She is also the manager of the ACS Bookstore.

email: garbism@acs.gr