Dimitropoulos, Angelos, Fellow

Mr. Dimitropoulos is a Physical Education Teacher and Department Chair for Physical Education. He earned his Bachelor Degree in Physical Education from the University of Physical Education and Sport Science in Athens (1996) and then received his Masters Degree through an International Olympic Committee's Program (MEMOS - Executive Masters in Sports Organisation Management), from University of Lyon, France (2001).

Mr. Dimitropoulos has worked as the Baseball Competition Manager for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and has also observed the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He has published a book on baseball (2001).

He authored a chapter in the 2016 publication "Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through i2Flex Classroom Mode".

Mr. Dimitropoulos has been the Varsity Girls Basketball coach, Varsity Boys Volleyball coach and HS Track & Field coach since 2006.

He is a certified lifeguard and an emergency responder (CPR/First Aid for adult/child/infant).

Mr. Dimitropoulos was raised in Athens, Greece.

email: dimitropoulosa@acs.gr

Lianos, Hercules

Mr. Lianos was raised in both New York and Athens, Greece. He holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland, University College and an M.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester. His dissertation focused on the role proximity plays in the reporting of international conflicts.

Prior to joining the ACS Athens faculty, he was an editor and project manager at Macmillan Hellas publishers and edited for the weekly English language newspaper The Hellenic Star. He also handled marketing and communication for Aurion Image and Sound Distributors.

Mr. Lianos currently teaches American Literature Combo 10, Humanities, IB Language and Literature Yr. 2 and Media Literacy, Communication and Production. His students produce The ACS Athens Observer and The Literary Arts Magazine, which showcase student media projects, literature and visual art. He has also held a position at the ACS Athens Writing / Research Studio where he guided students to become more effective, confident and independent writers. 

As always, he is looking forward to the academic year and collaborating with his students.

email: lianosh@acs.gr

Thomopoulos, Xenia, Fellow

Ms. Xenia Thomopoulos has worked as an English Literature Educator in New York City public schools for the past 11 years. This has allowed her to develop, write, and teach curricula in an array of secondary courses including AP Literature, 10-12th grade English, as well as electives-style courses such as Filmmaking, Photography, & Philosophy. She has been a High School Advisor and Department Lead; she initiated inter-school debates, and has acted as a film liaison with Tribeca Teaches Film Institute and the Museum of the Moving Image, among others, to help produce & screen student films.

Ms. Xenia Thomopoulos earned her B.A. in Communications & Media / Film Studies and English Literature. She worked in Fashion PR right after university, but then pursued an M.A. in English Literature and Adolescent Education. She was very lucky to have incredible mentors who exposed her to Competency-Based Education and Project Based Learning — pedagogical approaches that she believes reach a plethora of learners through real-world skills & relevant projects. This type of learning promotes transparency, cohesive school-wide alignment, builds community and transformative classrooms. In her previous schools, she worked in teams to vertically and horizontally align these school-wide outcomes across subject areas and mentored new teachers on these approaches. She has also attended PD at The National Coalition for English Teachers, BluePrint for the Moving Image, and PBL World, and presented at conferences such as The NYC Writing Project, the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools, & Competency Collaborative’s Summer Institutes. Topics she has presented on include: Student Centered Active Learning: Teacher as Coach; Flexible Pacing for Remote Learning; Assessing Student Work Using Standards Based Grading Through Discussion; Mastery & PBL through Hybrid Learning: a Carousel of Projects and Products. 

Ms. Thomopoulos is incredibly passionate about blending the traditional with the innovative and in creating nurturing spaces for self-advocacy. It is here where educators can act as facilitators to guide students to become independent, yet conscious thinkers, ethically minded global citizens, and compassionate risk-takers. She is, thus, thrilled and honored to join the ACS team where this environment already exists and excited to see what is to come. This year, Ms. Thomopoulos will be teaching Combo 9: Europe & the World and Perspectives in Language & Literature in the classroom and Virtual.

email: thomopoulosx@acs.gr

Psoma, Dimitra, Fellow

Ms. Dimitra Psoma holds a Greek Language and Literature Bachelor’s Degree from the National University of Athens (Greece) majoring in Linguistics, and a Master of Arts in Translation from the University of New Hampshire (USA). This is her eighth year at ACS Athens.

Ms. Psoma has been teaching English and Greek to students of all levels, as well as preparing students for their university Entrance Exams for 14 years. Last year, she taught the Greek 2 as Language B to Academy Students. This year, she is teaching Greek to elementary students from kindergarten to-5th grade and Greek 5, which is a course offered to Academy students who have achieved Greek proficiency and wish to further strengthen their language skills. Ms. Psoma has successfully completed a 9-month seminar offered by the Aegean University under the subject: Greek as a Second/Foreign Language.

email: psomad@theinstitute.gr

Arnold, Heike, Fellow

Ms. Arnold earned a Bachelor Degree of German Linguistics and Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2007, where she graduated with honors. Ms. Arnold also obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Education and Media from the University of Rostock in Germany in 2014 and a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Duisburg/Essen in Germany in 2023.

She specializes in teaching German as a foreign language. In addition to German and English, she also speaks Greek and French.

 A member of the ACS Athens faculty since 2010, she teaches the Middle School and High School students German as a foreign Language, as well as develops e-learning concepts for foreign languages in general, which will be applied to her academic research. A fellow of the ACS Institute, Ms. Arnold participates as an online instructor at the ACS Athens Virtual Program and prepares students for the AP German Language and Culture exam.     

Ms. Arnold co-authored a chapter in the 2016 publication "Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning Through i2Flex Classroom Model" and in the 2021 publication "Handbook of Research on K-12 Blended and Virtual Learning Through the i2Flex Classroom Model". In addition, she provides professional development (presentations, workshops, and webinars) to other foreign language teachers in Greece and abroad.

Since 2017 Ms. Arnold has been working as an accredited TestDaf examiner. TestDaf is one of the mandatory language proficiency tests for foreign students who want to enter a German university.

Ms. Arnold was born and raised in Germany and moved to Athens in 1996.

email: arnoldh@acs.gr

Sotiropoulou, Evi, Associate Fellow

Ms. Evdokia (Evi) Sotiropoulou holds a Masters degree in Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has a K-12 Visual Arts education licensure and certification from the state of Massachusetts.

Ms. Sotiropoulou was born and raised in Athens, Greece and moved to the United States in 2011 for her studies. She is an ACS Athens Alumni, attending the school from junior kindergarten to 12th grade.

After receiving her Bachelor's degree, Ms. Sotiropoulou worked as an art teacher at a Greek-American bilingual school in Arlington, Massachusetts and discovered her passion to teach art. She then decided to continue her studies and received her M.A. in Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City.

This will be Ms. Sotiropoulou’s sixth year at ACS Athens teaching 8th grade Design and 6-8th grade Art Studio.

Ms. Sotiropoulou's ultimate priority as an educator is to create a student-centered classroom, where her students feel comfortable to design and express themselves freely.

email: sotiropouloue@theinstitute.gr

Thanopoulou, Sophia, Fellow

Ms. Thanopoulou received her degree in Theater Studies from the National University of Athens and a Master of Arts in Physical Theater from the universities of Surrey & Royal Holloway University of London.

She is a trained performer and dancer and has appeared in numerous venues, including the Athens Concert Hall, Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, and the Opening Ceremony for the Athens Olympics 2004. She worked in a wide variety of capacities in the theater before discovering her love for teaching in 2004.

Ms. Thanopoulou holds a teaching license from the University of Athens and from the Teaching Council UK (QTS), where she first started teaching and built the programs for A Level and BTEC Drama & Performing Arts in 3 different inner-city London schools. She started at ACS Athens in 2007, and since then, she has developed the curriculum for Middle School and Academy Drama and the syllabi for IB Theater; she has directed 18 full-scale student productions as well as numerous smaller performance projects; she has been responsible for the school’s participation in the Panhellenic Forensics Tournaments, yielding many distinctions every year; she is the principal coach of the Duet Acting team and every year offers a variety of performance-related extracurriculars; she has shared her insights and experience in conferences like ECIS and the Learning Differences Conference. She is a firm believer in the power of arts in education and does everything in her power to address her students’ creative needs and celebrate their talents.

email: thanopoulous@acs.gr

Chiskaki, Martha, Fellow

Originally from Athens, Ms Martha Chiskaki was raised in Bulgaria, Italy, India, and Thailand. During her time abroad, she attended several international schools, which contributed to her fluency in four languages: Greek, English, Italian, and French. She holds two bachelor’s degrees- one in English and Greek Language and Literature and one in French Language and Literature both obtained from NKUA (the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens). She is currently a junior at NKUA, pursuing a degree in Italian Language and Literature. Additionally, she earned her Master's Degree in Business Administration at the Bolton University, UK.

Throughout her career, she has worked in various roles, including positions at the National Bank of Greece, at the European Public Law Organization as junior editor for the European Review of Public Law, at Teletypos SA Mega Channel as a translator, and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She recently participated in the Metaverse Cultural Diversity project, a collaborative initiative focusing on SDGs between ACS and Hisar School in Istanbul.   

Currently in her fifth year as an educator at ACS Athens, Ms Martha Chiskaki is dedicated to teaching English as a Second Language in the Elementary School. Her objective is to create an optimal learning environment that facilitates the improvement of English skills for each student.

email: chiskakim@acs.gr

Cramer, Justin, Fellow

Mr. Justin Cramer grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He went on to Buena Vista University where he earned his B.A. in General Science with an emphasis in Biology, and Secondary Education. He taught for 8 years in Midwestern United States teaching a variety of science subjects including Earth Science, Biology, Environmental Science, Physical Science, and Astronomy. He earned an M.A. in Secondary Education Administration from University of Central Missouri. 

This is his tenth year at ACS Athens and he will be teaching Biology 9, Earth & Beyond, and AP Environmental Science.  

Outside of school Mr. Cramer enjoys spending time with his family, being active, playing and watching sports, traveling, movies, listening to music, and reading.

email: cramerj@acs.gr

Langsenkamp, Trina, Fellow

Trina Langsenkamp holds a Master's degree in Arts in Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Art Education from The Ohio State University. She has a K-12 visual arts education licensure and certification from the state of Ohio.

This is Ms. Langsenkamp's fifth year teaching Visual Arts at ACS Athens. For three years, she worked as the K-5 Visual Arts teacher and Elementary Yearbook Coordinator, and this is her second year in the Middle School and Academy. Currently, she teaches Print Publications 1 and 2, Design, Drawing and Painting and Graphic Arts at the Academy as well as Design 8 at the Middle School. She is also the Academy Yearbook Coordinator and an adjunct teaching fellow for the ACS Athens Virtual School.

Previously, Ms. Langsenkamp worked as an Artist in Residence for Project Zero (PZ) at Harvard University. During the residency, and in conjunction with PZ's Out of Eden Learn project, she developed methods and practices for integrating mindfulness into the arts curriculum. 

Ms. Langsenkamp is currently a freelance painter whose work primarily focuses on abstraction and landscapes. In 2019, she presented work at international art fairs, such as Art Athina and Art Thessaloniki with Epsilon Gallery. In 2018, she was a resident artist at The Mudhouse in Agios Ioannis, Crete. In 2015, she presented at the Ohio Art Education Association conference on her work with sensory engagement in art-making and was the recipient of the 2015 Fergus Fellows Award. Ms. Langsenkamp's interest in international arts education began when she studied in Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. She later studied at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica, where she worked directly with arts educators in public, private and non-traditional education sectors.

email: langsenkampt@acs.gr

Jasonides, Kathy, Fellow

Ms. Kathy Jasonides holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and a Masters degree in Journalism from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a member of the Academy faculty at the American Community Schools of Athens, Greece since 1974 she has taught English, Journalism, History, Humanities, IB English Literature and IB Theory of Knowledge.

Since retiring from full-time teaching in 2008, Ms. Jasonides has continued to team teach the Honors Humanities courses, and she also serves as Chair of the Division of Language and Literature. In addition to the two-year Honors Humanities program, Ms. Jasonides and her teaching partners have developed three additional online Humanities courses which offer the highlights of the program’s interdisciplinary approach, including the field study opportunities, to both non-ACS Athens students and ACS Athens students who are not enrolled in the regular program.

Ms. Jasonides has co-authored articles about interdisciplinary teaching for the ACS Athens magazine ETHOS and participated in presentations at NESA conferences and the ACS Athens Conferences on Learning Differences. She also co-authored chapters in the 2016 publication Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through i2Flex Classroom Model and the 2021 publication Handbook of Research on K-12 Blended and Virtual Learning Through the i2Flex Model.

email: jasonidesk@theinstitute.gr

Frangos, Mark, Fellow

Mr. Frangos graduated with an M.A. in Journalism from New York University and is an ACS Athens alumnus, class of ’96.

Mr. Frangos was a member of the English Faculty at Fordham University and the City University of New York.

Prior to teaching, Mr. Frangos was an editor and writer for The National Herald, the leading English newspaper serving Greeks in North America, writing more than 100 published articles focusing on Greek-American national and international events.

A strong believer in the power of growth in education has allowed for his continued interest in the well-being of the ACS Athens community.

In his spare time, Mr. Frangos enjoys spending time with his two children, playing basketball, watching movies, reading and having family barbecues.

email: frangosm@acs.gr

Fyrigou, Tonia, Fellow

Dr. Fyrigou is a Language Educator. She earned a Bachelor’s in French Literature from the Greek Capodistrian University of Athens and in 2008 she received her master's degree in the History of French Civilization. Dr. Fyrigou defended successfully her doctorate thesis in History of French Civilization on July 2012 and received her doctoral degree. 

She has been working in the ACS faculty community since 1999 and has taught both in Middle School and High School. She is an IB teacher and an IB examiner in French language. Additionally, she has been selected by  Widener University to teach as an Adjunct Professor a course named  Values and Ethics in Education for a doctorate degree program in Low-Residency EdD with a Focus on International Schools Leadership. She is also an adjunct Professor at the Hellenic American University in Athens, teaching undergraduate students in the department of interdisciplinary and intercultural studies.

She has established different educational collaborations between ACS Athens and other institutions worldwide. Dr. Fyrigou has designed, developed and implemented different courses in French and Greek language and culture based on the i2flex methodology and innovative teaching and learning approaches. 

She has  authored a chapter in the 2016 publication "Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through i2Flex Classroom Model." The title of her chapter is “Evaluating the i2flex educational experience via the Community of Inquiry (CoI 2000)” 

She has also authored a chapter for the enhanced book version 2021 publication "Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through i2Flex Classroom Model." The title of her chapter is "The effectiveness of the i 2 Flex methodology and the CoI (Community of inquiry) in demanding educational fields."

Dr. Tonia Fyrigou has also presented her work in different colloquiums and conferences. She is a life-long learner, an open mind person with ethos and values with innovative ideas who always strives for excellence in education.

email: firigout@theinstitute.gr

Gaki, Venie, Fellow

Venie Gaki was born in Ioannina, Greece and holds a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the Hellenic American University (HAU) and a BA (Bachelor in Classics) from the University of Ioannina, Greece. During her university years she attended a one-year course in Classics at the University of Liverpool, UK.  She also holds a Certificate in Advanced Methodology in Teaching English as a Second Language acquired at the Hellenic American Union in Athens, Greece in 1998 and has been a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certified instructor since then. 

Venie Gaki has rich experience in teaching both Greek and English as a second language in private schools and has been a member of ACS Athens faculty since 2007. She has taught both English and Greek to Elementary School, Middle School and High School students of all levels (beginning to Language Arts). In addition, Venie Gaki has also taught Latin through the IIC.

Venie Gaki believes in constant professional development; therefore, she pursues such opportunities through seminars, conferences (ECIS, AERO) and book exhibitions in order to be updated with the latest publications, methodologies and approaches in teaching the English and the Greek language to speakers of diverse linguistic backgrounds. She has been a member and presenter at TESOL Greece since 1993. 

Writing is one of her favorite occupations as it makes her feel more creative. She has written several plays, poems, song lyrics and texts (in both Greek and English) through which children's understanding and consolidation of the language they learn is reinforced. 

Venie Gaki designs and adjusts the content of the classes she teaches to meet her students’ needs.

For the EFL Social Studies class, she has simplified the curriculum students are presented with in grades 6 & 7 Middle School to make it more accessible for students with low proficiency in English.

ACS Athens has published three of her books, which have been taught at the Elementary School for a few years now: a listening and speaking activities book and two textbooks for Elementary School children who learn Greek as a foreign language.

email: gakiv@acs.gr

Gonçalves, Gustavo, Fellow

Mr. Gonçalves was born and raised in Brazil. He came to the U.S. when he was 22 years old and established himself in New York City.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, and a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics from Brooklyn College, New York city.

Since 2007, Mr. Gonçalves has taught Math at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. During his tenure, Mr. Gonçalves developed the curriculum and taught AP Calculus AB & BC, AP Statistics, Discrete Math and Pre-Calculus. In addition to his teaching, Mr. Gonçalves has also coached the boys soccer team for 11 years.

He was awarded in 2016 the Sloan Award for excellence in teaching Mathematics, and the Our Town Thanks You (OTTY) award in Manhattan for his contribution to the city of New York.

Mr. Gonçalves resides in Manhattan with his wife and two children.

Gontzes, Leonidas, Fellow

Leonidas (Leo) Gontzes is a historian and a political analyst born in New Jersey and raised both in the U.S. and Athens, Greece. Mr. Gontzes has a Bachelor's degree in History from Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia, USA), and two graduate degrees in European History from University College Cork (Cork, Republic of Ireland) and Diplomacy, with an international conflict management concentration, from Norwich University (Northfield, Vermont, USA). He has been teaching History, Government and Politics, and International Relations at several international institutions in the Greek capital and abroad since 1999 at secondary school level as well as on the graduate and undergraduate levels. He taught at New York College from 2001 to 2021 and at Empire State College (State University of New York) from 2007 to 2021. Moreover, he held the office of Associate Dean heading New York College's International Relations Department from 2008 to 2018. His responsibilities have also included the office of Academic Director of Graduate Studies at the New York College Educational Group in Athens, Greece, for a total of ten years (2006-2016).

His papers include: "Re-Examining the 1925 Bulgarian Incident", "To what extent has the United States used the international economic system in order to exert power in global politics?", 'Evaluating peacekeeping, peacemaking, and peace enforcement in Kosovo", "Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Kosovo", "Organizing and conducting a future military intervention in Bosnia-Herzegovina". He has co-authored articles for CNN Greece on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and has appeared several times on Greek and Arab television, as well as Radio France International, as a political analyst vis-à- vis U.S. and Greek political developments.

This year he will be teaching IB History Years I and II, American Studies Combo Grade 10, IB TOK Year I, Grade 6 Social Studies, and Grade 7 Social Studies.

e-mail: gontzesl@acs.gr

Grigoropoulou, Jenny, Fellow

Dr. Jenny Grigoropoulou was born in Athens, Greece, and raised in Maryland, U.S.A.. She holds a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration in 1989, from the University of La Verne and her M.A. degree in International Management and Business Administration. In 1992, she earned her teaching education and certification in the United States, qualified to teach ESL/EFL K–12 and Business Studies 6 - 12. She is an IB educator as well as an IB examiner for Business Management. In May 2019, she graduated from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, earning her Doctorate Degree in Education, Leadership, and Management. 

Dr. Grigoropoulou is a contributing author of the books Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through the i2Flex Classroom Model and Handbook of Research on K-12 Blended and Virtual Learning through the i²Flex Classroom Model. She has authored articles, such as “The Role of Ethics in the 21st Century Organization” (IJPE-April 2019), and is the co-author with Dr. Gialamas of the manuscript, “Educators Leaders: Inspiring Learners to Transform Society by Becoming Architects of their Own Learning” (IJPE - October 2018) and with Dr. Pelonis, Dr. Gialamas, and Dr. Cherif of the manuscript,  "How Can Manifesting Leadership Skills Infused with Ethos, Empathy and Compassion, Better Prepare Students to Assume Leadership Roles" (IJPE, February 2020) . She has presented her work and practices in colloquiums and conferences. She is one of the founding members of the Recycling Project, which is a school-wide initiative.

Dr. Grigoropoulou had been teaching ESL in the Middle School and the Elementary School for grades K – 5 to non-native English speakers. Overall, she has been an ESL educator for 35 years. She has been actively involved with the Saturday Youth-to-Youth program since the initiation of the program, providing unaccompanied minors with skills and knowledge of the English language. In addition to her teaching assignments, educator of the EFL Language Arts and Language Development courses. While being the Admissions & Outreach Counselor, she is also the ESL/EFL K-12 Coordinator.

email: grigoropoulouj@acs.gr

Karampelas, Antonios, Fellow

Dr. Antonios Karampelas holds a B.Sc. in Physics, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Astrophysics, from the University of Athens. He has been a post-graduate researcher at the University of Athens and the National Observatory of Athens, mainly contributing to the preparation of the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. Dr. Karampelas has been an ACS Athens Academy teacher since 2016, teaching IB and 10th grade Physics, as well as the STEAM 1, STEAM 2, and Artificial Intelligence courses that he has created.

Dr. Karampelas is a strong proponent of the inclusion of Generative AI and Learning Analytics in Education and the development of AI curricula. He is a researcher with a record of more than 80 articles and a manuscript reviewer and has attended more than 30 conferences and workshops (with several contributions). His research work in education has been published or featured on, among others, AIP Publishing, IGI Global, the International Schools Journal, Medium, Business Partners, European Distance and E-Learning Network, the MSA Accreditation Newsletter, and the Inside Learning podcast series.

Dr. Karampelas has been leading and serving in different capacities as an ACS Athens Artificial Intelligence Framework Coordinator, Accreditation Internal Coordinator, and Action Research Coordinator. He also led the "spACS" program of high school students’ experiments that were conducted in space in two consecutive space flights of Blue Origin’s New Shepard capsule (2019), with both events being covered by media in Greece and the US. Moreover, he led a team of high school students that won first place in the first Aerospace Contest, organized by the Hellenic Physical Society in 2018, and coordinated students’ research projects from inception to publication.

Dr. Karampelas is a Fellow of the Institute of ACS Athens, a co-coordinator of the “STEM and Artificial Intelligence in Education” Working Group of the Hellenic Educational Society of STEM, and a member of several professional associations.

email: karampelasa@acs.gr

Kerkines, Ioannis, Fellow

Dr. Kerkines received his B.Sc. in Chemistry (1997) and his M.Sc.(1999) and Ph.D.(2003) in Physical Chemistry from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).

He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the NKUA (2004-2006), at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, USA (2006-2008), and at the National Hellenic Research Foundation (2008-2011, 2013-2015). His research focus had been the application of Quantum Chemistry to novel main-group and transition-metal chemistry, as well as to the study of the interaction of materials with light for modern energy applications.

Dr. Kerkines has been teaching Chemistry since 2000. Before joining the ACS family in 2017, he had worked in the private sector as a content creator for e-learning courses and phone support for students from 4th to 12th grade (Chemistry, Physics, Math, Geography, Biology) as well as in a tutoring center for Panhellenic examinations. He also worked as a quality control head in a cosmetics company, being responsible for ISO and ΕΟΦ accreditations.

Dr. Kerkines has co-authored over 30 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals and has presented his work in scientific conferences in 12 countries. He has received scholarships from the Association of Hellenes from Egypt, the Hellenic State Scholarships Foundation, and the Marie Curie Foundation (twice). He received the 2008 Atlanta Area Chemical Physics award for his postdoctoral research, and he has briefly worked at CERN (Switzerland) and Karlsruhe University (Germany) as a visiting scientist. A firm supporter of the communication of science to the public, he received the honor to give invited talks at the Athens Science Festival/Cafe Scientifique Athens (2016, 2021), as well as at the inaugural Pint of Science Greece (2018).

Dr. Kerkines was born and grew up near the center of Athens, Greece. In his spare time, he enjoys lifting weights and engaging with website design and development.

email: kerkinesi@theinstitute.gr

Mancl, Anna, Fellow

Ms. Anna Mancl graduated from North Central College in Naperville, IL with degrees in Liberal Arts Music and Chinese Language. Following her studies, Ms. Mancl completed the Residency in Teacher Education (RITE) Program of Wisconsin. She taught middle school string orchestra in Wisconsin prior to teaching at ACS Athens. 

Ms. Mancl creates opportunities for project-based learning and different approaches to learning in her classroom, and hopes to empower students to have an open mind and an open ear when trying something new.

Ms. Mancl's primary instruments include cello, piano, and classical voice. Outside of school, Ms. Mancl enjoys composing, arranging, and participating in music herself. In the US she was involved with local choirs and playing in pit orchestras for musicals. Outside of music, she is passionate about volunteering, enjoys traveling, and spending time with family and friends. 

This will be Ms. Mancl's third year at ACS Athens, and she is looking forward to creating music with students in the Middle School and Academy classes this year.

email: mancla@acs.gr

Papageorgiou, Anastasia, Fellow

Ms. Papageorgiou was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. She holds a B.A. in Greek Literature with a major in Ancient Greek Literature and Latin from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Ms. Papageorgiou worked many years as a teacher of Greek and taught students of all grades (elementary through high school). She has also worked in a publishing house for two years as an editor of Greek Language and Literature school books.

Ms. Papageorgiou joined ACS Athens in 2007. She teaches the Language Arts and Advanced classes at ACS Athens Elementary School. Ms. Papageorgiou also teaches Greek in the Middle School to non-native speakers.

As a Fellow of the ACS Athens Institute, Ms. Papageorgiou has designed and taught two virtual courses: Modern Greek for Beginners I and Modern Greek for Beginners II.  She has also taught the Greek Isotimia Program of ACS Athens High school for several years.  Furthermore, Ms. Papageorgiou has taught at the Elementary Writing Center guiding students between grades 1 -5 with their writing for several years.

Ms. Papageorgiou has published articles in Ethos magazine on Greek language instruction, Greek national celebrations, and teaching Greek as a second language. She has also attended many educational conferences – seminars on Teaching, Technology in Education, and Learning Differences.

Ms. Papageorgiou successfully completed a 9-month seminar offered by the Aegean University on the subject: Greek as a Second/Foreign Language. She recently took part in the Cultural Diversity Day project on Metaverse, a collaboration about SDG's between ACS and Hisar School in Istanbul.

email: papageorgioua@acs.gr

Rontogiannis, Labrini, Associate Fellow

Ms. Labrini Rontogiannis was born and raised in Montreal, Canada and moved to Athens in 2004. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology at McGill University and a Bachelor of Education, specialization in Science and English Literature, also from McGill. Ms. Rontogiannis has also received a M.Ed. specializing in Educational Technology through an online program at the University of Calgary.

Ms. Rontogiannis has been teaching at the ACS since 2005 and she takes pride in getting involved in all aspects of student life; both in and out of the classroom.  She has taught Language Arts in the Middle School and Academy and Science in the Middle School. She has coached Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity Volleyball teams for a number of years, at ACS Athens and in Montreal Public Schools. 

Ms Rontogiannis has also taken part in many professional development opportunities both in Athens and abroad, as well as presented her own work at a number of conferences. In 2014, she presented at the ICALT conference in Athens, and was the recipient of the Best Poster Award. She has also designed and implemented both the Online Summer Health course that she has been teaching since 2014, as well as the eighth grade i2Flex Health course that she designed and taught in 2016 and is still running today. She has also taught online course through ACS Athens Virtual.

This year Ms Rontogiannis is teaching 10th grade Health, both F2F and through ACS Athens Virtual and is the coordinator for ACS Athens Virtual and Technology Integration.

email: rontogiannisl@acs.gr

Rovoli, Irini, Fellow

Irini Rovoli holds a B.A. in Education from the University of Athens, School of Philosophy, and an M.A. in the Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs from the University of London, Institute of Education. She also pursued advanced piano studies at the National Conservatory of Athens and studied Drama at Veaki Drama School, Athens.

Ms. Rovoli began teaching at high school level at the Hackney Community School in London and in the Greek public sector at Varibopi Athens High School for Repatriated Greeks. She joined ACS Athens in 1995 and has been a teacher of Greek in Elementary and Middle School ever since. She also taught 5th grade English Language Arts class and has served as Team Leader. In 2017, Ms. Rovoli was also assigned the role of Elementary Interim Vice-Principal.

Ms. Rovoli actively contributed innovations in the Greek language curriculum of the elementary, including content design for grades JK-5 and the elementary school Greek national celebrations. She co-authored an article in the British Journal of Educational Psychology and has published articles in the Institute of Education Alumni magazine, NESA News magazine, and ACS Athens Ethos. As co-advisor of the ACS Athens Elementary Turtle Club, she presented this innovative environmental initiative on student leadership and action through Project-Based Learning at the ECIS Conference in 2012 in Athens and at the NESA International Conference in 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. Her presentation at the ACS Athens Colloquium 2016 was her original work on rhyming grammar rules for Greek language learners.

As a Fellow of the ACS Athens Institute, Ms. Rovoli has designed the HS virtual course Greek Language and History. Ms. Rovoli is a certified Critical Friends Groups Coach (National School Reform Faculty) and has served as a facilitator in the ACS Athens Collaborative Learning Communities. Ms. Rovoli successfully completed a 9-month seminar offered by the Aegean University on the subject: Greek as a Second/Foreign Language.

email: rovolii@acs.gr

Sidiropoulou, Marianna, Fellow

Ms. Marianna Sidiropoulou completed her studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Hellenic Open University. She graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy - Education - Psychology with a Major in Pedagogics and Teaching Methodology (UOA), a M.Sc. in Teaching Methodology and Assessment (OUA) and M.Ed. in Adult Education (EAP), both with Excellency.  She holds a Specialization on “Teaching Greek as a Second/ Foreign language” (University of Patras), which she merged with a year Course (Aegean University), as well as Certificates in English, French Languages and Arabic (basic).

She has rich experience in the public and private sector in teaching Greek to native and non-native speakers for more than 20 years, the last 8 at ACS Athens, where she taught the Greek Language Arts Courses (6-9 grade), the Greek B in M.S. and the Greek Youth-to-Youth Program.  As a Fellow at the ACS Athens Institute, she has completed the “ACS Athens Virtual School Training Program “, designed and taught the Virtual Course “Modern Greek Language and Mythology I”.  She is currently teaching Greek Language Arts 8 and Greek B Courses, where she brings Greek culture on the front. She also serves as co-advisor for the Chinese-Greek Intercultural Club to enhance student engagement in a multicultural environment and foster inclusivity. Teaching experience includes a position as a Lecturer at The Higher Military Educational Institutions and at the Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education as an academic associate on Teaching Methodology and Assessment, where she also conducts demonstrations to teachers so that they acquire the Pedagogical Competence.

Through enriching teaching experiences during her teaching career Ms. Sidiropoulou has published articles and educational books in Greek, French and Arabic; she has been an assessor of the Greek Language Center since 2009 and a certified adult trainer by the Ministry of Education.  She attended a series of professional development opportunities and presented her work at a number of International and local conferences; she often contributes to ACS Athens Ethos magazine and co-authored the chapter "Middle and High School implementations of Moodle Facilitated Blended Instructional Designs" (2021 publication “Handbook of Research on K-12 Blended and Virtual Learning Through the i²Flex Classroom Model”).

Ms. Sidiropoulou’s goal is to support students with the essential resources and tools to foster independent learning and inspire self-reliance in them to evolve into reflective inquirers and advocates of Conscious Citizenship. She pursues any opportunity to optimize the learning process and student growth and success, while is a strong believer in lifelong education and personal development.

email: sidiropouloum@acs.gr

Stachikas, Christos, Fellow

Mr. Christos Stachikas was raised in Athens, Greece, and Miami, FL, in the United States, where he graduated from high school.

Following his return to Athens in 2010, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Science and Physical Education from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens with a Specialty Diploma in Biology of Exercise. In May of 2020, he completed his postgraduate studies, earning a Master’s Degree in "Applied and Molecular Physiology" from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. 

In 2016 Mr. Stachikas served his military duty in the Greek Presidential Guard, the honorary unit of the Hellenic Armed Forces. He has also been working as a professional basketball coach for nine years, the past three coaching for the Panathinaikos BC Academy. 

Mr. Stachikas is entering his fifth year in the ACS Academy, teaching Sport, Exercise and Health Science, and Health and Physical Education.

email: stachikasc@acs.gr

Stratoglou, Natasha, Fellow

Ms. Natasha Stratoglou is a Modern Languages educator. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in French Literature from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a Master’s Degree in Cultural Institutions Management from the Greek Open University. 

Post-graduate work includes studies in Human Development at the University of La Verne, Athens extension, Writing Across the Curriculum at the University of Berkeley, Athens extension, Education at the Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has been a member of the ACS Athens faculty since 1990. She has taught in all three education levels, French and Greek as a native, second, or foreign language. 

She has served as a Middle School Foreign Language Coordinator, Middle School Yearbook Advisor, French Trip advisor, French Club, Greek Club advisor, and Cairo Exchange advisor.

She is a member of the Greek Applied Linguistics Association. She has attended IB Middle Years Program conferences in Athens and Istanbul, several Learning Differences Conferences, and NESA Conferences. She has presented her work at two conferences for graduate students of Museum Studies organized by the Kapodistrian University of Athens, Museum Research section.

Ms. Stratoglou is a firm believer in lifelong learning. Her most recent professional development work is the yearly course in “Teaching Greek as a second and foreign language” from the Aegean University.

Through her experience and knowledge, she supports, encourages, and inspires children. She is an enthusiastic, motivating teacher that creates diverse, exciting, and provoking challenges to promote learning.

email: stratogloun@acs.gr

Thanopoulou, Sophia, Fellow

Ms. Thanopoulou received her degree in Theater Studies from the National University of Athens and a Master of Arts in Physical Theater from the universities of Surrey & Royal Holloway University of London.

She is a trained performer and dancer and has appeared in numerous venues, including the Athens Concert Hall, Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, and the Opening Ceremony for the Athens Olympics 2004. She worked in a wide variety of capacities in the theater before discovering her love for teaching in 2004.

Ms. Thanopoulou holds a teaching license from the University of Athens and from the Teaching Council UK (QTS), where she first started teaching and built the programs for A Level and BTEC Drama & Performing Arts in 3 different inner-city London schools. She started at ACS Athens in 2007, and since then, she has developed the curriculum for Middle School and Academy Drama and the syllabi for IB Theater; she has directed 18 full-scale student productions as well as numerous smaller performance projects; she has been responsible for the school’s participation in the Panhellenic Forensics Tournaments, yielding many distinctions every year; she is the principal coach of the Duet Acting team and every year offers a variety of performance-related extracurriculars; she has shared her insights and experience in conferences like ECIS and the Learning Differences Conference. She is a firm believer in the power of arts in education and does everything in her power to address her students’ creative needs and celebrate their talents.

email: thanopoulous@acs.gr

Toumpakari, Evelin, Fellow

Dr. Toumpakari was born and raised in Athens and attended the University of Athens where she studied Mathematics. She obtained a M.Sc. in Applied Statistics from the University of Oxford and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Chicago on a full scholarship from the University, while being an honorary scholar of the Onassis Foundation.

Dr Toumpakari has made presentations in several mathematics conferences in the US. Recently she presented at the 1st Congress of Greek Mathematicians on a statistical project she participated in at the Childhood Cancer Research group at Oxford. Her teaching experience includes a variety of undergraduate classes at the University of Chicago, mentoring gifted teenagers at a math-themed summer camp and teaching under-privileged students in the Chicago Public Schools as well as teaching A-levels in the UK. Since June 2019 she has been a Senior Fellow of the Institute at ACS Athens.

Dr Toumpakari has been a teacher of mathematics at ACS Athens since 2012 and this year is teaching Math 6, Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 in the Middle School.

email: toumpakarie@acs.gr

Syropoulos, Evangelos, Fellow

Dr. Evan Syropoulos is an accomplished educator, researcher, and an IB and AP Capstone-certified teacher, with a unique interdisciplinary academic background spanning English Literature, Critical Theory, and the Performing Arts. He earned his BA in English Language and Literature (1995), his MA in English Literature and Culture (1999), and his PhD in Musical Theater (2008) from the School of English Language and Literature of Aristotle University. He conducted postdoctoral research and/ or taught literature and theater courses at Aristotle University, Ghent University (Belgium), and Goldsmiths College (University of London). His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals in Greece, Belgium, and the UK. 

His commitment to advancing his teaching methodology led him to become a College Board-certified AP Capstone teacher in 2017, after training at McBride High School, Long Beach CA. In 2019, he further honed his skills at the AERO Summer Institute at Marymount University, Virginia, receiving training in the English Language Arts AERO standards. 

In 2016, he began his impactful journey at ACS Athens, initially working as the Writing/ Research Studio Coordinator and then primarily teaching IB English A: Literature, IB English A: Language and Literature, and IB Theory of Knowledge. In 2019, he joined the ACS Athens Institute as Fellow, designing and teaching an online course in English Literature for ACS Athens Virtual. From September 2022, he also serves as Division Chair of Language and Literature. This year, he teaches IB English A: Literature Yr. 1 and Yr. 2 and IB English A: Language and Literature Yr. 1 and Yr. 2. 

Currently, Dr. Syropoulos is also collaborating with Ms. Sophia Thanopoulou on the development of the Inquiry and Performance Learning Model (IPLM). This endeavor marries his love for literature, theater, and teaching, underscoring his commitment to pioneering effective and engaging teaching methods.

email: syropoulose@acs.gr

Veloudi, Maria, Fellow

Maria Veloudi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy and a Master’s degree in Educational Policy and Administration from the Philosophy school of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She also holds a diploma in Special Education.

Before joining ACS, Ms. Veloudi taught Greek at the International School of Piraeus to both Greek nationals and non-Greek students, where she differentiated and tiered learning activities for all students. Prior to that experience, Ms. Veloudi worked at the Museum of Education, planning and delivering various learning activities for students of ages visiting the museum.

Ms. Veloudi is passionate about teaching and very excited to share her love of teaching and learning with the ACS Athens students. Ms. Veloudi will also continue teaching the Greek class for the Youth-to-Youth program and for the ACS Athens Virtual.

Ms. Veloudi successfully completed a 9-month seminar offered by the Aegean University on the subject: Greek as a Second/Foreign Language.

She recently took part in the Cultural Diversity Day project on Metaverse, a collaboration about SDG's between ACS Athens and Hisar School in Istanbul.

email: veloudim@acs.gr