THE TUFTS CLUB GREECE ELECTIONS 2005

Tufts Club Greece final nominees:

Position Nominee 1 Nominee 2 Nominee 3 Nominee 4 Nominee 5 Nominee 6

President

George Papanikolaou

  

 

 

Nasos Kosmopoulos

Lila Koufopoulou

 

      

Vice President

Nasos Kosmopoulos

Irene Psyrra

 

      
Secretary

Iris Plaitakis

          
Treasurer Ersa Tsezou          

Member

Constantine Lambadarios

Yiannis Enepekidis

 Melissa Diamond

Olga Vayena

 Giorgos Glavas Irene Psyrra

 

Hi, my name is George Papanikolaou and I am running for president of Tufts Club Greece. I graduated from Tufts on 2002 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and double major in Economics, and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Robotics). During my masters I was vice president of the Hellenic Association at Tufts which had 62 members. I returned to Athens and finished with the military service. Since then I have worked as a development engineer (machine automation and robotics) at a leading plastics company and I am currently self employed in the area of industrial engineering design. In my spare time, I am involved in the wine business.

            I would like to be the president of Tufts Club Greece in order to motivate, connect, and organize collaborations between Tufts Alumni in Greece. I had a great time during my 5 years at the Medford campus and want to continue having a great time at our future gatherings. I believe that we are a prestigious group of people that should keep in touch with events such as dinner parties and get-togethers, and also more serious events such as scholar visits, speeches and funding for the University. Thank you.

Lila Koufopoulou graduated from TUFTS UNIVERSITY and the SCHOOL OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IN BOSTON in 1992 holding a Master in Fine Arts in the area of Art and Art & Technology, creating the abstract video piece "CHAOS & PSYCHE," after her studies in the ATHENS SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS - department of painting. During that time she won 5 scholarships from both the above Universities and the GERONDELIS FOUNDATION in Boston and, she worked also as a Teaching Assistant in the course: "Advanced Concepts in Graphic Communication.

"In 1986 she graduated from the EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES holding a CAM Diploma, and, in 1982 she graduated from "A. PETRA SCHOOL" in Athens , department of Graphic Arts & Design, holding a GRAPHIC ARTS Degree.

She worked for almost a decade in the area of Advertising as an Art Director, Graphic Designer and Visualizer, as well as an Account Manager in many International and Greek Advertising companies in Athens, GR.

In 1984 she won the National Prize in the European Competition " EUROPE AND MY FUTURE," organized by the EUROPEAN COMMUNITY and the INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ASSOCIATION.Next year, she was the representative of Greece in the "EUROPEAN YOUTH WEEK 1985" in Paris and Normandy, organized by the "ASSOCIATION DES JEUNES POUR L'EDUCATION, LA CULTURE AND LES LOISIRS," and, at the same representation, she received a "Medal of Honors" by the President of the Council of Manche and the Vice President of the General Council of France Mr. J. Marigné.

In 1975 she designed for the "FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION FOR YOUTH TALENTS," organized by ATHENEE STORES and TACHYDROMOS Greek Magazine, and, received the FIRST PRIZE, two COMMENDATIONS and a TWO-YEAR SCHOLARSHIP at the "J. TSOPANELLIS SCHOOL OF FASHION DESIGN.

"There are many medals, diplomas and awards that she has won in the field of sports, while she was a member of the Championship Volleyball Team ZAON in Kiffissia and a nominee for the National Volleyball Team in 1979-1980.

The last 5 years she has made two personal Art Exhibitions in Filothei that were fully organized by herself (www.lilakoufopoulou.gr ) and participated in 2 more group ones in Elounda Mare Hotel in Crete and at the SMFA in Boston.Besides her artworks - which are included in many private collections, organizations and companies in Europe and USA -, she works as a Corporate Communication Specialist focussing in areas that need high aesthetics in the fields of Public Relations/Advertising/Corporate Identity & Prestige Campaigns.

Lila would like to create a strong community between the members of the Tufts Alumni Club in Greece and to cooperate with other Alumni Clubs for common goals and interests among their members.

 

 

My name is Iris Plaitakis. I am an artist/maker working in mixed media. Originally from New York, I have been based in Athens for the last two and a half years. After graduating from Tufts in 1995 with a BA in Classics, Art History minor, I went on to complete my M.Phil in Classical Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Subsequently, I worked for several years at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as both a museum educator and also in product development for the gift shop. Having participated in a number of group shows, I am currently preparing my first solo exhibition.

I am part of the team of recent graduates who have been working towards reactivating our chapter of the Tufts University Alumni Association. I would very much like to continue my service to the club. While at Oxford I was secretary for the Lord Florey Society, the society for current and former postgraduates of my college (Lincoln College), with a membership of several hundred. Thus, I am well-versed in what the position of secretary for our club demands. As a member of the board, I would like to add an alternative, cultural edge to our social activities, in the form of museum visits, gallery hopping, theatre evenings, etc.

 

Dear friends, I would like briefly to introduce myself. I am Ersa (Persefoni) Tsezou,  one of the people who want actively to participate in the Tufts Club in Greece. As a student who earned at Tufts her B.Sc., E97, and M.Sc., E99 in Chemical Engineering, and a young person who worked in San Francisco, Tufts and the USA became part of my identity. A part, which together with the experience of my last year of high school at the American International school in South Africa, I treasure most and want to keep vivid.

The energy I acquire by being with other Tufts alumni is priceless. I get to be with people who are on common ground with me and have the same cause, i.e. to promote Tufts in Greece, strengthen ties with the USA, organize academic and social functions, and make life just a little bit more fun.

Working for three years in a big consulting firm and my current post in the Viohalco group, have helped me to assimilate back in Greece. I treasure my life here and my memories from Boston, and I can see how this Club will help bring a bit of the US and Greek worlds together.

 

Hi all,

My name is Irene Psyrra and I just recently moved back to Greece from Washington, DC where I spent two years working on my master’s degree in International Affairs, after graduating from Tufts with a BA in Political Science in 2003.

I currently work at the Ministry of State, as an advisor to the Secretary General of Information, for whom I also worked during the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. Politics has always been my passion and I hope that I will continue to work actively in the field.

Although I am excited to be back home with family and friends after six years, I deeply cherish my years in the States and want to hold all my memories from these years alive. That’s why I am happy to have found other recent graduates that are as determined to keep the bond among Tufts graduates very strong.

As vice president of the board, I would aim at creating awareness about our Alumni club by closely cooperating with other exceptional U.S. alumni clubs; my job contacts should be a useful tool to that end. Becoming a member of the board will be my way to give back to the Tufts community by not only spreading the word about our school but also strengthening the friendships among its graduates through various events. 

 

EDUCATION

The George Washington University; Elliott School of International Affairs         Graduated May 2005

       MA, International Affairs                

Tufts University; Medford, MA                                                                                Graduated May 2003

       BA, Political Science (major); Communications and Media Studies (minor)

The American College of Greece (Pierce College); Aghia Paraskevi, Athens         Graduated May 1999

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

General Secretariat of Information (Ministry of State--Υπουργείο Επικρατείας); Athens 06/05-present

       Advisor to the Secretariat General

ABC News Nightline with Ted Koppel; Washington, DC                                                     01/04-06/04

       Nightline Intern

Greek Embassy; Washington, DC                                                                                            08/03-12/03      

       Press Office Assistant