HONORARY MEMBERS OF THE GREEK CULTURE FOUNDATION

Karolos Kambelopoulos - Artist - Inspired and tireless worker of copper, terracotta, stone and at the same time a most important creator in the monotype's area, Karolos Kambelopoulos is a gifted artist as a sculptor and as a painter. A poet when it comes to authenticity and unique touch of each form. A personality which is protecting his work from the maelstrom of nowadays trends, making it a true evidence of a pure and authentic art. ... www.karolos.gr

The Monastery of Karolos - After half a century of silence, in the center of the old town of Hania, in Crete, at the rear of the old market, once again beats the heart of a historic monument of Santa Maria della Misericordia ( Virgin Mary of Mercy ). From now on, "The Monastery of Karolos" will function as a place of social interchange, the airing of problems of artistic creation and not only ... Link

Orestes Varvitsiotes - Retired financial services (securities and banking) executive; President, Hellenic Arts and Letters Institute; Member. Former President, of the American Hellenic Institute, and Member. Former Chairman, Advisory Council, Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Queens College, CUNY. Author, Ancient Greek Athletics: Myths, History and Culture; Contributing editor, Greek American Review. Over the years, articles of his have been published in the Greek American Tribune, Nea California, The Argonaut, The Natiional Herald, Greek News, and Hellenic News of America.

Alice Scourby, Ph.D. - is Professor Emerita of Sociology of Long Island University where she Chaired the Department of Sociology & Anthropology. Her publications on Greek America include Third Generation Greek Americans: A Study of Religious Attitudes; The Greek Americans; The Greek American Community in Transition as well as journal articles, anthologies and encyclopaedic essays on Greek Americans.
Dr. Scourby founded the Women's Studies Program at Long Island University in 1974; she was Board Member and faculty at the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Queens College, City University of New York where she developed a course and taught The Greek American Community; she was founder of the Greek American Women's Network and served as its first president 1990-95; in 1999 Dr. Scourby received COMMENDATION at City Hall, City of New York for "a distinguished record of achievement as an educator, author and lecturer; for her commitment to providing support, reinforcement and empathy on gender issues and to her dedication to preserving and promoting Greek heritage and culture."

Karadimas Dimitrios - Karadimas P. Dimitrios was born in Greece (Phthiotida), and was educated in Greece and Sweden. He completed his B.A. studies at the University of Athens (Faculty of Philosophy) in Greek Language and Literature getting a distinction, and he pursued his postgraduate and doctoral studies at the University of Lund (Sweden) in Ancient Greek Language and Literature. He got his Ph.D. from Lund University in 1996. During his studies he had been awarded various scholarships and prizes [IKY (Greek State Scholarships Foundation), Hildur Gabrielson’s Scholarship (Sweden), Tegnerska Premiet (Lund University), etc].
Karadimas’ scholarly interests centre on ancient Greek language and literature and especially on classical rhetoric and the relation between philosophy and rhetoric in Antiquity. The period of the Second Sophistic (2^nd century AD), and more generally the first centuries of the Christian Era, and Late Antiquity have also attracted his research interests. He has published many articles in collective volumes and international journals discussing works and authors of that period. His research interests also include the relation and the mutual influence between the cultures of the Near East and the Greek culture during the Imperial Age and Late Antiquity. Karadimas has also taken part and given papers in many international conferences and symposia.
Dimitrios Karadimas has also a wide and rather long teaching experience. He has taught in high Schools in Greece and Sweden. He was the first to teach Ancient Greek at the University of Jordan (Department of Archaeology), Amman, as well as the first to introduce courses of Modern Greek to the Department of Modern Languages of the same University (1998-2002). During the last three years (2002-2005), he taught at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Patricia Mountanos Kourafas – Founder and Charter Member of Ladies Aid for Retarded Children (LARC). She is also a long time member of the La Comida Guild of Valley Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Symphony League. Due to a shortage of teachers during WW II, she obtained a teaching credential and was later offered a full time teaching position. Following the war, she met and married James Kourafas, a decorated pilot during the war. They moved to Fresno, California in 1949 where she volunteered at countless community events and public service projects.
She raised a family and in the year 2002 was named Mother of the Year.

Professor Dimitrios N. Lambrellis - Received his doctorate from the Philosophical Faculty of the Aristotelian University in Thessalonica. Prior to 1986, he studies at the University of California, the Lyceum in Athens, and at Pittsburgh University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where, in 1981-82, he had a pre-doctoral fellowship. Between 1988 and 2000 he had various faculty positions including at the Aristotelian University of Thessalonica and in the Department of Sociology at Panteios University in Athens.
Professor Lambrellis has been active in many organizations and associations including the International Organization for Greek Philosophy, the International Center of Greek Philosophy and Culture, International Plato Society and Greek company of Greek Philologists. In addition, he has served as General Secretary of the Center of Research and Study of Modern Greek Literature of Environment and Viability. He has served on numerous academic committees, in an advisory capacity on scholarly magazines and anthologies, has published many articles and has lectured widely in Athens, Thessalonica and other cities in Greece. His books include Nietzsche, philosophy of multiplicity and mask (Athens: Dodoni, 1988), which was his doctoral thesis in 1986. He has also published on Marcuse, Hellenism as well as poetry in a number of books.
He served as Assistant Chairman of the Department of Sociology at Panteios University from 1998 to 2000. Currently, he is Director of Sector of General Sociology.

Professor Thanasis Maskaleris was born in Arkadia, Greece and immigrated to the U.S. at the age o 17. He studied Philosophy and English at the University of Oklahoma, and Comparative Literature at Indiana University and UC Berkeley. He has written original poetry in Greek and in English, and has translated contemporary Greek poetry and prose extensively. Professor Maskaleris has taught Classics, Comparative Literature and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, until his recent retirement. He has also been Director of the Center for Modern Greek Studies since it was founded in 1981 ( until 1996 ) and has coordinated efforts that led to the establishment of the Nikos Kazantzakis Chair at SFSU. Professor Maskaleris has recently co-translated, into English, Nikos Kazantzakis’ Russia, and is currently working on a critical- biographical study of Kazantzakis. During the past 20 years he has frequently served on the Executive Committee of the Modern Greek Studies Association. His most recent publication ( co-edited with Nanos Valaoritis ) is: Modern Greek Poetry - An Anthology ( Talisman House Publishers—2004 )

Dr. Peter Mehas - Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (1990- ). A native of Fresno, California. Mehas received a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno in 1962, a masters degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1967, and A doctor of education degree from the University of Southern California in 1979.
From 1984 to 1987, Mehas established and served as the legislative advocate in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. for the State Center Community College District, Fresno County and Modoc County Offices of Education and a consortium of 36 school districts throughout Central California.
In 1987. Governor Deukmejian appointed Mehas as his Chief Advisor matters relating to all public and private institutions in the state of California.
In 1990, the Governor appointed him to the State Board of Education.
In 1991, President George Bush appointed Mehas to a 17- Member advisory commission to implement his executive order on Latino education. In 1992, Mehas was a speaker at the National Republican Convention in Houston, Texas.
He has served on numerous Boards in California and is the recipient of many awards from organizations throughout California.

Evangelos Sorogas, PhD – Dr. Sorogas is Professor of Communication at the National University of Athens. He earned B.A in Television Production at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois and a M.A. in Cinematography at the same school. He earned a second M.A. at Northeastern Illinois University in Oral Communication. He received his PhD at the University of Athens in Communication.
His professional achievements are many and varied. In 1978 he was Television-Director Finalist for the EMY Award in Chicago. He has also served as professor for the School of National Public Administration (Press Attaches and Commercial Attaches) and for the School of National Public Security of Greece. He has authored books and articles on Communication.
He is President of the Greek Alumni of American Universities Association, Vice-President of the Skironio Museum of Sculpture, Treasurer of the National Film Archives of Greece and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Historical Museum of Greece.

CHRISTOS "CHRIS" SPIROU - Became president of the Hellenic American University. The University started granting degrees in 2004 by an act of the New Hampshire State Legislature in 2004. Its main campus is in Athens, Greece and it is registered as a non-profit higher education institution with the State of New Hampshire. He is a graduate of Saint Anseml’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire and earned a Master’s Degree in Urban Studies and Social Change from Goddard College in Vermont.
He is the only Greek-American born in Greece to nominated for Governor by either political party in the history of the USA. He was an active participant in many political campaigns at the national level and lectured on Process of Practical Politics at several colleges and universities and has taught a course by the same name as an adjunct professor at New Hampshire College.
Mr. Spirou was born in the town of Porti, in the prefecture of Kardista, province of Thessaly, Greece and at the age of 13, in 1956, immigrated to the United States.
He has played a leading role in every effort of the Greek-American community and others to support issues affecting Greece.

Christina Antonopoulou, Ph.D. – Dr. Antonopoulou is currently living in Athens, Greece where she is an Educational Advisor at the New York College. Her education accomplishments include a BA from Queens College City University of New York in Sociology/Psychology. In 1968 she received a MA at the New School of Social Research in Psychology and a MA from New York University in Social Psychology. In 1984 she earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Southeastern University and a Ph.D. in Sociology/Psychology at New York University.
From the years, 1961-1983, she has held positions as an Assistant Probation Officer, Assistant Dean of Students, Student Counselor, Director of International Students Office, and lecturer on Honor Courses, Lecturer in Psychology/Sociology and a lecturer in Psychology. She served as Scientific Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office of Greece for Gender Equality Issues from 1983-1988 and was a member of the Equality Committee of Strasbourg from 1985-1988. From 1982 to the present she served as an expert Forensic Psychologist on Child and Woman Abuse, Professor of Criminal Psychology at the Athen’s Police Academy, Professor of Sociology/Psychology at the University of Athens, and Educational Advisor at the New York College in Athens.
Dr. Antonopoulou is an author of nine books with the following titles: Sociological Study of Sex Roles; Gender Roles; Deviant Sexuality; Human Sexuality; Social Issues of Crime; The Sociology of Gender Roles; Psychology for High School Students; Woman-Mother; and Social Control of Crime. She has participated in a number of research projects including Psychology, Sociology, Gender Roles, Police Profile, Criminal Justice Issues, Sex and Politics, Child Abuse, Oppressed Memory of Children. And others. She has participated in many international and local conferences including numerous journal articles. She is a member of the International Affiliate of the American Psychology Association, a member of Victimology Society and others.

JOHN P. ANTON - Ph.D. 1954, M.A. 1950. B.S. 1949, Columbia University. Before coming to the department of Philosophy at University of South Florida (1982 taught at University of Nebraska (Assistant Professor), Ohio Wesleyan University (Associate Professor), State University of New York at Buffalo (Professor and Assoc. Dean of Graduate School), Emory University (Callaway Professor), New College, Florida (Provost and Professor), Research work in Greek Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Aesthetics, Metaphysics, American Pragmatism. He is currently working on Aristotle's Theory of Logos, also on Aristotle's Categorical Theory.
Honorary Doctorate, University of Athens and University of Patras . Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens , Honorary Member of Parnassus Literary Society. Honorary Member Phi Beta Kappa, Who is Who in the World, Dictionary of International Biography, Directory of American Scholars.
Authored ten books, among them, Aristotle's Theory of Contrariety (1957, 1987), Critical Humanism (1981), The Poetry and Poetics of C. P. Cavafy (1995), Categories and Experience (1996), Archetypal Principles and Hierarchies (2000), American Naturalism and Greek Philosophy (2005); also edited eighteen books, among them Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy (with A. Preus, five volumes, SUNY Press), Naturalism and Historical Understanding, Philosophy and the Civilizing Arts (with C. Walton), Science and the Sciences in Plato. Has published more than 125 articles in various journals, including Journal of Aesthetic and Art Criticism, Journal of the History of Philosophy, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Philosophia, Philosophy and Literature, Ancient Philosophy, Philosophical Inquiry, Philologos, also special chapters in various volumes. Has presented over 250 papers and addresses at various national and international conferences.