Distinguished Regents Professor and ASDL Director Dimitri Mavris recently received an honorary doctorate from the University of Patras in Greece. This distinction is awarded to individuals who have excelled in the sciences, engineering, arts, humanities, and have made a global impact, or have served humanity with their excellence/leadership and/or contributed to advancements for the University of Patras. Mavris was recognized for his contributions across all these criteria.

“I am deeply grateful to be conferred this honorary doctorate from the University of Patras,” said Mavris. “It is meaningful because when I left my hometown of Athens, Greece in 1980 seeking an aerospace education, Greece did not have an aeronautical program at the time. Today the University of Patras is the sole entity that offers this degree. So It means a great deal to me to receive this recognition from the university that could have been my alma matter had I be born a decade later,” he explained.

Mavris received the honorary degree during a ceremony at the University of Patras on 7 October. As part of the ceremony, he made a presentation about his academic journey as well as how over his career at Georgia Tech, his research has progressed towards advanced systems design. “My career has been a journey of self-discovery, always looking for ways to become a more effective researcher and educator,” said Mavris during his presentation. “The only thing that matters in the end is the journey and the people you met and helped along the way.”