In Memory

Eleni Agathonos

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Pierce ’61 alumna Eleni Agathonos. Dr. Eleni Agathonos attended Pierce – The American College of Greece, and received an American Field Service Scholarship to complete her last school year at Campbell High School in California, graduating in 1961. Eleni continued her studies at the Pierce Pre-Collegiate Program, earning a Diploma in Social Welfare in ‘65. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Ball State University, Indiana, and a PhD in Psychology from Birmingham University. The topic of her doctoral dissertation was secondary prevention of child abuse.

Eleni’s professional career which spanned almost 40 years, (1966-2005) saw tremendous advancement at the Children’s Health Institute, a research center operating under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, where she began as Head of Research, and subsequently became Director of the Family Relations Division.

From the field of prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect, her areas of interest included:

  • Clinical and epidemiological research, clinical work, professional training and health promotion, secondary prevention of community abuse;
  • Functional evaluation, intervention in protective institutions and the design of new therapeutic structures in the community for the short-term stay of children;
  • Needs-assessment and intervention in socially excluded populations and communities;
  • And lastly, the promotion of children’s rights through the implementation and dissemination of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in clinical practice.

Dr. Agathonos’ extensive writing portfolio ranges from monographs and book editing, to publications in Greek and international scientific journals.

Eleni was involved with many societies and committees, on an international scale. Her work has been awarded in Greece and abroad, including a Length of Service Award received in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1994), and a Distinguished Service Award received in Durban, South Africa (2000), both for her work at ISPCAN. She also received the First Prize for Social Pediatrics of the Hellenic Pediatric Society in 1997, and the Second Prize in 1982.

Please join us in extending our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of our departed alumna who passed away on Sunday, July 30, 2017. She will be remembered for her tremendous contribution to the field of children’s rights and welfare, and her legacy will live on through the many organizations, committees, and societies she gave her time and skills to over the years.

Dimitris Apostolidis

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Deree 1989 graduate Dimitris Apostolidis, who passed away on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Dimitris studied at Deree, earning a double Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, and Accounting and Finance in 1989. Dimitris was an active part of college life during his studies being a member of the Deree Ambassadors, the President of the Friendship International Club, a member of the Forensics Club, the Vice President of the Deree Student Union and Government, and also Editor in Chief of the Yearbook Club. Upon graduation, he received the President’s Award. As an alumnus, he served as an alumni representative in Massachusetts, U.S., until 2010.

He also held a PhD and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Boston University, Massachusetts. He served as adjunct faculty at Boston University and Northeastern University, teaching courses on European Integration, European History, International Law and International Organizations.

Following a brief rapport with the business sector working for Fidelity Investments, he joined the Cambridge Foundation for Peace, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to sustainable peace-building in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

In 2004, the Deree alum founded the consultancy company Apostolidis Associates – offering project management, project implementation, grant writing, and political analysis – where he remained President until his passing.

Upon his return to Greece in 2010, he joined the Hellenic American University where he taught undergraduate courses in the humanities and graduate courses in communication, while at the same time, he served as Director of Student and Alumni Affairs.

Please join us in extending our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of our departed alumnus, as well as his many students.

Antonis Aravantinos

We are saddened to inform you that Deree ’02 graduate Antonis Aravantinos, died on Sunday, July 2, 2017.

Born on September 25, 1978, Antonis completed an Associate Degree in Business from Junior College in 2000, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Deree in 2002.

Please join us in extending our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of our departed alumnus.

Robert F. Boughner

We are saddened to announce that Robert F. Boughner passed away on August 30, at the age of 71, in his home at Takoma Park, MD. Having served as chair of the Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion at the University of Mary Washington from 1990 to 1995 , Dr, Boughner came to us, at Deree – The American College of Greece as Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences from September 1995 until August 1998. His last post back in the U.S. was Chair of the Department of Humanities at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, from where he had recently retired. Dr. Boughner did his undergraduate studies in Classics at Duke University, and his MA and PhD at Johns Hopkins University.

He was an avid reader and enjoyed teaching and translating the classics. At Deree, he was instrumental in enriching the Liberal Arts faculty and in always helping out the students.

Please join us in extending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. He will be remembered with great fondness by his faculty at Deree for his open-door and open-heart policies. May he Rest In Peace!

Yiota Pastra

It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we inform you of the passing of our dear colleague, Professor Yiota Pastra. Dr. Pastra passed away in July after battling a deadly disease, with remarkable dignity and braveness, for more than a year.

A gifted teacher, Yiota joined Alba in 2001 and taught a variety of Accounting courses in MBA and MSc programs. She also researched and taught on social aspects of accounting, focusing on the human element of corporate financials and on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of companies. Her teaching philosophy focused on enhancing student learning, that led her to develop many student-centered materials, while she also held the role of Academic Coordinator at Alba’s internship program.

Yiota was also a strong advocate of sustainability and CSR and, in this capacity, she led the ALBA Center for Business Ethics, Social Responsibility and Sustainability, and introduced many new initiatives in that area. Furthermore, in 2015, Yiota co-chaired the Local Organizing Committee of the 31st European Group of Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium to take place in Athens, Greece. With her hard work, professionalism, commitment, and passion, she helped the school organize a flawless conference that has been marked as a milestone in ALBA’s history.

Yiota’s passing is a tremendous loss, felt throughout the entire ACG community. She will be remembered as an outstanding, generous, and joyful teacher and colleague by all of us at The American College of Greece, as well as by her innumerable students and friends.