Members of the Scientific Council

DR. STAMATIOS M. KRIMIGIS (KRIMIZIS IN GREEK): CHAIRMAN

Dr. Stamatios Krimigis was born in Chios Island, Greece. He received his B. Physics from the University of Minnesota (1961), his M.S (1963) and Ph.D (1965) in Physics from the University of Iowa, and served on the faculty there. In 1968 he moved to the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, headed the Space Physics and Instrumentation group, became Chief Scientist in 1980, Space Department Head in 1991, and Emeritus Head in 2004. He was elected to the Academy of Athens in 2004 and occupies the Chair of “Science of Space”.

Dr. Krimigis is Principal Investigator on several NASA spacecraft, including Voyagers 1 and 2 to the Outer Planets and the Voyager Interstellar Mission, and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. He has designed and built instruments that have flown to all eight planets, and also the New Horizons mission currently headed to Pluto. He has published more than 530 papers in journals and books on the physics of the sun, interplanetary medium, planetary magnetospheres, and the heliosphere, and is Co-editor of the book Saturn from Cassini-Huygens (Springer, 2009).

Dr. Krimigis is recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal twice, is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, American Geophysical Union, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, recipient of COSPAR’s Space Science Award in 2002, and in 1994 of the Basic Sciences Award of the International Academy of Astronautics where he chairs the Board of Trustees for Basic Sciences. He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the University of the Aegean (12/2009, Financial and Management Engineering), University of Athens (05/2010 Department of Physics), and International Hellenic University (5/2011, Science of Engineering). In 2010 the Council of European Aerospace Societies awarded him the CEAS Gold Medal. He served as Greece’s Alternate Head delegate to the European Space Agency (2006-2010), and is currently Chairman of Greece’s National Council of Research and Technology.

He has been the Chairman of the Scientific Council of “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

DR. CHRISTOS S. ZEREFOS- MEMBER

Dr. Christos S. Zerefos was born in Cairo, Egypt and graduated in Physics from the University of Athens and received an MSc in Meteorology and a Ph.D. in Physics-Meteorology, from the University of Athens. He served as a Post Doctoral researcher, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and other Research Institutions in Greece and abroad, as a Professor of Atmospheric Physics at the Universities of Thessaloniki and Athens, and as a visiting Professor at the Universities of Boston, Minnesota (USA) and Oslo (Norway).

He is a member of the Academy of Athens, the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, the Academia Europaea, the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, the International Academy of Astronautics and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (UK) and Life Member of the American Geophysical Union.

He has received various awards among which the Global Ozone Award from the United Nations Environment Programme (1997), the Award of the European Physical Society and the Balkan Physical Union (2006), and the Honourable Mentions from the United Nations Environmental Program in 1995 and in 1998 and the Award Certificate and Letter from UNEP and from IPCC (2008) for his substantial contribution to the reports of IPCC, which shared the Nobel Peace Prize (1997).

His published work in peer reviewed scientific journals has been acknowledged from the scientific community with thousands of citations. Holder of the UNESCO Chair for Natural Disasters, President elect of the International Ozone Commission (IO3C) of IAMAS of ICSU, re-elected in 2012, President elect of the IUGG National Committee for Greece, former President of the National Observatory of Athens and other national and international fora.

PROF. KONSTANTINOS SYNOLAKIS – MEMBER

Professor Konstantinos Synolakis holds a BA degree in Engineering and Applied Science from the California Institute of Technology. He also holds a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Institute referred above.

He became Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Carolina and he was a visiting Professor at the University of Carolina in Berkeley. He also worked as a Professor of Civil, Environmental, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the University of South Carolina. In 2004, he worked as Professor of Natural Disasters at the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Technical University of Crete and in 2005 he became Chair at the UNESCO’s IOC Review Board on the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. He had been President of the Hellenic Centre for Maritime Research from 2011 to 2013 and he is currently Director of the Tsunami Research Center in the University of Southern California.

He has made 82 publications at the ISI, 1900 reports and 24 h-indexes. Since 2001, he has also participated in International and National Scientific and Technical Commissions and Programs. His scientific interest focuses on macro waves, climbing predictions, ripple flood movements, corrosion and coast protection from waves, oceanography and system monitoring of the sea environment.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

MR. ROBERT D. SOMERVILLE – MEMBER

Mr. Robert D. Somerville served as the Chief Executive Officer of American Bureau of Shipping Inc. (ABS) until April 2011 and Chairman until April 30, 2013. Mr. Somerville’s distinguished maritime career includes 40 years of service with ABS in various capacities.

He has served as Chairman of ABS Group and as Vice Chairman of the Maine Maritime Academy. He has been Independent Director of GasLog Ltd. since November 2011. He has served as Director of ABS Group of Companies, Inc., Keppel FELS Limited and Keppel Philippines Marine Inc. Mr. Somerville has been Trustee of Maine Maritime Academy since May 2008. He is a volunteer member of the MMA Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a Trustee of the Seaman’s Church Institute, NY. He was also Chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies from 2005 to 2006.

Mr. Somerville holds a B.S. degree in marine engineering from Maine Maritime Academy and completed the Harvard Business Schools program for management development in 1987. He has also received honorary degrees from the Webb Institute in New York and Maine Maritime Academy. He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2013.

MR. VASSILEIOS PAPAGEORGIOU – MEMBER

Mr. Papageorgiou was born in Athens and holds a B.Sc in Naval Architecture, a B.Sc in Marine Engineering from Newcastle University and a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering & Internal Combustion Engines from the University of Bath and King’s College in London. Mr. Papageorgiou further received a Diploma in Management by Reading University.

In the initiation of his professional career, he served as a Director in various shipping companies. Thereafter, he has served at Lloyd’s Register for a period of 23 years, on various management posts up to the level of Managing Director for Greece and Area Manager for Greece, East Mediterranean & Black Sea Lloyd’s Register. Since 2003, he has been acting as Deputy Chairman of the Tsakos Group of Companies.

Mr Papageorgiou is a Fellow in the Institute of Marine Engineers and a Fellow in the Naval Institute of Naval Architects. He is further the Chairman of the Lloyd’s Register Technical & Environmental Committee, Chairman of the CCS Technical Committee in China and is a member of DNV Technical Committee in Greece, of ABS Technical Committee, of BV Technical Committee, of RINA Technical Committee, of T.E.N. Environmental Committee, of U.G.S. Technical Committee, of Shipping Emissions Abatement & Trading and of Sustainable Shipping Initiative.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

REV. PATRICK O’FERRALL – MEMBER

Reverend Patrick Charles Kenneth O’Ferrall was born in 1934. He was educated at the Pilgrims School, Winchester, Winchester College and at New College Oxford. He graduated in 1958 with a MA in Greek and Latin Literature and Philosophy and Ancient History.

He served as a Second Lieutenant at the Royal Fusiliers from 1952 to 1954 and held various positions in Iraq Petroleum Group (including in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman and Beirut) during the years 1958-1970. He then worked as a BP area co-ordinator for Abu Dhabi Marine Areas Ltd and BP Eastern Agencies from 1971 to 1973, at Total CFP in Paris from 1974 to 1977 and on his return to England he was Director of the Gas Gathering Pipeline (North Sea) Ltd. He joined in Total Oil Marine plc as commercial manager in 1980. He was also Director of TOMEC, and was responsible for the co-ordination of Alwyn North project in 1983.

He was appointed Projects Co-ordination Manager during the years 1983-1990 and became Deputy Chairman of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping from 1991 to 1993 and Chairman from 1993 until 1999. He became Chairman of the City Branch Outward Bound Association in 1993. He was an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Co of Master Mariners from 1993 to 1999 and was Master of the Coachmakers and Coach Harnessmakers Company in 1993 and 1994.

He was a Member of the Offshore Industry Advisory Board for three years, was ordained deacon in 2000 and priest a year later. He became Curate of Sts Peter and Paul Godalming in 2000 and was assigned as an assistant priest in 2007. He was honoured as Chaplain in The Baltic Exchange and Aldgate Ward Club in 2001. Reverend O’Ferrall had also been an elected member of the Court of Common Council Corporation of London from 1996 to 2001. In 2000, he was honoured by the Fellowship of Royal Academy of Engineering (Hon FREng).

He was President of Godalming and District Chamber of Commerce from 2003 to 2004 and has served as Chairman of the Godalming Together Community Interest Co from 2010 – 2012.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

DR. BJÖRN KJERFVE – MEMBER

Dr. Kjerfve serves as the President of the World Maritime University (WMU) since 2009 in his native country, Sweden. WMU is a UN postgraduate maritime university established by the International Maritime Organization in 1983.

He had been Dean of the College of Geosciences and Professor of Oceanography at Texas A&M University from 2004 to 2009. While at Texas A&M, he oversaw four academic departments, the Texas Sea Grant Program, and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), including the 475’ ocean sciences drilling vessel, D/V JOIDES Resolution. He was previously Professor of Marine and Geological Sciences at the University of South Carolina, from 1973 to 2004, and served as the Director of the Marine Science Program during the years 2000-2004. He received Ph.D., M.S., and B.A. degrees from Louisiana State University (Marine Sciences), University of Washington (Oceanography), and Georgia Southern University (Mathematics), respectively.

Professor Kjerfve’s expertise is coastal and estuarine physical oceanography. He has published some 12 books and 250 scientific journal papers, book chapters, and reports; has supervised 14 Ph.D. dissertations and 24 M.S. theses, and taught more than 6,000 oceanography students. His research includes analysis of processes in estuarine and coastal waters as well as climate change research and has attracted $20 million in research funding for some 90 projects. Dr. Kjerfve’s field research has taken place along the East and Gulf coasts of the USA, in the Caribbean, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Sweden, Thailand, Malaysia, the Persian Gulf, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

VICE-ADMIRAL KONSTANTINOS KATAGAS – MEMBER

Adm. Konstantinos G. Katagas is a retired Vice Admiral of the Hellenic Navy which he served for 41 years. Born in Neapolis Laconias in 1934, he entered Hellenic Navy Academy in 1952. At his junior ranks he served as line officer aboard Destroyers and later as Lieutenant Commander and at the rank of Captain as Commandant of Destroyers’ Division. At his higher ranks of Commodore, Rear and Vice Admiral he commanded the Destroyers Command, the Hellenic Navy Academy, the Hellenic Naval War College, the Naval Base of Salamis and the Logistics Command of the Hellenic Navy.

He studied in the UK receiving his specialization in Naval Communications, in the Hellenic Navy War College, and in the US Naval War College receiving his Masters’ degree in Strategy, Management and Naval Operations. He participated in the movement of the Naval Officers against the dictatorship in Greece, was taken in prison at their Military Police, removed from service together with his colleagues and was brought in active duties after the political change which restored the Democratic institutions in Greece at 1974. At the rank of Captain he was appointed to Holland as CO of the Hellenic Navy Detachment for the construction and receipt of the new Frigates of Hellenic Navy HS ELLI and HS LEMNOS. After his retirement, he was called to active duties and composed and edited the “Hellenic Navy Regulations”.

He has published texts and presented lectures in Maritime History, Literature and Poetry in various periodicals and the Press Editor for three years of the magazine of the Maritime Museum of Greece and for six years of the magazine of Foundation “Maria Tsakos”. He is the author of the books “The Sailors’ sack” poetry, “From the Sun to Thucydides” poetry and “Homeric Maritime Matters”. He is a member of the Union of Greek Writers.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

MR. FOTIS KARAMITSOS – MEMBER

Mr. Karamitsos is acting Deputy Director General and Director within the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission.

His Directorate is responsible for the development and follow-up of the implementation of Maritime transport policy, maritime safety, environmental protection, as well as logistics, land transport and passenger rights. He has also been responsible for the setting up the European Satellite Navigation System GALILEO regarding policy, infrastructure and applications, and for setting the Regulatory framework for the Intelligent Transport Systems.

He has been with the European Commission for over 30 years, in which he has worked on various Transport issues, as well on Telecommunications, Information society, Environment, Tourism and Research and Development. Before joining the Commission he worked with the World Health Organization’s programme on Greater Athens Pollution Control and on the Greek Academic and Public Sectors.

He holds degrees in Civil Engineering and Transportation planning from the Technical University of Athens and from Leeds University.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.

PROF. KEVIN FEATHERSTONE – MEMBER

Professor Kevin Featherstone is “Eleftherios Venizelos” Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies and Professor of European Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He served as Director/Head of the LSE’s European Institute from 2004 to 2007 and in 2011 and 2012.

He was previously Professor of European Politics (1995-2002) and Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration Studies (1994-2002) at the University of Bradford; Lecturer in Politics, University of Stirling; also, Visiting Professor in Politics, New York University (1990-91); Visiting Professor in International Relations, University of Minnesota (1983). He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Center for European Studies, Harvard University. His research has focused on the politics of the European Union and the politics of contemporary Greece; his work has been framed in the perspectives of comparative politics, public policy, and political economy, as well as history.

In 2010 he was appointed to an ad hoc advisory committee on government reform by the Greek PM and he continues as a member of the Greek National Council for Research and Technology (To Ethniko Symboulio Ereunas kai Texnologias, ESET). He is Vice-Chair, Advisory Board, Atomium Culture, Brussels: a philanthropic NGO dedicated to promoting closer interaction between academia, business, and government within the European Research Area [see: http://atomiumculture.eu/].

He is a member of the Academy of the Social Sciences, UK and a regular contributor to the international media on Greece and writes a regular Op-Ed in ‘Kathimerini’, Athens.

He has been a Member of the Scientific Council of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation since 2012.