Biography

I am Professor, Head of Teaching and Deputy Head of the School of Engineering. In my current roles, I lead the Warwick portfolio of engineering programmes, being responsible for leading and managing all undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (taught and research), including Degree Apprenticeships, multi-disciplinary/cross-university, 2+2 and other collaborative programmes, pertaining to approximately 100 teaching staff and 1500 students.

I have completed my undergraduate, postgraduate taught and doctoral studies at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. Before joining Warwick in 2015 and for a period of 15 years, I have shared my time between carrying leading engineering roles in industry and delivering teaching and research in academia. My engineering interests are oriented, but not limited, to the design of earthquake resilient structures, sustainable cities and infrastructure for emergencies. My pedagogical interests lay on the advancement of engineering education and research to increase accountability, raise the quality and consistency of engineering services and improve in-country capacity to operate safely, when and where it is most needed. The delivery of interdisciplinary, problem-based education, especially in resource-constrained environments, is my main academic focus. Being a teaching-focused academic at Professorial level, my academic time and interests are shared between management of teaching, teaching and pedagogical research with a focus on integrating engineering, social sciences and arts to promote technologies, tools and processes for the protection of life and property.

Within my academic role, I am leading institutional, national and international initiatives related to the development of innovative, interdisciplinary, interprofessional programmes which are promoting sustainable human development and equitable access to education in Science and Engineering.

I am the Chair of the Education and Student Experience workstream within the framework of the Warwick STEM Grand Challenge, leading the vision of the future size, shape and strategic direction of STEM education at Warwick. I am also leading the Warwick Humanitarian Engineering initiative and Co-lead the Warwick Global Research Priority in Sustainable Cities, both aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. I am the lead of numerous pedagogical projects, funded by the European Commission, the Royal Academy of Engineering and other funding bodies. On international level, I am elected Vice President (Conferences) and Board Director of the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists for 2021-2023. Within Warwick, I am Deputy Chair of the Institutional Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team, leading the subgroup on ‘Organisation and culture for inclusivity, diversity and equality’ and ‘support to trans people’.

Research Interests

Teaching and Research Interests

My teaching and research interests are oriented but not limited to:

• Interdisciplinary teaching and learning;
• Problem-based learning;
• Learning tools in resource-constrained environments Earthquake engineering;
• Concrete structures;
• Precast concrete structures;
• Structural dynamics, Non-linear finite element methods;
• Static and dynamic analysis of structures with the Finite Element Method.

Selected Publications

Projects and Grants

• European Commission Erasmus + KA2 – Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices – Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education grant: "ENHANCE - ENabling Humanitarian Attributes for Nurturing Community-based Engineering". Value: 998,705.00 € (PI)
• Royal Academy of Engineering – Higher Education Partnership in sub-Saharan Africa (HEPSSA) grant: "Enriching Engineering Education in Southern sub-Saharan Africa". Value: £140,000 (PI UK)
• Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) grant: "Developing a student-driven educational model between, beyond and across disciplines". Value: £99,490 (PI)
• Royal Academy of Engineering – Higher Education Partnership in sub-Saharan Africa (HEPSSA) grant: "Building stronger and innovative Higher Learning Institutions in sub-Saharan Africa through improved partnerships". Value: £70,000 (PI UK)
• Warwick Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning grant: "Warwick Humanitarian Engineering Centre; Creating shared value". Value: £37,745 (PI)
• Royal Academy of Engineering – Call: Research projects in engineering education grant: "Assessment of Degree Apprenticeships Teaching and Learning". Value: £27,500 (Co-I)
• Warwick Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning grant: "Paving the way towards a Warwick Humanitarian Engineering Centre". Value: £15,900 (PI)
• Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA) grant: "Learner to Professional: Improving Engagement with the Journey for Students and Staff". Value: £4,900 (Co-I)
• International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists contract: "Organisation, Host and Delivery of the 18th International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists Conference (ICWES18) in 2020". Value: £354,750 (Academic Lead and Conference Chair)

Leadership Roles

• 08/2019 – Present Deputy Chair of Institutional Athena SWAN SAT, University of Warwick
• 05/2019 – Present Co-lead, Global Research Priority ‘Sustainable Cities’, University of Warwick
• 10/2017 – Present Elected Board Director, Board of Directors, International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES)
• 01/2016 – Present Chair, Athena SWAN Panels, Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), for the evaluation of Institutional and Departmental applications for Athena SWAN awards. Have participated in the evaluation of more than 40 Departmental and Institutional submissions
• 01/2016 – 10/2019 Elected Trustee, Board of Trustees, Women’s Engineering Society UK (WES UK)
• 01/2016 – 10/2018 Elected Council Member, Council, WES UK
• 01/2016 – 10/2018 Elected Director of Education, WES UK; Lead of WES UK Education Strategy; Lead of WES UK UG and PG student groups
• 10/2016 – 10/2019 Academic Lead of Environmental Sustainability, Global Research Priority ‘Sustainable Cities’, University of Warwick