The 2015 Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching “Vassilis Xanthopoulos- Stephanos Pneymatikos” was given to
Dr. George Gazetas, Professor at the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

The ceremony of the Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching dedicated to the memory of Vassilis XANTHOPOULOS and Stephanos PNEVMATIKOS” and took place at the main Hall of the Old Parliament in Athens on December 4, 2015, at 19.00. The award presented by H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos to Dr. George Gazetas. Prof. Theodosios Tasios, Emeritus Professor of NTUA, presented the academic work of the awardee. Professor Gazetas who then gave a talk on:

“Paradoxical case-histories in seismic geotechnical engineering”

The year 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Award, which is the only academic prize in Greece that rewards the excellence in academic teaching. The Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) established the Award in the memory of Vassilis Xanthopoulos and Stephanos Pnevmatikos. They were both distinguished Professors at the University of Crete, members of FORTH, and internationally renowned scientists; they were murdered senselessly in 1990, while they were teaching an advanced seminar. The selection of the awardees is made by a committee of distinguished academic teachers from a wide range of scientific areas; the awardees upon their selection become automatically members of the committee.