The Hellenic American University Psychology Club, faculty member Dr. Sofia Daskou, and the Caritas Athens Refugee Center were awarded at the 2014 Campus Compact of New Hampshire Presidents’ Awards.
The nominees were selected by a Hellenic American University committee made up of past award recipients. The award winners were announced on April 8, 2014 at a special event that took place at the SERESC Conference Center in Bedford, New Hampshire. Students and staff from Hellenic American University (Manchester) were also invited to attend.
The Campus Compact of New Hampshire Presidents’ Awards brings together college and university presidents with a commitment to community service and a desire to promote civic engagement as part of the academic and student life of its member institutions. Each year, the Compact honors students, faculty and non-profit organizations who have made outstanding contributions to community service and promoted civic engagement on campus.
The Hellenic American University Psychology Club
Founded in 2012 by three Hellenic American University students and advised by Psychology faculty member Ms. Barbara Kondilis, the Hellenic American University Psychology Club was awarded the Presidents’ Leadership Award in recognition for its contribution to community service. The Club has taken an active role in a range of service projects, including the Alma Zois Breast Cancer Awareness walk, HIV/AIDS awareness for December’s World AIDS Day, and the 3rd Volunteerism Event.
Dr. Sofia Daskou, Good Steward Award
Dr. Sofia Daskou, a member of the Business faculty at Hellenic American University, was awarded the Good Steward Award. This award is for a member of the faculty, administration or staff who has contributed his or her professional expertise in service to the wider community and who has significantly advanced public service on their campus. Dr. Daskou is an Assistant Professor in Marketing, MBA Program Coordinator, and the Director of Research Institute of Hellenic American University. As a marketer and an academic, Dr. Daskou has worked to promote customer issues in project work and educational settings. Her teaching and research efforts encompass values of respect for customers, ecological sustainability as a condition of network economies, the promotion of executive integrity and encouraging goodness as a managerial soft skill. At Hellenic American University she has been involved in the coordination of the BSc in Business Administration, and the Masters in Business Administration as well as the operations of the Research Institute of the University.
Dr. Daskou was instrumental in establishing the Student Research Conference and has led various service learning projects designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students, such as applied business projects in Karditsa and Ioannina, which aimed to inspire students to contribute to the managerial thinking of rural Greek entrepreneurs of family-owned firms. She has also been active in the SOZO for the Children in Greece charity, and for the past two years has coordinated collaborative projects between the organization and the University community.
Caritas Athens Refugee Center, Community Partner Award
The Community Partner Award was granted to Caritas Athens Refuge Center represented by Laura Panayiotou. This award goes to a non-profit organization that has enhanced the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways and engaged in the development of sustained, reciprocal partnerships with a college or university. Caritas Athens Refugee Center has a mission to promote and safeguard human dignity through social support services to migrants and refugees, advocate on behalf of the poor and needy and provide humanitarian aid when natural disasters or other types of emergency situations occur. Caritas Athens Refugee Center has an extensive range of programs that include offering nourishment and expert social support services to a rapidly growing population of refugees and immigrants, young people in need, the elderly and needy families.
Within the framework of the Politis Program of Civic Engagement at the University, Hellenic American University students are involved in many volunteer activities with Caritas including serving in the soup kitchen, helping with English and Greek language learning, and more tailored experiences through the University’s Psychology Department. Study abroad students have also had significant experiences serving meals, tutoring English and exchanging ideas and histories with individual refugees.
President’s Award for Academic Achievement
Criteria for Academic Achievement Awards are based on GPA & Civic Engagement activities within the University and within the greater community. Our General Education Program and Politis Program of Civic Engagement exemplify the philosophy of overall academic achievement being based on both strong grades and civic engagement. Nominations are open to all undergraduate students of HAUniv in good standing with priority being given to juniors and seniors. Recipients of the award are as follows:
Business: Amani Asour, BSBA, Laura Simoes, MBA, Rolling-Cohort, Argyris Spetsiotis, MBA, Evangelia Petaloti, PMBA.
Information Technology: Christos Vithopoulos, BSIT and Ahmad Sheik Omar, MSIT.
In the area of Language, the awards were granted to: Anastasia Magkopoulou Metaxouli, BAELL, Iris Vassiliadou, MAAL, Fani Thanasoulia, MACI, and Anastasia Mania, MAT.
In Music, awards went to: Eirini Kotoula, BM.
In Psychology: Evdokia Routsi, BPSY, and Zoya Rizkallah, MSPSY.
The President’s Student Leadership Award went to: Nicole Mitroussias (BM), President, Student Council, Maria Basoukou (BSBA), Vice President, Student Council and Eleni Cami (BAELL), Treasurer, Student Council.
The President’s Alumni Leadership Award was given to Lara Mourad (MBA 2012), Alumni Association Lara Mourad (MBA 2012), Alumni Association.
