Waste is not always wasted! In the context of the classes Waste Management and Principles of Precision Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability Perrotis College students visited  Biogas Lagada SA, a company that produces electrical energy from farm and dairy waste. Faculty members in charge: A. Gertsis and K. Zoukidis.

On Friday the 9th of November third year students of the Food Science and Agro Environmental Systems Management programs visited the olive mill of our graduate and current MSc student Savvas Gavriilidis in Portaria Chalkidiki. The visit was organised by Dr. Vasilios Ziogas and Dr. Kiki ZInoviadou as part of the modules Postharvest & Olive Processing and Applied Food Biochemistry.

In recognition of his research and commitment to his students, Dr. Avraam Mavridis received the Athinoula A. Martinos Endowed Professorship award this past year.​ The award is funded by Thanassis Martinos, who established the Endowment in memory of his daughter Athinoula. Every year, 4% of the endowment covers the salary of a distinguished professor of Perrotis College. Dr. Mavridis received his Ph.D. in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Agroenvironmental Sustainability from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), his M.Sc. in Geoinformatics/Remote Sensing and his B.Sc. in Agriculture from the same university. He is National Expert of the European Commission on Organic Agriculture, evaluator of 81 research proposals and member of 35 projects, co-author in 6 books, member of Experts of EU EIP-AGRI, of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), of GSRT (Greek Secretariat of Research and Technology) and of EKDDA (National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government). 

On Wednesday October 31st Perrotis College Student Life staff hosted a Halloween Evening Gathering. The participants included students at the college along with one study abroad student and a few of the American Farm School fellows. The gathering entailed a three-legged race, pumpkin carving, and a cake-walk. The event provided time to enjoy the season with snacks and good company. Fun was had by many!

On Saturday, October 6th, 2018 first-year Perrotis College students gathered for a day of team-building. Also in attendance were mentors from the Perrotis Leaders and Mentors (PLM) program and some of the Perrotis College student life staff.

The day started with "ice-breaker" games used in order for the students to become more familiar and comfortable with one another and the staff. After some coffee and treats, it was time to go outside to the beautiful sunny day. The students were asked to work together and rely on their strong communication skills to take part in a team-building exercise, without using their hands they had to get a tennis ball in a drinking cup! Next, it was time to meet with their mentors from the PLM program. During this meeting, the groups played games and worked to begin the program on a strong note. Finally, to end the day the students enjoyed lunch together from the AFS dining service.

Participation of Dr. Vergos, Dean and Farm Director, School of Professional studies, and Dr. Rotsios, Academic Dean of Undergraduate programs at Perrotis College, at the event on “Agricultural education in Greece and the reconstruction of the Primary Production in the Midst of the Economic Crisis” organized at the Averofios Farm School, in Larisa, Saturday, 29/9/2018.

Dr. Christos Vasilikiotis is  at UC Davis, California, where he is working on planning and setting up the research project on the role of soil, management on soil health, in almond and prune orchards, and in particular on microbial communities in the rhizosphere and on mycorrhizal associations. 

Dr. Konstantinos Rotsios and Mr. N. Gizkis participate in the PanHellenic Feta Cheese conference (www.feta2018.gr) with a presentation on the “Global Trends in the Agro-Food Sector”. September 14th-16th, Elassona, Greece. This three day annual event focuses on one of the most well recognized Greek food products in international markets. It includes exhibitions, workshops and seminars, B2B meetings, culinary and cultural events. Dr. Rotsios and Mr. Gizkis, presented the current challenges as well as opportunities of the Agro-Food Sector and how these are addressed through the Perrotis College academic programs in addition to the joint project opportunities related to feta, with the industry.

We had the joy of welcoming Dr. Vitti Allender, chairperson of the Food Science & Technology Department at Cardiff Metropolitan University, with 8 of her students. 
During their visit - together with Perrotis College Professor Dr. Tryfon Adamidis - they conducted laboratory work, attended lectures and workshops and explored the possibility of organizing team student common projects. We are looking forward to welcoming them again soon!

Dr. Kiki Zinoviadou, Assistant Professor at Perrotis College, presented part of her and the students' research at the "5th International ISEKI_Food Conference; The food system approach: New challenges for education, research and industry" which tοοk place in Stuttgard, from July 3-5. The conference attracted more than 300 participants from 44 countries all over the world. 

Perrotis College has welcomed 23 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) students from their Global Projects Program. 
For a little over 2 months, under the supervision of Perrotis professors, the student groups will work on exciting projects impacting the larger community of Thessaloniki. 

Precision Agriculture students were trained on flying a drone and learned how it can be used in the agro-environmental sector. 

First year Perrotis College students majoring in International Business visit the company “Bekas Family”, producing high quality buffalo products, in Sindos Industrial Area, Thessaloniki.

Perrotis College students of the Agro-Environmental Systems Management B.Sc. learn how to use a Disc Plough and prepare the soil for planting!

Spending his summers on his grandfather's farm in Albania, Genti Kostandini knew he would never lose his love of agriculture. What he didn’t expect, however, was a career path that would take him on a worldwide odyssey in pursuit of his professional goals. As a professor of agriculture and applied economics at the University of Georgia, Kostandini’s research has taken him to Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Mexico to study the impact of drought-tolerant crops and the risks associated with increased rainfall variability. Given his wide range of research interests—everything from the effect of immigration laws on labor supply to biopharming intellectual property rights—Kostandini expects that much more international travel lies ahead. Read on here.

Professor Kyriaki "Kiki" Zinoviadou arrived at Perrotis in 2011 to work as a part-time lecturer for the Food Science & Technology department, and since become one of the major's two full-time professors. She earned her BSc in Food Science from Aristotle University before heading off to Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where she earned her Masters in Product and Ingredient Functionality on a scholarship from NUFFIC (Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education). She returned to Thessaloniki to complete her PhD in Food Science and Technology at Aristotle University, working as a fellow of the Ministry of Education. Read on here.