The Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism & Leisure (CoEFTL) is pleased to announce two new key appointments: Athanasios Krystallis-Krontalis as Director of the American College of Greece Research Center (ACG-RC) and Maria Vrasida as Assistant Director of the CoEFTL.

Professor Krystallis succeeds Professor Constantinos Papadias on the role of Director of the ACG-RC, while continuing his leadership as Executive Director of the CoEFTL. Established in 2021, the ACG-RC is a key hub for research and collaboration with private sector partners and is an umbrella for various units, including the CoEFTL. Professor Krystallis’ deep expertise in the food sector and dedication to innovation will put ACG-RC in a trajectory of grow and expansion in key areas such as private sector interactions and support for ACG researchers.

In her new position as Assistant Director at the CoEFTL, Professor Vrasida will provide assistance and guidance for all members of the center regarding their research proposals and ideas. With 25 years of experience in successful funding applications—including Interreg, Horizon, Erasmus+, amif, COSME, COST, Creative Europe, ESPA—, our new Assistant Director will offer valuable support to colleagues in the application process for EU and national funding and expand partnerships with a variety of research consortia. Professor Vrasida’s comment on her appointment reveals her pragmatic and socially-oriented approach: “The best research you can do begins with talking to people”.

The appointments of Professor Krystallis and Professor Vrasida mark a significant step forward in the center’s ongoing efforts to become the catalyst in food, tourism and leisure research innovation and advancement in Greece and beyond.