The University of Missouri–St. Louis announced a major event on September, 22, to mark 30 years of Greek Studies.
The University is set to celebrate three decades of advancing Greek Studies with a special event marking the 30th anniversary of the Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Professorship in Greek Studies.
UMSL Global will host this commemorative event at 6 p.m. on Sept. 22 in the Century Rooms of the Millennium Student Center.
The Hellenic Government-Karakas Foundation Professorship in Greek Studies was among the first chairs of Greek Studies established in the United States. It has had, as its mission, to focus, develop and sustain research, teaching and public education on Hellenism, with particular emphasis on the impact of Hellenic civilization on contemporary society.
“Over the past 30 years, the Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Professorship has not only enriched academic research and teaching on Greece but also fostered public education and engagement,” said Michael Cosmopoulos, holder of the professorship.
“This position has allowed us to strengthen the bonds between Greece and the United States, offering students and the wider community a deeper understanding of Greece’s lasting contributions to global civilization.”
Michael Cosmopoulos distinguished career at Missouri University
In 2022, Michael Cosmopoulos was elected by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in honor of his accomplishments in his more than 30 years of research and scholarship into ancient Greece.
“It does feel good to be recognized in the sense that your peers and your colleagues see that you have done some significant work in the field,” said Cosmopoulos at the time.
The Greek archaeologist was also inducted into the Royal Society of Canada.
Guests on Sept. 22 will have the opportunity to dine of Greek food and watch performances of Greek dances by the Kyklos Hellenic Dancers of St. Louis.
They’ll also have a chance to witness the premiere of a new documentary produced by Cosmopoulos, titled “American Odyssey: The Greeks of St. Louis,” highlighting the history of the city’s Greek community, and the public launch of a digital exhibition titled “Oral Histories of the St. Louis Greeks,” as well as to preview two soon-to-be-published books, “History of the Greek Community of St. Louis” and “G.I. Greeks.”
In addition to the professorship in Greek Studies, UMSL is home to the Nicholas and Theodora Matsakis Hellenic Culture Center. It serves as a place where scholars, students and community members can immerse themselves in the culture and history of Greece, both locally and internationally.
The center is also a resource for information on politics, culture, business, education and travel.
The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is the largest public research university in eastern Missouri, and the third largest in the state, priding itself on creating greater access to higher education and opportunity for its nearly 15,000 diverse students.
UMSL confers nearly 3,000 degrees annually and offers a wide range of baccalaureate and master’s degrees, two education specialist degrees and 17 doctoral degrees, including the only professional doctor of optometry program in Missouri.
Established in 1963 as the fourth campus of the University of Missouri System, UMSL boasts more than 117,000 alumni, 73 percent of whom live and work in the St. Louis region.
