On Thursday, 29 May 2025, the conferral ceremony of an Honorary Doctorate upon Professor Yannis Yortsos, Dean of the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), took place in the Events Hall of the Administration Building at the Zografou Polytechnic Campus, awarded by the NTUA School of Chemical Engineering.
The event was graced with addresses by the NTUA Rector, Professor Ioannis K. Chatzigeorgiou, and the Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering, Professor Glykeria Kakali. The work of the honouree was presented by Professor and former NTUA Rector Andreas Boudouvis, followed by the official conferral ceremony.
The honouree delivered a lecture entitled: “Reflections on the Interweaving of Technology and Social Phenomena through the Lens of a Chemical Engineer”, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the thinking of a leading academic.
Professor Yortsos recalled with emotion the moment he learned from his father that he had passed the entrance examinations and gained admission to NTUA, emphasising the deep emotional bond he continues to maintain with the Polytechnic. He also expressed his wish to actively support the Institution, acknowledging the decisive role it played in shaping his subsequent career.
A Few Words about Professor Yannis Yortsos
Professor Yortsos, a distinguished alumnus of the NTUA School of Chemical Engineering (class of 1973), has had a remarkable scientific and academic career. After completing his doctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology, he joined the faculty of USC in 1978. Since 2005, he has led the Viterbi School of Engineering, which under his guidance holds a prominent position worldwide, with a focus on innovation, excellence, and interdisciplinary research.
His contributions to education and the promotion of diversity have been recognised internationally with top-level distinctions. Under his leadership, the Viterbi School received the President’s Award of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2017 for the promotion of diversity in engineering education. New departments and programmes were also established, such as the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, which encourages and guides students to address humanity’s major problems through engineering.
His outstanding contribution to engineering education, which extends beyond the national level of the United States, was recognised with the Bernard M. Gordon Prize of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, awarded to him in 2022 with the citation “For creating an innovative educational program that prepares students to become future engineering leaders who will tackle the Grand Challenges.”
His election in 2008 to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering for his research contribution to the field of porous media science, his membership on the National Academy Council from 2017 to 2023, as well as his election as a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens in 2013, stand as recognition of the prestige and international reach of his work.
With great pride, NTUA welcomes its alumnus, Professor Yannis Yortsos — a role model for the academic and scientific community — into the pantheon of the Institution’s Honorary Doctors. This recognition is a small tribute to his exceptional contribution to science, education, and the global academic community.
