Spring 2026
Dear friends,
As we enter the spring semester, I am pleased to welcome you back to the Caloyeras Center with renewed purpose. The spring term allows us to deepen conversations begun in the fall and to continue building meaningful connections around scholarship, culture, and community.
This semester, our work continues to affirm the Center’s role as a vibrant cultural and intellectual hub. Through our academic offerings, community programs, and collaborations, we remain committed to fostering dialogue around Greek language, literature, history, contemporary politics, and cultural expression.
The Center continues to offer a full range of academic courses in Modern Greek language and culture, literature, contemporary theater, Greek orthodox spirituality, and history for our undergraduate students, as well as online Modern Greek language courses through our Extension Program, serving learners of all levels in the broader community.
Professor Alexandros Kyriakidis’ appointment as visiting scholar has enriched our curriculum and our students’ academic experience. His expertise and energy have expanded the Center’s academic reach into the field of political science and international relations at a time of significant global geopolitical shifts.
This spring, we are especially excited to present a series of events that highlight the richness and diversity of Modern Greek studies and Greek culture.
On January 17, the Caloyeras Center will host a Zoom presentation, Constantine Cavafy: A New Biography, featuring authors Gregory Jusdanis and Peter Jeffreys. Held under the auspices of the Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, the conversation will explore new perspectives on one of the most influential poets of modern Hellenism. We are grateful for the Consulate’s continued support of Greek letters and scholarship.
On February 7, and in collaboration with the Hellenic American Women Council, we will present Angeliki Giannakopoulos’ Nick the Greek, a compelling one-woman theatrical performance that brings to life the experiences, humor, and resilience of Greek immigrant identity. This powerful production blends storytelling and performance to illuminate the personal dimensions of diaspora history and cultural memory.
Once again this year, the Center will celebrate the Greek Language with a series of events under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles. This year is especially meaningful, as the celebration follows UNESCO’s anticipated 2025 proclamation officially recognizing February 9th as World Day of Greek Language, affirming its contribution to world cultural heritage.
On February 25, we will welcome back to the Center Patricia Barbeito, professor of American literature and award-winning translator of Greek fiction and poetry, for a presentation of her forthcoming translation of acclaimed poet Haris Vlavianos’ collection Renaissance. The presentation is co-hosted by the Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies at LMU and the Hellenic Studies Program at the California State University, Sacramento under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles.
On February 22, we will celebrate Αποκριά with live music and dancing presented by Professor Kyriakidis and his class “Modern Greek History, Culture, and Society” with the participation of the LMU students’ Hellenic Cultural Club. The event is open to the community.
We are also delighted to welcome back to the Center the Hellenic American Women Council’s Up Close and Personalseries on March 1. Dr. Mike Vasilomanolakis will discuss his new book, Flatlines and Laughs. The event promises an engaging and thoughtful conversation that reflects the series’ tradition of intimate dialogue with distinguished voices from the Greek American community.
On March 14, a community-wide celebration of World Day of Greek Language in collaboration with the Hellenic Library of Southern California and other local community organizations will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hellenic Library. Readings, live traditional music, presentations and awards honoring the Ellinomatheia students will mark this important milestone.
In closing, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, the Honorable Christina Valassopoulou, and the Honorary Consul General of Cyprus, the Honorable Andreas Kyprianides, for their steadfast support, as well as to our partner organizations and devoted community members who make these programs possible.
The Center remains deeply grateful to our donors and friends whose generosity sustains our mission and strengthens our future. Your continued support enables us to sustain our academic initiatives, cultural programming, and community outreach.
I hope you will consider making a gift on March 18 for LMU’s DAY OF GIVING and help us unlock matching gifts and reach our goal for the day. Funds from DAY of GIVING will support the position of visiting scholar for the academic year 2026-2027.
I invite you to stay connected with the Center’s activities this spring and to join us in shaping the next chapter of our work together.
As a reminder, our George & Cleola Gavalas Library is open to the public by appointment.
I look forward to welcoming you—both virtually and in person—to our upcoming events and our new multi-use space in University Hall.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Christina Bogdanou, PhD
Director
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Fall 2025
Dear friends of the Center,
After an enriching summer in Greece with the Odyssey program, I am excited for the semester underway. I welcome you to a new academic year with a spirit of celebration and gratitude.
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies—a milestone we had hoped to celebrate together. However, the devastating Palisades and Altadena fires deeply affected many families within our community, and we chose instead to pause and support them during that time.
This fall, with resilience and renewed energy, we enter our 51st year as a testament not only to the Center’s longevity but also to the strength of the community that sustains it. The Center’s story has always been one of shared vision. We could not have reached this moment without you.
This academic year comes with exciting new beginnings. We are proud to share the opening of our new multi-use space in University Hall: the George and Cleola Gavalas Library. Dedicated in honor of George and Cleola’s decades of generosity and support, this space will serve as both a resource and a gathering place for students, scholars, and community members.
The library will house the Demetrios Liappas Collection, generously donated to the Center by Professor Katharine Free, along with treasured books entrusted to us by other supporters. Among those are the library of author Margo Demopoulos, gifted by her daughter Maria Demopoulos in memory of her mother, and a collection of theology books from Diana Savas. Together, these volumes create not just a repository of knowledge but a living legacy of our community’s devotion to Greek culture and shared heritage. The library will be open to the community for use.
We are deeply grateful to the university and BCLA for the space provided to accommodate our growth, especially former Dean Robbin Crabtree for spearheading this move and current Dean Richard Fox for guiding it to completion.
Most importantly, with the generous support of George and Cleola Gavalas and the gifts made during our Day of Giving this past spring, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Alexandros Kyriakidis as a Visiting Scholar for this academic year. Dr. Kyriakidis brings new expertise and energy to our program, expanding the academic reach of the Center and deepening the opportunities available to our students.
Professor Kyriakidis comes to us with distinguished academic and research credentials. A Greek State Scholarships Foundation recipient, he earned his PhD in International and European Studies from the University of Macedonia in Greece. Prior to joining LMU, he held teaching positions at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Macedonia in Greece, as well as the European Public Law Organization. He served as Postdoctoral Researcher at ELIAMEP, Greece’s premier think tank for European and foreign policy, and at LUISS University in Rome, Italy.
As in every academic year, the Center continues to offer a full range of academic courses in Modern Greek language, culture, and history for our undergraduate students. Our Extension Program also remains strong, with online Modern Greek language courses tailored for community learners of all levels. These offerings connect students of all ages and backgrounds to Hellenic language and culture.
I would like to recognize the 2025-2026 Rosalind F. Halikis Scholarship recipients, Anthony Richmond ’27 and Konstantino Richmond ’27. Hailing from Redondo Beach, Anthony and Konstantino are active members of the St. Katherine community, where they teach traditional Greek dance. Anthony and Konstantino are among the founding members of our new Hellenic Cultural Club at LMU.
Looking ahead, we are especially excited for our upcoming community events that highlight the Center’s role as a cultural hub where scholarship and community come together.
On October 11, the Caloyeras Center will co-sponsor the 40th anniversary of the Greek Heritage Society of Southern California, a long-time partner of the Center in preserving the cultural heritage of our community. The event is co-sponsored with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for the Study of Hellenic Culture at UCLA, and it will be an interactive multigenerational event filled with presentations, exhibits, and inspirational discussions, as well as the opportunity to explore genealogy roots through a personalized expert workshop.
On October 19, join us for Rhythms of Tradition: The Journey of Dance and Music in the North Aegean Islands of Greece, a celebration of Greek cultural heritage led by Dimitris Kouskousis and Christina Tsardoulias of Samos, Greece. Dimitris, a scholar and practitioner of Greek traditional dance and folklore, has dedicated his career to documenting and preserving the music and dance traditions of Samos, Asia Minor, and the Dodecanese. Christina, founder of the Samos School of Dance, combines classical and folk training with international research on Greek dance traditions. Together, they bring performance, scholarship, and passion to the rhythms and stories of the North Aegean Islands.
November 2 will bring back to the Caloyeras Center the annual Hellenic American Women Council’s (HAWC) series Up Close and Personal with Sokratis Alafouzos, award-winning writer, director, and actor as the first guest of the season.
On November 16, the Caloyeras Center is pleased to introduce to the community our new faculty member, Dr. Kyriakidis, with a presentation on the role of Greece as a pillar of stability in the Mediterranean.
In closing, we are thankful to the Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, the Honorable Christina Valassopoulou, for her continued support, as well as to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco.
The Center would also like to thank the many friends who over the past few months have generously gifted the Center and the Demetrios Liappas Legacy Fund.
I would like to recognize George and Cleola Gavalas, John and Mary-Lynn Rallis, Rosalind F. Halikis, Nasreen Babu-Khan and Howard Lehrhoff, Katharine Free, Hope and Dimitri Berk, Peter and Vivi Demopoulos, James and Caroline Kolokotrones, the Saint Katherine Foundation, the Greek Consulate General of Greece, as well as the Caloyeras family for their leadership, gifts, and continued support.
In the next months, we hope we can count on your support to reach our target goal of raising $1 million to seed this endowment in perpetuity. The fund will provide support for a much-needed professorship for the Caloyeras Center. This position will allow the Center to strengthen its multidisciplinary programmatic offerings and provide our students the opportunity to expand their knowledge about Greece in new academic perspectives.
I invite you to join us in this endeavor. Together, we can secure the Center’s next fifty years of scholarship, community, and cultural enrichment.
I hope you will consider making a gift.
Visit our website to find out more about our academic program, students, events, and our endowment campaign. I am happy to discuss the Center's plans in more detail, should you have any questions.
I am looking forward to welcoming you back to our campus!
With heartfelt appreciation,
Christina Bogdanou