USC Viterbi School of Engineering Dean Yannis C. Yortsos has been formally inducted as an associate member of the Academy of Athens for his exceptional leadership and accomplishments in the field of engineering.

Yortsos was welcomed by academy President Epaminondas Spiliotopoulos in a ceremony held on June 10 in Greece. The group honored Yortsos for his contributions to fluid flow, transport and reaction processes in porous and fractured media, as well as his extensive work with technical publications and dedication to engineering education and research.

“Having grown up in Greece, it’s a great honor to be elected as an associate member of the Academy of Athens, which traces its roots to the ancient academy founded by Plato,” Yortsos said. He addressed the group by making a presentation on the “Evolution of Technology.”

Founded in 1926, the Academy of Athens is the highest research establishment in Greece. The academy supports scientific research, finances publications, grants scholarships and awards prizes to advance the fields of science, humanities and fine arts.

Yortsos’ achievements have been internationally recognized throughout his career. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and the recipient of a number of awards.

From 2006 to 2011, Yortsos served as editor-in-chief for all technical journals of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. In 2011, he received an Honorary Member Award for the SPE, as well as for the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, the highest distinctions a member of these societies can receive.

Yortsos joined the USC faculty in 1978 and since 2005 has served as USC Viterbi’s dean. He is the Chester F. Dolley Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and holder of the Zohrab A. Kaprielian Dean’s Chair in Engineering. Under his leadership, the school has become a national leader in engineering, computer science and distance learning.

Yortsos received his Bachelor of Science from the National Technical University in Athens and his Master of Science and doctorate of philosophy from the California Institute of Technology, all in chemical engineering.

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