The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. As all other Greek universities, it is a self-governed legal entity of public law and all major policy issues are determined by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. With a student body of about 122,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, over 2,000 members of academic staff and approximately 1,200 administrative and secretarial staff and specialized personnel, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens aims at excellence in both teaching and research in a significantly varied range of disciplines. The one sector participating in this project is the Sector of Geography and Climatology. It covers the research needs in the fields of Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Oceanography, Quaternary Geology, Environmental Pollution and Climatology. It is equipped with specialised infrastructure on laboratory analysis. Advanced hardware equipment (servers, plotters, digitisers, GPS, stereoscopes) along with specialised software on GIS, image processing, drilling equipment and granulometric analysis provide the most suitable working environment.
Our Members
Niki Evelpidou – Expert
Niki Evelpidou is a Professor at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her research interests include geomorphology, coastal geomorphology, sea level changes, paleogeography, and the study and modeling of natural hazards, along with adaptation and mitigation strategies. Her prolific scholarly output includes more than 340 publications in scientific journals and conference proceedings, and 32 books published in either English or Greek.
Professor Evelpidou has organized over 35 educational seminar series and has played a significant role in the organization of 42 national and international conferences and workshops. She initiated the concept of “Women in Geomorphology,” which began in 2020 and has since organized the first two events in this series. Additionally, she is the founder and director of the postgraduate study program in Geographical Information Systems, which operates under her supervision and guidance at EKPA.
Her contributions to the field have been recognized with several awards, notably from the Academy of Athens: one for her work promoting geological knowledge of the Greek region, and another for her monograph entitled ‘Sea Level Changes’. In 2022, she was honored as an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Anna Karkani – Lab teaching staff
Dr. Anna Karkani is a member of the Laboratory Teaching Staff at the Faculty of Geology & Geoenvironment of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. She earned her BSc and subsequently her PhD from the same faculty, with her doctoral thesis focusing on the “Study of the geomorphological and environmental evolution of the coastal zone of Central Cyclades.” Additionally, she holds an MSc in ‘Oceanography and Management of Marine Environment.’
Her research primarily centers on geomorphology, coastal geomorphology, natural hazards, palaeogeography, and sea level changes. Dr. Karkani has been actively involved in numerous research programs, including Erasmus+, Bilateral Programme Greece-France, Cooperation 2011, INTERREG MED, FP7, and COST Action ES0701. She has contributed to 41 publications in scientific journals and has made 37 presentations at various conferences.
Dr. Karkani is also deeply engaged in the organization of conferences, workshops, and training schools that focus on geomorphological topics. Her ongoing contributions continue to advance the understanding of geomorphological and environmental dynamics in the geoscience community.
Giannis Saitis - PostDoc Researcher
His research activities during his doctoral studies are particularly noteworthy. In collaboration with the biotechnology laboratory at the University of Hokkaido, Japan, he developed a methodology for the laboratory synthesis of artificial beachrocks that mimic natural beachrocks. This innovation is aimed at reducing erosion and wave impacts in vulnerable coastal areas.
He was awarded a scholarship from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens for his research on the project titled “Study of Formation of Natural Beachrocks and Creation of Artificial Stone Blocks, Their Impact on the Coastal Environment and Palaeoenvironment.” This project was funded by the Operational Program Lifelong Learning, NSRF 2014-2020, under the call “Support for Researchers with Emphasis on Young Researchers – Cycle B.”
He also received the 1st prize in the Innovation Competition hosted by the “Archimedes” Center. The competition focused on the “Prevention, Management, and Restoration of the Effects of Natural Disasters, as a Consequence of Climate Change.” His winning entry, the “Nature4Nature” application, proposed a ‘green’ method to mitigate coastal erosion.
Additionally, he is a co-inventor of the European Patent titled “Artificially Triggered Natural Barrier for Coastal Protection,” which was submitted on November 28, 2023.
Evangelos Spyrou – PhD Candidate
Evangelos Spyrou is an honours graduate at the Faculty of Geology and Geo-Environment of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is an ardent researcher in the field of geomorphology, both regarding laboratory methods (laboratory analyses, Geographic Information Systems etc.) and field work and mapping.
His research interests focus on the study of fluvial systems regarding geomorphology and geomorphological evolution, and coastal systems regarding coastal processes, morphodynamics and geomorphological evolution, as well as assessment and mapping of natural hazards such as floods, runoff erosion and coastal erosion. He has participated in field works (mapping, measures, sampling, coring, geoarchaeology, palaeogeographical reconstructions) in coastal, lagoonal and fluvial environments. He has conducted laboratorial analyses (granulometric analyses, sedimentological and stratigraphical analyses of drilling cores etc.).
Furthermore, he has attended lectures, seminars, conferences, laboratories and intensive educational programmes regarding various geological and geomorphological issues. He completed his internship at the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, where he conducted laboratory analyses of coastal and marine sediments. He has been professionally occupied in four European educational programmes (funded by Erasmus+).
Konstantina Lymperopoulou - Researcher
Konstantina Lymperopoulou is a geologist with a growing specialization in coastal geomorphology and geoinformation sciences. She holds a BSc in Geology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is currently pursuing an MSc in Geographic Information Systems. Her academic and research activity focuses on coastal vulnerability assessment, geomorphological analysis, and GIS-based methodologies.
She conducted research on coastal erosion processes in Arctic regions, contributing to published scientific results. Her skills include advanced GIS (ArcGIS), geospatial analysis, drill core description, and scientific communication. With strong experience in European research environments, she actively participates in academic, research, and Erasmus+ activities and has presented her work at international scientific meetings.
Her skills include coastal modeling, GIS, environmental mapping, coastal monitoring, and science communication.
Alexandros P. Liaskos - Researcher
Alexandros P. Liaskos is a software engineer and geosciences specialist with an interdisciplinary background that bridges Earth sciences, geoinformatics, and modern web technologies. He holds a BSc in Geology and Geo-environment and is currently pursuing an MSc in Geographic Information Systems at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
His research focuses on coastal geomorphology, coastal vulnerability assessment, geospatial analysis, and satellite-derived shorelines, combining scientific methodology with advanced computational skills. He develops digital tools that support geomorphological and environmental research, including web-based platforms, GIS automations, and interactive WebGIS applications.
He has also worked on the Erasmus+ program Facing Fire, and is an active member of the TRACE project team. His technical expertise includes GIS, Python, satellite image processing, ArcPy automation.
Eleni Achmakidou - Researcher
Eleni Achmakidou is a geologist and geoenvironmental scientist with a strong interest in geomorphology, environmental monitoring, and applied geosciences. She holds a BSc in Geology and Geoenvironment from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is currently pursuing an MSc in Geographic Information Systems.
Her research activity focuses on coastal monitoring, geoinformation-based analysis, and the impacts of climate change on coastal environments. She has experience in developing geoinformation tools that support environmental assessment, as well as participating in experimental projects related to coastal protection. Additionally, she has been involved in educational and outreach activities, including the design of interactive experiments and virtual reality tours on geomorphology, flash floods, karst landscapes, and local geological heritage.
Her skills include coastal modeling, GIS, environmental mapping, coastal monitoring, and science communication.