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The following article about Modern Greek student Peter Hasiakos was published in the Ann Arbor News on Thursday, August 31, 2006 Wait ... he was here a minute ago... Peter Hasiakos excels at physics and chemistry, so much so that he teaches undergraduates only a year or two younger than he at the University of Michigan. But, despite the lure of a highly paid medical or research career, he doesn't see dollar signs at the end of his academic road. He says he wants to teach high school, to share his passion for both the material and the students. "I've always liked science, and I've always liked people,'' he says. Teaching, however, is but one aspect of an astonishingly wide-ranging undergraduate career for Hasiakos, a junior. So far at U-M, he has mastered modern Greek, taught Sunday School at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, and mentored undergraduates in some of U-M's toughest introductory science courses. Such activity and intellectual curiosity has helped Hasiakos, an Illinois native, quickly come to know his new town. "Ann Arbor really does feel like home,'' he says. More like a home base. Hasiakos spent the summer of 2004 working at Fermilab National Accelerator in Batavia, Ill., the first of three summers he's spent away from school and home. In addition to writing part of a grant application for research funds at Fermilab, he learned to speak fluent Spanish with Juan Estrada, a researcher from Argentina. Last summer, he worked at a maternity clinic in Guatemala, where among other tasks he helped deliver several babies. After teaching in a physics program this summer, he spent six weeks in the Greek town of Thessaloniki studying the contemporary language. Hasiakos may be flourishing at U-M, but the school wasn't even on his radar until his mother urged him to put in an application. He knew he wanted a bigger school, and had planned to attend the University of Illinois until U-M offered a Dean's Merit scholarship that enabled him to pay closer to in-state tuition. While the scholarship allowed him to attend U-M, a visit to the university's physics department helped seal his zeal for the place. The professors welcomed him and he enjoyed the personal feel of the department, evidenced by the sight of the teachers gathering each day at 4 p.m. to chat in the department lounge. Hasiakos' interest in physics sharpened during his junior year in high school, when he followed the advice of a faculty member and took a demanding, senior-level class. He quickly developed an artistic appreciation for complex physics theory, for the equations that express electricity and magnetism. "It's very elegant the way it all fits together,'' Hasiakos says. "You learn things from one angle and then from a different angle, and then it all checks out.'' Hasiakos shares his enthusiasm for science by teaching undergraduates through a series of special programs at U-M. The Structured Study Group program identifies undergrads with great promise for teaching and entails weekly assignments, grading and collaboration with fellow class leaders and a faculty supervisor. Hasiakos oversees an honors section of organic chemistry, traditionally one of the toughest and most competitive classes at U-M. The discussion-oriented sections and working with professors helped kindle Hasiakos' interest in education. "You make students feel their work is important, even if it's 'not right,''' he says in describing the program. Hasiakos is among the most responsible and well-liked of the leaders, someone who knows the material and strikes the right balance between authority and nonjudgmental oversight, says Brian Coppola, a professor of chemistry and director of the Structured Study group program. "I can think out loud and say, 'It would be great if we had that.' Next week, it's there (from Hasiakos), in polished form,'' he says. This summer, Hasiakos taught physics in a five-week pipeline program for pre-dental and pre-medical students who want or need an early look at the material for the rigorous first-year classes required in their programs. Hasiakos's goal in teaching is simple: "to instill the same type of confidence that I have experienced.'' That approach is echoed in his e-mails, each of which ends in several sayings. Among them is a Greek phrase, "Fasouli me fasouli yemizei to sakouli,'' which urges patience and means, "The bag fills one bean at a time.'' And then comes a summation of life so far at U-M, where making mistakes or taking risks can offer the best instruction: "Lessons hard to learn are sweet to know.'' Geoff Larcom can be reached at glarcom@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6838. __________________________________________________________________ Recent Honors and Awards Winners of the 2005 Modern Greek Translation Prizes were Christina Gerazounis and Lena Mortis (Modern Greek I); Chris Apostoleris and Kiriaki Panagopoulos (Modern Greek II). Chris Apostoleris was also the recipient of a 2005 Context for Classics Translation Award, winning second place. Winners of the 2004 Modern Greek Translation Prizes were Katherine Malis (Modern Greek I), Elise Liadis and Nickolas Milonas (Modern Greek II) and Anna Moniodis (Modern Greek III). __________________________________________________________________ Graduating Seniors 2006 Graduating Seniors 2005 Graduating Seniors 2004
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