From engineering to geology and many disciplines in between, Fulbright scholars from different backgrounds are contributing to the fight for sustainability and a greener tomorrow. Here, Business Partners hears from Fulbright alumni Isodoros Kampolis and Dr. Lefteris Sdoukopoulos on their work in addressing environmental and climate challenges and their experiences as Fulbright scholars.
Isidoros Kampolis
Scientific Consultant in Cave Geology/Paleoclimatology at the Cave of Lakes and EU Climate Pact Ambassador
What inspired you to specialize in cave geology and paleoclimate?
My childhood curiosity about the natural world and my passion for National Geographic documentaries were the two crucial factors that inspired my desire to delve into the scientific field of geology. Learning about plate tectonics and other processes shaping the morphology of the earth’s surface at school was mind-blooming. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn, so I went on to study for a BSc in Geology and Geoenvironment and soon found out about the potential of performing research in caves. That’s when my journey into the subterranean world began. During a summer school at Oxford University, I came into contact with speleothem science, a subfield of geology that employs speleothems (i.e. stalactites and stalagmites) as paleoclimate archives for reconstructing the Earth’s former climatic states. A PhD in speleothem-based paleoclimate reconstructions was inevitable.
Tell us a bit about your work at the Cave of Lakes and its Environmental Center.
The Cave of the Lakes is a show cave located near Kalavryta in the northern Peloponnese. It is a majestic underground environment featuring thirteen lakes with crystal-clear water, situated at an altitude of 820 m. It was one of the caves I did Ph.D. research on. As scientific consultant on geology and paleoclimatology, I take advantage of its numerous speleothems to communicate climate change to the wider public. Thanks to their wide geographical distribution, caves and speleothems effectively record global climate events and, notably, their local climatic expressions, something that cannot be found in other climatic proxies such as ice cores retrieved from Greenland or Antarctica.
Caves and speleothems capture the public’s imagination, and that’s essential when you want to address the community. Speleothems encode the surficial climatic signal of the atmosphere into their internal structure, functioning as global climate time capsules that can be read as climatic books and provide a high resolution window into the planet’s climatic history. They can inform us about the dramatic changes the planet has undergone and provide data for future climate projections such as the response of ice sheets to global warming and the rate of the sea level rise. Thus, speleothems can strongly influence climate policy measures and can be used to raise awareness about climate change.
How do you communicate the information retrieved from speleothems to the general public?
To communicate to the public the climatic wealth incorporated into speleothems, I voluntarily participate in the EU Climate Pact, an initiative that aims to strengthen climate literacy in Europe and prompt citizens to take action against climate change. As an EU Climate Pact Ambassador, I use speleothems to raise awareness about climate change: I speak at secondary schools, Erasmus+ summer schools, universities, and caving clubs, write articles, and give interviews. After all, by educating people about the natural environment and its processes, we are safeguarding its future protection.
How did your experience with the Fulbright program contribute to this work?
My Fulbright scholarship was my ticket to the world of speleothem-based stable isotope analysis, as this type of analytical techniques and respective facilities are absent in Greece. I gained skills crucial for paleoclimatic reconstructions and broadened my perspective on cave geology. My enhanced perspective on climate change through the study of caves and speleothems determined my narration and approach to this hot topic.
The Fulbright scholarship was a life-changing experience: it gave me the opportunity to be engaged in research conducted by renowned scientists and provided me with the means for unravelling periods of the earth’s climatic history which are not well-known so far. I am deeply convinced that the Fulbright program strengthens global human values and shapes the scientific community of the future.
Isidoros Kampolis is a Ph.D. candidate at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). He is a scientific consultant in cave geology and paleoclimatology at the Cave of Lakes in Achaia, in Greece’s Peloponnese region, and an EU Climate Pact Ambassador. Under the Fulbright program, he spent time as a visiting research student at the University of South Florida.
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Dr. Lefteris Sdoukopoulos
Head of Environmental and Energy Impacts of Transport Systems Laboratory of the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT – CERTH)
How did you come to pursue a career in the field of transport engineering and maritime transport in particular?
Coming from a family of engineers, the practical approach to problemsolving was cultivated in me from a very young age. Compelled by the desire to further develop my systems-thinking mindset, pursuing engineering studies was a natural choice for me. At university, I had the opportunity to explore many different aspects of engineering. Transport engineering deepened my understanding of the challenges that we all face as travelers and the great contribution that transport system analysis can make in improving everyday life, and it became the focus of my interest. My master’s studies at AUTh subsequently provided me with the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of different transportation systems and, in the process, revealed my inclination toward maritime transport, which was probably subconsciously influenced by my childhood, growing up in the coastal city of Volos, and always being amazed when reading about our nation’s long tradition in shipping.
Maritime transport became my passion, and I went on to earn a Ph.D. in maritime studies from the University of Piraeus. Over the last 14 years, I’ve also been heavily involved in EU-funded research supporting, through my role at the Hellenic Institute of Transport, the maritime transport and port sector in embracing innovation and advancing technologies, operational practices, business strategies and policies, governance models, environmental and energy performance, etc.
What are your key goals as the Head of HIT’s Environmental and Energy Impacts of Transport Systems Laboratory?
Driven by key international as well as European policies, the maritime transport and port sector are currently undergoing an important transition, moving toward a zero-emission future. Our lab’s primary goal is to support the industry in materializing every step of this transition, through applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities, while also increasing companies’ innovation capabilities and capacities, making best use of multiple available funding sources. We aspire to serve as the go-to research partner for maritime transport and port decarbonization, continuing to build long lasting working relationships with the industry for exploring novel concept ideas and approaches together, pioneering technological developments, and deploying innovative business models and practices that will pave the way towards achieving zero-emission operations by 2050.
How did your experience with the Fulbright program contribute to this work?
Being awarded a Fulbright scholarship and conducting part of my doctoral research at the University of Memphis provided me with the invaluable opportunity to closely study the US’s port-hinterland transportation system, in which Memphis serves as a key node, and analyze the major differences between Europe and the US in terms of regional patterns of market concentration and transportation corridor formation. I also had the opportunity to connect with leading scholars and was accepted to join, as a member, two standing committees of the Transportation Research Board of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, working on issues related to the marine environment and international trade and transport. The Fulbright Scholarship marked a turning point in my professional journey, expanding my knowledge, experiences and professional network.
Dr. Lefteris Sdoukopoulos is head of the Environmental and Energy Impacts of Transport Systems Laboratory at the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), which is part of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). Under the Fulbright program, he spent time as a visiting research student at the University of Memphis, Tennessee. His extensive research and innovative approach are shaping the future of global transport systems with a keen focus on sustainability.
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Fulbright Greece
BUILDING THE FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION
Fulbright Greece provides scholarships to Greek and US citizens for study, academic research and/or lecturing in all disciplines at various educational, cultural, and research organizations in the United States and Greece respectively. Since its inception in 1948, it has awarded more than 6,000 scholarships. Fulbright Greece gratefully acknowledges the commitments of its donors, whose generous contributions support the expansion of the scholarship programs.
