I first started building this page back in 2015, inspired by Chris Harrison in an effort to keep my visitors up-to-date with my latest news and updates. But soon I realized that posting those brief and often frequent snippets online turned into a mini journal—a place reminiscent of past happenings, events and accomplishments. Check back here to keep up with my life and work: I’ll be updating this page as regularly as possible.
2026 (4 updates)
🎉 Launched updated website design
12 June
👋 Summer interns started at ALCF!
26 May
💰 $600K Argonne grant awarded to UIC EVL for AI Visualization collaboration with our team
23 April
📚 Started co-teaching Creative Coding (CS/DES 427/450) @ UIC's EVL with Daria Tsoupikova
13 January
2025 (7 updates)
✈️ SC25, St. Louis
16 November
✈️ eScience 2025, Chicago
15 September
📰 insidehpc feature: Vanguards of HPC-AI
9 May
🎉 Guest Lecture: SciVis and HPC @ UIC (Intro to HPC)
8 April
🤖 1,000 Scientist AI Jam @ Argonne (DOE-wide with OpenAI + Anthropic)
1 March
💻 ASCAC/DOE Early Career Virtual Panel
16 January
🎉 Aurora exascale supercomputer released to research community
15 January
2024 (9 updates)
🎉 ALCF Best Paper at SC24 workshops (ISAV24)
4 December
🎉 ANARI BOF talk @ SC24: Rendering at Warp Speed (OSPray + ANARI on Aurora)
19 November
✈️ SC24, Atlanta, GA
17 November
🏫 ATPESC 2024 lecturer — Data Analysis & Visualization (Track 4), St. Charles IL
5 August
🏆 6 ACT-SO mentored students went to NAACP National Convention (Boston)
20 July
💻 Virtual talk @ Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología (CNCA): NekRS in situ
16 May
🎉 Aurora supercomputer broke exascale barrier (announced at ISC24)
13 May
✈️ JLESC Workshop talk in Kobe, Japan
18 April
💻 Talk: Introducing Visualization on Polaris @ Argonne
31 January
2023 (58 updates)
✈️ Greece to meet grandparents!
15 December
🎥 Movie night with neighbors
9 December
✨ Illumination @ Morton Arboretum with Giannaki
3 December
🍺 The Barn Hockey Bar
18 November
✈️ SC23, Denver — ISAV Best Paper + paper presentations
12 November
🏆 1st Place + Best Workflow @ 2023 IEEE SciVis Contest (VisAnywhere)
23 October
👥 Michelle and Santi visiting
15 October
🔧 Fridge broke, new coming
27 September
🍰 Bday and dinner at Osteria Langhe
20 September
🤟 The Cure @ Riot Fest
17 September
🐶 Goose homecoming!
11 September
🤟 Cake @ Salt Shed
10 September
🍼 IIDA Baby Shower
5 September
🍼 Baby Hoe Down! Baby Shower!
27 August
🍼 Dimitra and George Baby Shower
21 August
🎊 PRYSM party
17 August
🏥 Delivery class
12 August
🤟 Bruce Springsteen
11 August
🏥 Breastfeeding class
27 July
🏢 Argonne picnic
22 July
🎓 Graduation party for Katie
15 July
✈️ Babymoon over!
8 July
🍴 Dinner at Boia De
6 July
🍴 Amazing dinner at COTE Miami
5 July
✈️ Babymoon in Miami
1 July
🍺 German Fest in Oak Park
24 June
🎤 Greg Olsen presenting at ChicagoCHI
22 June
🎭 Not American show
17 June
🏫 James Morrissette joined as SRP (Sustainable Research Pathways) student researcher
15 June
👥 Aris left
14 June
🤟 King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard with Aris
13 June
👥 Aris visiting
10 June
🍺 Maifest in Lincoln Square
4 June
🏢 Argonne Open House
20 May
👥 Mom and dad going home
12 May
🍴 Fam dinner at Trivolit Tavern
11 May
🎨 Yayoi Kusama opening
10 May
✈️ Back to CHI
8 May
✈️ Weekend in Memphis
4 May
👥 Mom and dad visiting
27 April
✈️ Back to CHI
18 April
✈️ NOLA with parents-in-law
14 April
🎸 Johalla Projects @ Salt Shed
13 April
🎭 Blue Man Group
9 April
👥 Rigos Family visiting
6 April
🏆 ACT-SO Gala
19 March
🤟 The Roots @ Salt Shed
18 March
🦠 Tested positive for COVID-19
2 March
🎸 Rockabilly ensemble recital
25 February
✈️ Back to CHI
19 February
👶 Mathias Baptism
11 February
✈️ Bucharest
10 February
🎤 Standup: Jamie Wolf
9 February
🎤 Adam Sandler live!
5 February
🔨 Sectional has finally arrived!
21 January
✈️ Back from Houston
20 January
✈️ Flying to Houston for ECP Annual meeting
17 January
🎸 TJ Playing in Chicago
7 January
2022 (79 updates)
🎅 A Christmas Carol
30 December
✈️ Back from Nashville
29 December
✈️ Celebrating the Holidays in Nashville
25 December
🎊 Annual Koufis X-mas party
24 December
🎸 Janet is playing at Covers 4 Cover
10 December
💔 Ms. Koufis 40 day memorial
4 December
✨ Illumintation at Morton Arboretum
2 December
💻 Supercomputing 2022
14 November
📊 ISAV2022
13 November
🏆 ISAV 2022 — Program Committee member @ SC22, Dallas
13 November
😢 RIP Ms. Helen Koufis
6 November
🎃 Happy Halloween! At Amy and Ryan
29 October
🎸 Rockabilly ensemble recital
21 October
📊 VIS2022 Conference
16 October
📊 LDAV Conference
15 October
🔨 CAC installation weekend
24 September
🔨 CAC Work in Progress
22 September
🐶 Goose's first grooming
21 September
🔨 Gutter installation
16 September
🍺 Brandhaus Openhaus
15 September
🐕 Goose Homecoming!
11 September
🏒 First hockey practive with coach Matthew Ford
9 September
✈️ Alekos going back to SF
6 September
🐕 Met Goose!
5 September
🔨 Alekos + Vic HVAC install
2 September
✈️ Alekos visiting
1 September
🏒 Lost playoffs from the Pirates
20 August
🎂 Elvis Anniversary. 🎸 RHCP
19 August
🏒 First playoff game against the North Stars. Won 6-1
15 August
🏢 Back to work
8 August
🌴 Back from vacation
6 August
😎 Paros arrival
30 July
🌴 Protaras, CY vacation
25 July
✈️ Flight to Pafos, CY. Stay at Panik
21 July
🎆 Holidays begin. RO roadtrip
16 July
✈️ 2nd attempt to RO
5 July
Flight cancelled. Stuck in 🇬🇧
2 July
✈️ to RO
1 July
👶 Matias Luca was born
29 June
🌈 Pride Parade!
26 June
🎸 Rockabilly ensemble recital
24 June
👋 Welcome Isaac Nealey at ANL
13 June
🎭 Relative Premiere
8 June
🇬🇷 Lincoln Park Greek Fest
4 June
🎂 Nicky's B-day party
3 June
👋 Welcome Jason Ortiz at ANL
1 June
👰 Vasi & Kevin's Wedding
29 May
👰 Jac & Ian's Wedding
28 May
🏠 Anniversary!
26 May
✈️ to ATL. Jac & Ian's wedding
25 May
🎥 Stranger Things pop up
23 May
🇬🇷 Hellenic Parade
22 May
🎨 Narciso DEMO day
13 May
🚌 ANL Bus Tour
12 May
🎭 SAIC fashion show
7 May
💻 ECP Annual Meeting
5 May
✈️ Alekos Mainelaos leaving town
2 May
Vasia off to Jac's Bachelorette party Alekos Mainelaos ✈️ in!
29 May
🎨 Preview: The Other Art Fair
21 April
🐰 Vasia's parents arrived for Easter
15 April
✈️ Todd leaving for the retreat in Chico
21 March
💼 After 1.5y I have an office at ANL!
17 March
✈️ Todd arriving in Chicago
16 March
✈️ Back to Chicago
13 March
✈️ Todd arriving in SF
11 March
🍲 Dinner at Foreign Cinema
9 March
📊 Submitted paper at WOIV
7 March
🌲 Weekend at a cabin in Yosemite
4 March
✈️ Travel to Oakland, CA to celebrate Katia's 30th. 🎉 Happy bday!
3 March
💼 ANL re-opens!
28 February
🎸 Dropkick Murphys
26 February
🏢 ANL will re-open on Feb 28th
17 February
❤️ Happe Valentine's Day to my better half, Vasia
14 February
🏈 Super Bowl LVI
13 February
🐶 Day trip to Toledo, OH to meet Stella
12 February
💻 ASCR Workshop on Visualization for Scientific Discovery, Decision-Making, & Communication
18 January
⛸️ Blackhawks Road Watch Party!
17 January
First private 🎸 lesson with Alex
7 January
💼 Back to the lab
4 January
2021 (53 updates)
🎄 Xmas lab closure
24 December
💉 COVID-19 booster!
20 December
🎸 Covers for Cover live
11 December
📄 Submitted white paper "Novel Display Technologies" to ASCR Workshop
10 December
🍻 Happy hour with VIS folks at Prost
3 December
🍺 Picking up Advent Calendar from Marz
27 November
🍝 SAUCED Night Market
19 November
📊 LDAV 2021 — "Instrumenting Multiphysics Blood Flow Simulation Codes" (virtual)
19 November
🍷 Beaujolais Nouveau Release day
18 November
💻 SuperComputing 2021 kick-off
15 November
🍰 Happy Nameday! Dinner at Bavette's
11 November
🎉 Chicago Handshake Launch Party
8 November
📊 2021 VIS Chicago Satellite Event
26 October
📊 VIS & LDAV kick-off
25 October
🍕 lunch with the ALCF folks!
15 October
🚀 Captain Kirk goes to space
13 October
Family visit is over. Mom and dad ✈️ back to 🇷🇴
10 October
🚧 Basement gym almost done. Drywall is up. Thanks dad!
9 October
🎉 Launched VIS/HCI deadline page
8 October
🎉 First steak 🍖 on the new BBQ. Delicious!
7 October
🤝 Met with Jac and Ian for brunch
2 October
✈️ Laz and Silvi flying back to 🇷🇴
30 September
🎉 LDAV Early Career Researcher Lightning Talk accepted
27 September
First ribs, pulled pork 🍖 on the smoker. Yummy
26 September
🎸 Guns N' Roses @ Summerfest with Laz and Silvi
18 September
Family arrives from 🇷🇴 Dad stuck in 🇹🇷
17 September
🎸 Zac Brown Band: The comeback Tour
10 September
🎉 LDAV Poster accepted
7 September
✈️ to 🇺🇸
28 August
💒 Wedding day! Best day of my life
21 August
✈️ to 🇬🇷
31 July
🎉 James Morrissette wins second place at the ACT-SO Nationals
15 July
Happy 🎂 mom!
14 July
🎂 Vasia's bday dinner at Piccolo Sogno.
11 July
🎤 James presented his ACT-SO project
7 July
🤝 Met with Kouf family for dinner
17 June
🏠 Moving out from LSD to RF. Next chapter begins!
11 June
Bought a new 🏠! Keys in hand
25 May
✈️ Back to Chicago
22 May
✈️ Flight to Bucharest to spend weekend with Laz
20 May
✈️ Flying back to Athens
17 May
✈️ Flying to Paros for wedding preparations
17 May
💼 Offer accepted!
18 April
📄 Submitted an offer for a single family home
16 April
💉 Vaccination day!
26 March
🍻 Happy (from home) St. Patrick's day
17 March
🔨 Refinished the LSD bathtub
4 March
🍻 First time out since the pandemic started! Lottie's Pub
21 February
💋 Hapy vday to my other half, Vasia
14 February
🤝 Meeting with Costa Lembessi, 11 years after!
6 February
💪 Back to PS1 after almost an year
5 February
🎸 Back to Rockabilly Ensemble
5 January
💼 Back to work!
4 January
2020 (88 updates)
🌲 Hiking at Starved Rock State Park
28 December
😃 Last day of work!
23 December
🎓 Jason's PhD defense. Congrats Dr. Archer!
11 December
💬 ChicagoCHI's monthly meeting
3 December
🦠Two weeks since first symptoms. Mom and dad corona-free!
1 December
🏠 Bidding war. Lost house. Universe has spoken
24 November
🦠Smell is gone
23 November
💬 ChicagoCHI: Julieta Aguilera "Scaling Interactions" talk
23 November
🦠Dad posted positive for COVID-19 as well. Mom doing well
22 November
🏫 Kick-off meeting with ACT-SO student
21 November
🏠 Put an offer for the Halsted townhome
16 November
💔 1 year since Pappou's passing
13 November
💻 SuperComputing 2020 starts
9 November
🏠 Problems found with Association. Contract cancelled
4 November
☑️ Election day
3 November
🏠 Radon test negative
27 October
📊 IEEE VIS 2020 starts
25 October
🏠 Inspection passed
22 October
🏠 Offer accepted!
20 October
🏠 Put an offer for a townhome! Fingers crossed!
19 October
😢 RIP Ted Williams. You will be dearly missed
17 October
🏯 Surprise trip to the Anderson Japanese Gardens
10 October
💬 ChicagoCHI Officer's meeting
8 October
💬 ChicagoCHI monthly meeting
1 October
💪 First day back at the gym! Training with Franci Fontanez
28 September
🎂 Bday dinner at Wakamono
25 September
💬 ChicagoCHI: Trigeminal-Based Temperature Illusions talk
15 September
🎥 Riot Fest At The Movies: The Lost Boys
12 September
🦠COVID-19 test negative
6 September
🦠COVID-19 test
4 September
🎉 First day at new job! (ALCF)
31 August
✈️ to Chicago
30 August
🚢 to Athens. Vacation over! Dinner with parents
29 August
🚢 to Paros. Meeting with Todd, Vasia's parents
22 August
🚢 to Naxos. Meeting with brother, Sylvana, parents
16 August
🚢 to Santorini
12 August
🦠Test negative. Woohoo!
9 August
✈️ Arrived. 🦠COVID-19 test. 🚢 to Mykonos
8 August
✈️ to Athens. Vacation starts
7 August
🦠COVID-19 test negative. Cleared for takeoff
6 August
🦠COVID-19 test
4 August
💼 Submitted my two-week notice
23 July
🎉 Accepted offer from ALCF
22 July
🎉 Happy Father's day!
21 June
🦠First time out of neighborhood. At Big Star
18 June
💔 RIP Theia Konstantina
9 June
🦠First time out. At Mahony's
6 June
🦠Chicago moves to phase 3!
3 June
💥 New website launch
2 June
🚀 SpaceX launches astronauts into orbit
30 May
🦠First time driving downtown
29 May
🦠Week 11 of shelter at home
29 May
🦠Week 10 of shelter at home
22 May
🦠Week 9 of shelter at home
15 May
💔 6 months since Papu's passing
13 May
🦠Week 8 of shelter at home
8 May
🦠Week 7 of shelter at home
1 May
🦠First time out for curbside pickups
29 April
🦠Week 6 of shelter at home
24 April
🦠Shelter at home extended to end of May
23 April
🦠Week 5 of shelter at home
17 April
🦠Video meetup with John and Jason
15 April
🦠Week 4 of shelter at home
10 April
🦠Video meetup with Hockey Bros
5 April
🦠Week 3 of shelter at home
3 April
💻 Migrated all websites/mail to new server
2 April
🦠Not so funny April Fools' Day
1 April
🦠Week 2 of shelter at home
27 March
🇬🇷 Happy Greek Independence Day!
25 March
🦠🎸First online Guitar class
24 March
🦠Week 1 of shelter at home
20 March
🦠Happy (at home) St' Patricks day
17 March
🦠Last day we went out and to the gym
14 March
🦠It's official - indefinite WFH
13 March
🎭 C2E2 2020
29 February
✈️Flight to Chicago
24 February
💒Antonis + Lina Wedding
22 February
✈️Flight to Greece
20 February
💑Happy Valentine's Day
14 February
🎸 Went to Qi's Jam
13 February
👋 EmergeNEXT Panel, Vasia's mom leaving
12 February
💡 Teen Innovation Summit 2020
11 February
👶 Ellie's Hearing Test!
10 February
🏒BOS @ CHI with Ellie
5 February
🎸Buddy Guy concert
24 January
🏛️Andy Warhol Exhibition
22 January
🎥 Star Wars Trivia
16 January
🏒NSH @ CHI
9 January
2019 (33 updates)
🏢 Back to work!
30 December
✈️Flight to Chicago
29 December
✈️Flight to Athens
20 December
✈️Flight to Paris. One month without Papu
13 December
💔 My beloved Papu passed away...
13 November
💬 ChicagoCHI chaptered!
31 October
💬 ACM SIGCHI chapter application sent!
19 September
💬 CHI crunch time!
18 September
💬 Ubicomp over, back to CHI
14 September
⌚ At Ubicomp 2019
11 September
⌚ Wellcomp Workshop (Ubicomp)
9 September
⌚ Off to London for Ubicomp
7 September
🏢 Back to work
26 August
✈️ Off to Chicago
24 August
✈️ Off to Bucharest
18 August
✈️ Off to Paros, Greece
3 August
👥 Friends leave (Theodore M.)
5 July
🎸 Zac Brown concert
29 June
👥 Friends arrive from Greece (Theodore M.)
28 June
🎊 Bob Kenyon's retirement party!
26 June
🎸 Rolling Stones concert
25 June
🎸 Guitar Recital
18 June
🧙 Bottling the Impossible
15 June
🍺 Maifest Chicago
2 June
🎨 MSI After Hours: Wired to Wear
31 May
🏢 GN 150th Anniversary
30 May
🩺 Prsentation at BSN/BHI
22 May
🎭 At Cirque du Soleil's VOLTA
21 May
🎨 The other art fair
18 May
💐 Happy Mother's day
12 May
🎨 Wired to Wear VIP Event
22 March
🎨 Wired to Wear Official Opening
21 March
📰 Wired to Wear Press Opening
20 March
2018 (12 updates)
🚀 Website redesign
28 December
💼 Started job @ GN A/S
24 September
🎨 Approached by MSI curator Kathleen McCarthy for Wired to Wear exhibit
15 September
💬 Back to CHI
31 August
💒 Jimmy's Wedding
25 August
✈️ Back to Athens
23 August
✈️ Off to Bucharest
19 August
✈️ Off to Greece
2 August
💬 Back to CHI
19 June
💒 Mike's Wedding
16 June
✈️ Off to Greece
12 June
🎓 Graduated!
13 May
2017 (6 updates)
🎓 PhD defense: "Supporting Navigation with a Torso Wearable Tactile Display"
18 December
🚀 Co-founded Spatial Canvas (AR Cloud spatial-persistence SDK), CTO role
1 December
🚀 Rainbowed.us Launched
16 March
🎨 mHUB Grand Opening
2 March
💼 SBDC Client Showcase
16 February
🏆 Chicago Innovation Awards Reception
7 September
2016 (10 updates)
🏆 Image of Research Winner
6 September
🚀 Infinity Labs Incorporated
12 May
🎤 TEDx talk
8 April
🎤 SpiderSense @ Technori
29 March
🎤 SpiderSense @ We Are Wearables CHI
25 February
🎤 SpiderSense @ All-American Makers
3 February
🏆 Fellowship Reception
22 January
💔 RIP David Bowie
11 January
✈️ Todd left
7 January
💔 RIP Antwan McBee
3 January
2015 (35 updates)
✈️ Todd arrived
11 December
🎂 It’s my nameday (and my grandfather’s)!
11 November
🚀 Launched human-augmentics.org
7 November
💼 Started at Catalyze Chicago
1 November
🎨 Data Improvisations – VISAP art opening
27 October
🎤 Talk at MOMA (Health Related Mobile Apps)
26 October
💬 Back to Chicago
22 October
🗽 New York City
18 October
💬 ThinkChicago
15 October
🏆 30th Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame
8 October
🎤 At FUND Conference
6 October
:vr: Paper due @ VR 2016
21 September
:vr: Abstract due @ VR 2016
14 September
🎸 Riot Fest
11 September
🇬🇷 Greekfest!
23 August
✈️ Back to the Windy City
22 August
🎰 Vegas Elopment with Elvis Presley
19 August
🎰 Mini-Vegas-Vacation
16 August
👋 Last day at MSR
14 August
💍 Surprise Engagement Proposal
1 July
🎤 Talk at Chicago TechWeek
26 June
🎤 SpiderSense talk @ Techweek Chicago — "A Real Life Spider Sense"
26 June
💼 Started Internship at MSR
25 May
🎓 Vasia’s Commencement
11 May
💐 Happy Mother’s Day!
10 May
🏆 2015-2016 Dean’s Scholar Award Recipient
20 April
🏆 Concept2Venture Competition
17 April
🎆 Happy (Greek) Independence Day!
25 March
🚀 New Website Design
19 March
💼 Application to MIT Media Lab submitted
15 March
🍻 Happy (unofficial) St. Patty’s Day!
14 March
💻 Problems with hosting, another sleepless night
13 March
🚀 Started website redesign
10 March
💼 Received MS Research offer
9 March
🏆 Attended Scientific & Technical Academy Awards (Sci-Tech Oscars)
8 February
2014 (3 updates)
📊 CollaborateCom 2014, Miami — SAGE2 Best Paper presentation
22 October
🎭 SpiderSense demo @ Adler Planetarium After Dark — "Superhero Science" (700+ attendees)
17 July
📰 SpiderSense featured in National Geographic Kids' "Weird But True!" Summer 2014
15 June
2013 (10 updates)
🎤 SpiderSense @ Chicago Public Library Innovation Lab (Harold Washington Library)
24 September
📰 SpiderSense in New Scientist (color-changing clothes piece)
9 September
🎤 SpiderSense @ Augmented Reality Chicago (ARCHI) Meeting
29 August
🏆 SpiderSense — Finalist, Best AR Hardware @ Augmented World Expo (AWE)
4 June
✈️ Started Pixar internship, Emeryville CA
15 May
🎉 Selected by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Pixar internship
17 April
📰 SpiderSense in Robotics Business Review
7 April
🎤 SpiderSense paper presentation @ Augmented Human, Stuttgart, Germany
7 March
📰 SpiderSense on Engadget, Gizmodo, NewAtlas
22 February
📰 SpiderSense feature in New Scientist (UK)
20 February
2012 (1 updates)
🔧 Started SpiderSense project (UIC Human Augmentics class)
16 August
2009 (2 updates)
🎓 Started PhD at UIC's Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL)
15 August
✈️ World Championship Div III, Dunedin, New Zealand
10 April
2008 (4 updates)
✈️ World Championship Div III, Luxembourg
31 March
🏆 Qualified for IIHF World Championship Div III
17 February
🏒 Greece vs Armenia 8-5 — IIHF Div III Qualification, Sarajevo
16 February
🏒 Greece vs Bosnia 10-1 — IIHF Div III Qualification, Sarajevo
15 February
2007 (1 updates)
🏒 Greek National Ice Hockey Team approved by IIHF (Vancouver congress)
15 September