Record at the Athens Academy
Professor Nikolaos Matsaniotis has just been elected for a second five-year term as general secretary of the Athens Academy. It is the first time in 25 years since the Academy plenum renewed the tenure of an incumbent in this vital post. The previous occasion was that of the late Ioannis Theodorakopoulos. Matsaniotis, who joined the Academy in 1979 at the age of 54, is a professor of pediatrics and married to a law graduate, Nineta Liaskou. They have two sons, Sotiris and Alexandros, and two grandchildren. During the secret ballot, in which 34 members took part, Matsaniotis chose to leave the hall and abstain from the vote. He was elected by 29 votes against four blank ballots. He has had a distinguished career as a pediatrician, professor and rector of Athens University as well as an academic. His book «We and Our Child,» written for everyone involved in raising a child, is in its 10th edition. Apart from teaching thousands of students and pediatricians, Matsaniotis has been a pioneering advocate of breast-feeding, proper dietary habits, sex education and AIDS prevention (he has served as president of the National AIDS Committee).