Georgios

Georgios Pantazidis is from Greece,  describes himself as a communicative, extroverted and honest person. His superpower is the programming and dedication for achieving his goals. Here are excerpts from the interview in which he talked about his life and work. 

·         My favourite scientist is Galileo Galilei for contributing to the transition from natural philosophy to modern science.

·         If I weren’t a scientist, I would be a nutritionist, a meteorologist, a movie director, or a pilot (in that order).

·         My favourite musician is Amelie Lens.

·         My favourite food is Spaghetti Bolognese with Parmesan.

·         I speak Greek, English, a little bit of German. I also started Danish lessons.

 

 Where and when did you do your bachelors and masters?

I acquired my BSc in Physics in 2016, from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens with specialization in Solid state Physics. Afterwards I got admitted to the MSc in Material Physics in the same department and I graduated on February of 2018.

 

 Where are you working now and what are you doing?

I am working at Aarhus University, in the Surface Dynamics Group. I am supervised by Liv Hornekær and Andrew Cassidy. I am investigating the catalytic activity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Interstellar Medium using surface science techniques, like Temperature Programmed Desorption and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.

 

What is the best thing about your current job?

The Surface Dynamics Group. Everyone is very cooperative, helpful and nice, creating an ideal working environment.

 

 What or who inspired you to follow this career path?

It is not strictly one person that inspired me, but I wouldn’t be here without Hara’s and my family’s support.

 

 What is the best part of being a part of EUROPAH?

It is a very well structured network that brings together multiple scientists in current time. The various workshops and events are precisely aimed to train us in a multidisciplinary way, by leaders on their fields.

 

What is your typical day like?

I go to the university in the morning and I conduct experiments in the laboratory. The preparation of the experiment is usually a time consuming process, so I try to do other stuff at the same time, like looking on laboratory data or reading further scientific literature. During the academic year there are also some courses that we have to attend and be examined on, so sometimes things are a little bit busier than how they seem.

Which place did you grow up in? What do you like most about that place?

I grew up in Alexandroupoli, Greece. I had great childhood there, because due to its relatively small population (around 70.000 people) I was able to play outside every day.  It is a beautiful city. Its trademark is a lighthouse and it has easy access to the sea. The city has also a lot of students, who give to the city a young character.

 

 Where do you live now? What do you like about this place?

I live in Aarhus now, in Denmark. Aarhus is a compact city, with a medium population, where you can have a cozy life without stress (everything is at a bikeable distance). At the same time though, you can benefit from the nightlife and the various events that are going on around the city.