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P E T E R T K O U R I D E S L E C T U R E S E R I E S :

American University President Burwell on a Life in Public Service
March 14, 2024, at The University Club

The Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation was honored to have Sylvia Mathews Burwell as the fourth speaker in our Peter T Kourides Lecture Series, which was created to recognize the importance of the contributions of Greek-Americans to public service and civil society. 

Sylvia Mathews Burwell was named the 15th president of American University, and is the first woman to serve in this role. Under her leadership, American University has more than doubled research funding from external organizations, launched the $500 million “Change Can’t Wait” campaign, created four new research centers, endowed eight faculty chairs and created over one-hundred and fifty scholarships, and invested $109 million in construction of a new “Student Thriving” Complex. 

Previously, President Burwell held two Cabinet positions in the U.S. government – serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services and as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Additionally, President Burwell has also held leadership positions at two of the largest foundations in the world – the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walmart Foundation.

With her presentation, President Burwell joins with the Honorable Senator Paul Sarbanes, Ambassador John D. Negroponte and former Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet, each of whom spoke at prior Peter T. Kourides Lectures.

Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres preceded the presentation by President Burwell.

A video of the event is available, free of charge, on our website.

Africa and Byzantium: A Lecture with The Met’s Dr. Andrea Achi Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the Kaufman Music Center

The Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation welcomed Dr. Andrea Myers Achi, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Associate Curator of Byzantine Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, who gave an introductory view of The Met Exhibition, Africa and Byzantium, by exploring the art and cultural interconnections between the Byzantine world and the African continent from the 4th to 15th centuries. Building on The Met’s outstanding legacy of award-winning Byzantine exhibitions, Africa and Byzantium focuses on how Greek and Byzantine art evolved in North Africa and the Horn of Africa. The Exhibition is a lens providing an original way of interpreting the Byzantine culture across time and space.

Dr. Achi, a graduate of Barnard College, later earned her Ph.D. in Byzantine Art and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She joined the curatorial staff of The Met in 2018. However, Dr. Achi’s history with The Met extends back to 2014 when she joined the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters as an intern for Dr. Helen C. Evans, then Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator of Byzantine Art. In that role, Dr. Achi organized the Department’s collection of early Byzantine pottery from the Kharga Oasis, Egypt, and developed the exhibition “Art and Peoples of the Kharga Oasis in Egypt,” with its emphasis on transcultural, trade route connections. In addition to her curatorial work, Dr. Achi has served on the Board of Directors of the International Center of Medieval Art.

A reception with Dr. Achi followed the presentation.

A video of the event is available, free of charge, on our website.