The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) / Ioannis P. and Eirini Caloyeras Lectureship in Modern Greek

Peter J. Caloyeras with his parents, Ioannis P. and Eirene, 1960 (photo: Courtesy of Peter J. Caloyeras).

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) / Ioannis P. and Eirini Caloyeras Lectureship in Modern Greek was established by SNF and Peter J. Caloyeras in 2022 to create a permanent position in Modern Greek language instruction at UCLA. Courses offered by the lecturer are housed in UCLA’s Department of Classics, which offers a Minor in Greek Language and Culture.

The lectureship is partially named for Ioannis P. and Eirini Caloyeras, the parents of Peter J. Caloyeras. According to Caloyeras, “My parents would be honored by this lectureship. My parents and other family members for generations were born and lived on Spetses. As ship owners and shipping agents mainly, they traveled widely and experienced other cultures.  Schooling was important to the family but limited on Spetses, so after completing the primary grades, they were sent to Piraeus to attend secondary school and to have professional training. Education was very important to my parents and for that reason they and my uncle encouraged me to come to the United States to study engineering. And it remains important to me personally.”

Commenting on his decision to support an endowed position in Modern Greek, Caloyeras stated, “The establishment of this lectureship is the most important way that I can honor my parents and it is meaningful to me as it furthers my parents’ goals and values. In making this donation, I am expanding my family’s commitment to support Hellenic Studies programs in the Los Angeles area. For me, the connection between Los Angeles and Greece is of critical importance as it informs and inspires the next generation of young people through the study of the Greek language and its transmission of Greek culture.”

The connection to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation also holds a deep meaning for Caloyeras. “This donation also allows me to express my personal gratitude to Stavros Niarchos and the SNF because the gift contributes to the close partnership of the UCLA SNF Center for Hellenic Culture and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in Greece. It also offers me an opportunity to acknowledge the important role that Stavros Niarchos, as a neighbor who owned and lived on nearby Spetsopoula island, maintained with the island of Spetses. Niarchos’ personal contributions benefitted life on Spetses and he and his family have long been a part of its daily life.”

According to Casey Russo, SNF Co-Chief Programs Officer: “Familiarity with Modern Greek will allow students to more fully engage with Hellenic culture—which is to say with a vibrant international community of ideas and exchange. From the outset, community and support from partners like the Caloyeras family have been key to the Center’s success, and SNF is proud be a part of this collaborative expansion of educational opportunity.”

For those interested in obtaining the Certificate of Attainment in Greek (Ellinomatheia), the only officially recognized Greek language proficiency certificate offered by the Greek state, more information is available here.