Maurice Politis
PROFILE: Currently employed, since July 2009 as Computational Science appointed Technical Faculty at the Dep. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, Greece. Experienced engineer with a background in applied research, project work and scientific computing.
Born June 3rd, 1968 and married with two children. Responsible, motivated, determined, adaptable, with an outgoing and versatile personality. Always looking for new challenges, I enjoy multitasking and am driven by the prospect of developing my skills and knowledge. Fluency in English (extensive experience in Technical Report writing), Greek (native language), Italian (spoken/written at the level of native language), French (colloquial).
Research focus: The application of advanced computational techniques to solve practical engineering problems in the area of Transport Phenomena with the aspiration to apply a unified methodology to characterize quantitatively the microstructure of disordered heterogeneous materials using theoretical and high performance computer-simulation techniques. Microscopic and macroscopic simulation of physicochemical processes in porous media including single and two phase flow, molecular diffusion, conduction and adsorption Also teaching 1st year Introduction to Programming using Matlab course and the Computational Mechanics programming lab.
KEY SKILLS:
- Excellent analytical skills through interpretation and statistical analysis of experimental data, using a range of tools in image processing and applied mathematical simulations of process engineering systems. Innovative ability to develop and validate new computer simulation protocols for experimental or process setups.
- Good working knowledge of process simulation (ChemCAD and ASPEN Plus) and CFD (ANSYS Workbench) software. Programming and teaching MATLAB, FORTRAN including the development of MEX files from legacy FORTRAN code. Some familiarity with C/C++. Parallel programming using Fortran MPI in Linux clusters.
- Independent and systematic approach to task-shifting in an often highly pressured environment.
- Technical report writing – papers, reports, abstracts, posters (see publications below).
- Motivation and ability to solve complex problems on a daily basis.
- Excellent interpersonal, team working, communication and presentation skills along with liaison with end-users, suppliers and engineering staff. Very good administrative, planning and project management skills.
Professional Memberships: Member of the Greek Technical Chamber (TEE) & appointed to New Technologies focus group (2013-2014); Member of the association of Greek Chemical Engineers.
| EXPERIENCE | |||
| Sep. 2005 – Mar. 2013 | Industrial contract research on gas separation adsorbent development, Praxair Technology, Inc. (USA) assisting lead investigator Prof. E.S. Kikkinides, Lab. Inorganic Materials, Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute (CPERI) – CERTH, Thessaloniki. Greece | ||
| Apr. 2010 –Sep 2010 | Seconded Researcher in Marie Curie IAPP Project – FP7 People Program (CN 230659) “Development of Efficient and Robust Controllers for Advanced Energy Systems” (DECADE). | ||
| Apr. 2009 –Sep 2009 | Seconded Researcher in Marie Curie FP6 project “Development of integrated advanced materials and processes for efficient hydrogen storage” (DIAMANTE, MTKI-CT-2005-029544). | ||
| Jun. 2007-Apr. 2008 | Contract research Engineer in ‘Development of innovative NOx pollution abatement technologies’(3rd EU-funded Western Macedonia Regional Development Plan), University of Western Macedonia, Greece | ||
| May. 2007-Mar. 2008 | Contract research Engineer in ‘Understanding Microscale Mechanisms in The Cathode Gas Diffusion Layer of Proton Exchange Fuel Cell Membrane’ co-funded by EU and the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology, University of Western Macedonia, Greece | ||
| Nov. 2006-Oct. 2008 | Contract research Engineer in ‘Power station decision support and environmental information management in Western Macedonia’ EU funded Development of Regional Centres of Excellence, University of Western Macedonia, Greece | ||
| Jun. 2006-Apr. 2007 | Contract research Engineer in ‘Developing advanced collaborative internet tools for University studies’ co-funded by EU and Greek Ministry of Development (Information Society actions), University of Western Macedonia, Greece | ||
| Jun. 2005-Sep. 2006 | Contract research Engineer ‘Development of air dispersion models and environmental information management system in Western Macedonia’, 3rd EU-funded, Western Macedonia Regional Development Plan), University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, Greece | ||
| Jan. 2005-Feb. 2007 | Contract research Engineer ‘Atmosperic particulate pollution control in industrial and urban settings in Athens and Kozani, Greece’’ co-funded by EU and Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology, University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, Greece | ||
| Oct 2001 – July 2004 |
Aerosol & Particle Technology Laboratory, CERTH/CPERI, Thessaloniki. Greece Responsible for deploying and supporting computational methods, numerical simulation software and experimental design protocols in areas related to particle technology, automotive exhaust after-treatment and GRID computing for large-scale CFD simulations. Technical and administrative involvement in EU-funded projects: proposal preparation, progress reports and financial statements. Specified, installed and administered a Myrinet-based Linux cluster. Deployed and maintained the departmental data storage, web and email servers. I was part of the project team, under contract as a research engineer in the following: G3RD-CT1999-00014 System level optimization and control tools for diesel exhaust after-treatment (SYLOC-DEXA); ECSC N.7220-PR/076 Development of Innovative Instrumental Techniques for Coal Combustion (DITEC) IST-2001-34874 Integrated Material and Information Technologies for Novel Emission Control Systems (IMITEC); IST-2002-38433 Flow Simulations On-Demand Using Grid Computing (FLOWGRID); G3RD-CT-2002-00785 Simulation Tool for Dynamic Flow Analysis in Foam Filters (STYFF-DEXA). |
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| July 1999 – Sep 2001 |
Intertronics S.A. (Athens & Thessaloniki, Greece) Tachyarrhythmia and Vascular Interventions Product Specialist. Responsible for device implantation and follow-up support. Implemented the ISO 9002 registration; appointed company Quality Assurance Manager. In charge of all IT hardware/software purchasing and support. |
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| Jan-June 1999 |
Stavros Begas S.A. (Thessaloniki, Greece) Responsible for setting up a rice mill in a fast expanding agricultural supplies company: purchasing the machinery, process flowcharting and process development. I specified, installed and administered the company’s computer network. |
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| June 1996 – Aug 1997 | SmithKline Beecham Research & Development, Biopharmaceuticals Process Development (King of Prussia, Philadelphia, USA). Responsible for Pilot Plant development support. Coordination of scheduled maintenance and development of S.O.P’s (Standard Operating Procedures) in accordance with the F.D.A rules on recombinant protein pharmaceuticals | ||
| EDUCATION | |||
| Sep 2004 – Feb 2009 | PhD ‘Multiscale simulation of physicochemical processes in hydrocarbon deposits and other porous materials’. Advisor: Prof. E. S. Kikkinides, University of West Macedonia, Dep. of Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Technology Laboratory, Kozani, Greece | ||
| Sep 1994 – Dec 1999 | MEng in Chemical Engineering (Masters in Engineering) in Process Biotechnology (degree classification: Merit). Awarded the best academic performance prize (T K Ross Prize) for my graduation class. University of Surrey, Department of Chemical Engineering, Guildford, UK |
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| PUBLICATIONS – CONFERENCES – BOOK CHAPTERS (Selected) | |||
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M.E.Kikkinides, E.S, Politis, M.G. (2014) ‘Linking Pore Diffusivity with Macropore Structure of Zeolite Adsorbents. Part II: Simulation of Pore Diffusion and Mercury Intrusion in Stochastically Reconstructed Zeolite Adsorbents’, Adsorption, 20(1), p. 5-20 M.E.Kikkinides, E.S, Politis, M.G. (2014) ‘Linking Pore Diffusivity with Macropore Structure of Zeolite Adsorbents. Part I: Three Dimensional Structural Representation Combining Scanning Electron Microscopy with Stochastic Reconstruction methods’, Adsorption, 20(1), p. 21-35 Politis, M.G., Kainourgiakis, M.E.Kikkinides, E.S & Stubos, A.K. (2011) ‘Investigating the Microstructure and Transport Properties relationship of Random Heterogeneous Materials Using Simulated Annealing Techniques’ 7th GRACM International Congress on Computational Mechanics Athens, 30 June – 2 July 2011 Politis, M.G., Kikkinides, E.S., Kainourgiakis, M.E. & Stubos, A.K. (2008) ‘A hybrid process-based and stochastic reconstruction method of porous media’, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, vol. 110, no. 1, p. 92-99. Syrakos, A., Sfetsos, A., Politis, M., Efthimiou, G., & Bartzis, J. G. (2008) ‘An evaluation of the UoWM MM5-smoke-CMAQ modelling system for Western Macedonia’ Hrvatski Meteoroloski Casopis, 43 PART 1, p. 88-92. Kikkinides, E.S., Politis, M.G. (2009) Praxair, Inc. Confidential technical report ‘Oxygen Transport Membrane Separation Layer & Porous support: Image Analysis, 3D reconstruction & Transport properties’ Kikkinides, E.S.,Politis, M.G. (2008) Praxair, Inc. Confidential technical report Pressure Swing Adsorption Gas Separation: Digital morphology reconstruction of Porous material & Transport Properties |
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| INTERESTS Very keen in all outdoor activities: mountaineering, ultra-marathon and trail-running. Member of Thessaloniki Runners Club. | |||