In this illuminating oral history interview, Professor Demosthenes Triantafillou sits down with Professor Nicolas Alexiou of the Hellenic American Project at Queens College, CUNY, for a deeply personal and insightful conversation about his life, career, and cultural mission.

🎓 Professor Triantafillou shares:

• His upbringing in the historic village of Emborios on the volcanic island of Nisyros—and how the geography and mythology of the region shaped his identity.

• The transformative years he spent in Rhodes, “the island of the sun,” where history, culture, and natural beauty converged.

• His educational journey and the calling that led him to the United States.

• His lifelong dedication to Greek education, both ancient and modern, in the diaspora.

🗨 Key quote from the interview:

“This is a dream that every Greek-American educator has in his mind — to meet and know people like you who have pioneered new educational and spiritual centers for the preservation of our culture.”

This interview is part of the Oral Histories Series hosted by the Hellenic American Project, preserving the voices of those who shaped Greek-American identity through education and cultural stewardship.

📍 Location: Queens College, City University of New York

📼 Series: Hellenic American Project Oral Histories

🎙 Interviewer: Prof. Nicolas Alexiou

🎤 Guest: Prof. Demosthenes Triantafillou

🎬 Videography & Editing: Grammaticus Macedon