Panos Pardalos

Panos Pardalos is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida and a world-renowned expert in global and combinatorial optimization. As Director of the Center for Applied Optimization, his research spans data mining, biomedical applications, and energy systems. He holds a Ph. D. from the University of Minnesota and has received numerous prestigious international awards.

Originally from Greece, Panos maintains a connection to his heritage through his affiliation with the universitys Hellenic Studies Center. He is known for his caring nature, once nurturing a grapefruit tree from a seed throughout his early career, moving it across states until it finally bore fruit at his home in Florida.

In recognition of his stature in the field, an international conference established the “Panos Pardalos” Young Researcher Award to honor emerging talent in his discipline.