Following an open call for experts to fill key positions in MedECC governance in autumn 2024, we are very pleased to announce that the Steering Committee has approved the appointment of two new MedECC Coordinators and three new Steering Committee members. They have been appointed for an initial period of four years. We are confident that their expertise and commitment will contribute significantly to the advancement of the MedECC mission and activities, in particular with the upcoming preparation of the Second Mediterranean Assessment Report (MAR2).
New Coordinators:
Salpie Djoundourian - Interim Dean, Adnan Kassar School of Business, Lebanese American University, Lebanon
Dr. Djoundourian specialises in applied microeconomics, focusing on environmental and natural resource economics and public finance. With over 30 years at the Lebanese American University, she has served in various leadership roles, including Associate Dean and Chair of the Departments of Economics and Management. Her research has been published in journals such as the Energy Journal, Public Choice, and Environment, Development and Sustainability.
Piero Lionello - Full Professor of Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, University of Salento, Italy
Professor Lionello is a climatologist specialising in the Mediterranean region's climate, its past and future evolution, and the impacts of climate change and extreme events. He is Chairman of the MedCLIVAR network (Mediterranean CLImate Variability) and has served as a leading author for the IPCC WG2-AR6 chapters on Europe and the Mediterranean. He has edited three books on the Climate of the Mediterranean Region and organised numerous conferences on related topics.
New Steering Committee Members:
Mohamed Abdel Monem - Senior Advisor for Climate Change and Rural Development, Egypt
Professor of Land and Water Management at Egypt's Atomic Energy Authority, Dr. Monem extensive experience includes roles as Senior Advisor at the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa and Regional Team Leader for Ecosystem Management at UNEP. He is currently involved in the EU Integrated Rural Development Programme for Egypt, EU-ZIRA3A program, advancing integrated rural development in Egypt.
Monia El Bour - Senior Lecturer, National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), Tunisia
As senior expert in aquatic biotechnology, microbiology, bio-monitoring, and bioremediation, she has authored over 200 publications and directed more than 70 master's theses and doctoral dissertations. Since 2019, she has chaired the CIESM Marine Microbiology and Biotechnology Committee. Her research focuses on marine microbial systems, bioremediation, and the assessment of marine benthic communities.
Maria Papadopoulou - Professor, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
Dr. Papadopoulou specialises in subsurface water resources modeling and management, climate change adaptation, and the water-energy-food-climate nexus. She has served as Deputy Dean at the School of Rural, Surveying, and Geoinformatics Engineering since 2017 and was appointed President of the Board of Directors at the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency in Greece in June 2020. Her research focuses on groundwater ecosystem services and environmental impact assessment.
Acknowledgment
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Fatima Driouech (University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Morocco) and Anna Pirani (CMCC, Italy) who recently stepped down as MedECC Coordinators, for their outstanding commitment to the role. Their fresh perspectives and invaluable expertise have been instrumental in the successful implementation of MedECC activities. We look forward to continuing to work with them in the Steering Committee.
We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to Ethemcan Turhan and Abdelghani Chehbouni, who have recently left the Steering Committee in 2024. Their commitment and contributions since the creation of MedECC have been invaluable and they have played a key role in the organisation development and success.
The full list of Steering Committee members can be found here: Governance – MedECC