“She was the heart of our department, without question, she carried an enormous amount of responsibility and so many people did not even realize all the work she was doing… She was a phenomenal mentor and very very dear friend.” This is how Professor Sophia Hassiotis was described by her colleague Professor Leslie Brunell.
Professor Hassiotis passed away on June 13, 2021, leaving what feels to many like an unfillable void in the CEOE department. Professor Hassiotis dedicated 22 years of service to Stevens, and in those 22 years, her mentality was always students first. “She was completely and utterly devoted to students, I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by her in that philosophy. We do this for students and for no other reason,” said Professor Brunell, who was mentored by Hassiotis when she joined Stevens.
In her tenure at Stevens, Hassiotis taught Structural Steel Design, Modeling and Simulation, Finite Element Modeling, and her newest class Bridge Design, which she created to support students in their senior year with their senior design projects. She could almost always be found in her office doing some sort of work over a cup of coffee. And if you passed by she would almost certainly stop you to talk, and invite you in for a cup, and no matter how late it was, she would offer you a cup, and lie about how it was decaf.
Outside of her teaching and hours at the office, she would be meticulously planning her next adventure. She saw the world, but always with her own eyes, never just going where she was told. If you asked her where you should go, however, the answer would always be Greece. She would always say “the Greek way is best” and she hated My Big Fat Greek Wedding for not being fun enough. It never lived up to the actual experience. She’d say the same about most Greek restaurants—about how they were fake and not the real deal. If you were lucky enough to run into her in the streets of Hoboken, she’d stop you and talk, ask you about your day, and if she happened to have some Greek pastries on her, she’d all but force you to have one.
She was a force in this department that could not be matched. She was inspirational, genuine, and all around a very strong, brilliant woman. “Her demeanor and physical appearance was not in proportion to her internal strength. She was always positive and happy.” She always found the light in the worst of times. She’d stop and say on the worst days of her worst classes, “Isn’t this just so much fun,” and students would just chuckle, because no matter what it was or how hard it was, being with her was fun. Professor Hassiotis was the professor who helped us all see our ability, and helped us all become engineers. For that, 22 years worth of students will always be grateful. She leaves behind a legacy that will never be forgotten and hundreds of thankful students.
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