Dr. Dimitrios STATHAKIS is a professor at the Polytechnic School of the University of Thessaly (EL). During 2016-7 he was a visiting professor at Yale University (USA) as a Fulbright fellow. Previously he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Joint Research Center of the European Commission (2004-8) in the institute for the protection and security of the citizen (IPSC). He graduated and obtained his doctorate degree from PRD (1994 and 2003 respectively). He holds the MSc in Geodetic and Geographical Information Systems (University of London, University College London, 1995). His current research interests include monitoring and forecasting urban expansion with earth observation. He served as a member of the board of directors of the National Center of Environment and Sustainable Development (2010-11). Since 2019 he is a member of the Hellenic State Geodetic and Geophysics Committee and the President of the Hellenic Cadaster.