Dr. Nikos D. Lagaros is the Vice Rector of NTUA, former Dean of the School of Civil Engineering at NTUA and a Professor of Structural Optimization. Prior to moving to NTUA, he was an Assistant Professor at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Thessaly, Greece. In the past, he also served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Biological Engineering, Laboratory for Computational Biology and Biophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA, and at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Dr. Lagaros obtained his B.Eng. and Ph.D., both in Civil Engineering, from NTUA, and he teaches classes on Structural Analysis, Optimization, and Computer Programming. Dr. Lagaros has provided consulting, peer-review, and expert-witness services to private companies and federal government agencies in Greece and internationally. The focus of his consulting work is structural optimization consulting services and the development of technical software for structural analysis and design. Recently, he released the first real-world optimal design computing platform for civil structural systems. He also acts as an NSF Panelist for reviewing proposals on the seismic performance of masonry, concrete, and other structures and has been the Directorate for Engineering, Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation in Washington, DC, since 2010.