When Sophia Mavris graduates at Georgia Tech’s Fall 2025 commencement, she will join her father, Dimitri Mavris, on stage—not only as a new Ph.D. in biomedical engineering but also as part of a unique family achievement. Both will hold three degrees from the Institute, making them “Triple Jackets.”
Dimitri Mavris is a Distinguished Regents’ Professor and has been at Georgia Tech since arriving from Greece in the 1980s. He completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering at the university. Nearly 45 years ago, he moved to Atlanta after his sister married a Georgia Tech graduate research assistant who encouraged him to attend the school.
“In the last four decades, Georgia Tech has evolved quite a bit,” Dimitri said. “It is one of the premier institutions — in terms of excellence, the caliber of students we attract, and the reputation we have. I thought that this was the best place for me.”
Sophia began her studies with a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering in 2020 before earning her master’s in biomedical engineering in 2024. She says her father’s academic career exposed her early to engineering but did not pressure her to follow his path.
“I was always around it,” Sophia said. “But I was allowed to pave my own pathway. We were both engineers at Georgia Tech, but we were in two separate domains.”
Her decision to attend Georgia Tech came naturally after exposure to its STEM programs through her father’s colleagues during high school.
“Georgia Tech is the best in the state and the Southeast for STEM,” she said. “It was a no-brainer.”
While their disciplines kept them on different sides of campus, Sophia appreciated having family nearby when needed.
“If I ever had a bad day or needed advice, he was just a walk away,” she said.
Dimitri used his knowledge of campus life to mentor Sophia through internships and research milestones: “By knowing the system,” he said, “sometimes you can avoid wrong moves.”
The family has many memories tied to Georgia Tech—from attending sporting events together to Dimitri’s involvement during Atlanta’s preparation for hosting the 1996 Olympics when Georgia Tech provided virtual venue models that helped secure Atlanta’s bid and hosted Olympic athletes on campus.
Sophia acknowledged that completing degrees at Georgia Tech requires significant effort: “The coursework is very challenging — it’s a badge of honor to say you made it,” she said. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
At this year’s commencement ceremony, Dimitri will once again participate by hooding Ph.D. graduates—a tradition he has performed nearly 70 times throughout his career.
Gesturing toward shelves lined with dissertations from former students, he noted: “I hold the record, with 310 Ph.D.s graduated. So having one for my daughter is very special.”
