Dear USC Viterbi Community,

As we honor the Veterans Day this year, I thought I should share a personal reflection.
 
Before becoming a U.S. citizen, I needed to fulfill my obligation for military service in the Greek Army. To do so I had to take a leave of absence from my appointment as an assistant professor at USC! I guess it was a very different type of a sabbatical leave!

 
But the lessons I learned while fulfilling that obligation were equally, if not more, transformative. They taught me: what it means to serve; what it means to be equal with everyone else; what it means to share in practice and in spirit the many bonds that tie us together; and what it means to put oneself in a community with everyone regardless of education, origin, upbringing or personal beliefs; and to uphold and defend our common human values.

 
Fortunately, my service did not include actual conflict. But it gave me a tremendous appreciation of what others less fortunate than me could have or have later endured. An appreciation, an infinite respect, a tremendous sense of awe for the potential of the ultimate sacrifice. And a determination to help build a better world for all humanity.

 
It is with these uplifting reflections that we observe this year's Veterans Day.  
 

Thank you and Fight on!

Warmest regards,

Yannis C. Yortsos

Dean, USC Viterbi School of Engineering