[Nomination] ORESTIS ANTONIS MAKRIS #286
Description
Select one:
- I am nominating myself for the PyTorch Ambassador Program.
- I am nominating someone else to become a PyTorch Ambassador.
Please confirm that the nominee meets the following requirements:
- The nominee is 18 years of age or older.
- The nominee agrees to abide by the PyTorch Code of Conduct.
- The nominee agrees to comply with the Linux Foundation Antitrust Policy.
- The nominee meets at least one of the qualifications listed in the PyTorch Ambassador Program Requirements.
Nominee Name
Orestis Antonis Makris
Nominee Email
Nominee's GitHub or GitLab Handle
OrestisMakris
(Optional) Organization / Affiliation
Master University of Patras / Chair of ACM Student Chapter University of Patras
City, State/Province, Country
Patras, Greece
Your Name
No response
Your Email (Optional)
No response
How has the nominee contributed to PyTorch?
- An active contributor to PyTorch repositories (e.g., commits, PRs, discussions).
- A speaker at PyTorch events or workshops.
- A PyTorch user group organizer or meetup host.
- A researcher or educator using PyTorch in academic work or training.
- An active leader in the PyTorch community with at least one year of experience in:
- Organizing events (virtual/in-person).
- Speaking at AI/ML conferences.
- Mentoring others in PyTorch.
- Creating technical content (e.g., blogs, videos, tutorials).
🏆 How Would the Nominee Contribute as an Ambassador?
As the founder and current Chair of the ACM Student Chapter at the University of Patras, I (Orestis) have actively built a thriving student community around computing, AI, and open-source technologies. Last year, I established the Machine Learning Special Interest Group (ML SIG) within our chapter, which now includes 10 active members and continues to grow. We have created a GitHub repository containing curated learning materials to support onboarding, mentorship, and continuous learning for new members.
As a PyTorch Ambassador, I plan to expand these efforts through the following initiatives:
Organizing a 3-day PyTorch bootcamp focused on neural networks, hands-on PyTorch training, and real-world ML applications.
Hosting internal PyTorch hackathons for SIG members, and broader workshops open to all students in the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics, including those from non-CS backgrounds.
Mentoring first-year students to help them overcome fears around programming and mathematics by guiding them through beginner-friendly, applied ML projects using PyTorch.
Collaborating with faculty and local startups in Patras to build a stronger ecosystem for open-source, research-oriented, and industry-aligned ML development using PyTorch.
With deep connections across the university’s student and faculty communities, I am well-positioned to promote PyTorch and inspire a new generation of machine learning practitioners at the University of Patras and beyond.Any additional details you'd like to share?
My coding journey began at 12 with basic scripting. At 17, I competed in the Greek Mindstorms Robotics Competition with my school, which sparked my love for programming and problem-solving. Around the same time, I became fascinated by quantum physics, which led me to explore quantum computing — and thus, Python.
After passing the Greek national entrance exams, I enrolled in the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics at the University of Patras, the first Computer Engineering program established in Greece. I'm currently in the final year of its five-year integrated Master's program.
Early on, I joined IEEE Student Branch (Department ECE) activities and eventually founded the IEEE Quantum Computing Group in my second year. In my third year, I served on the IEEE Executive Committee as Public Relations Officer. Noticing a gap in AI-related student initiatives in my department, I founded the ACM Student Chapter of the University of Patras — with the help of our department head and faculty — and later launched its AI Special Interest Group.
I rank among the top 3 students in my cohort and am currently working on my Master's thesis, developing a novel ranking model based on ColBERT, which adapts BERT-style transformers for efficient information retrieval. My journey reflects a deep passion for building, learning, and teaching, and I am fully committed to contributing to the PyTorch community by sharing knowledge, mentoring, and organizing impactful initiatives.
Links:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orestis-makris-250353208/
ACM SB Upatras: https://www.ceid.upatras.gr/ekpaideysi/proptychiako/epistimonikes-foititikes-omades/
ACM SB Upatras SIG AI Rep (under construction): https://github.com/OrestisMakris/ACM-Upatras-SIG-ML