Commander’s Medal of the Ordre des Palmes Academiques to Prof. Peretz Lavie

Professor Emeritus Peretz Lavie, President of the Technion from 2009 to 2019, has been bestowed with the Commander’s Medal – the highest award in the French “Ordre des Palmes Academiques” (Palm Order). The Order, founded by Napoleon in 1808, is conferred upon prominent figures from academia and the worlds of culture and education for academic excellence and significant contributions to science, education, and the academic world.

Prof. Peretz Lavie

Prof. Lavie, a world-renowned expert in sleep research, is an entrepreneur and one of the founders of Itamar Medical and other biomedical engineering companies. Prior to his appointment as President of the Technion, he served in other senior positions, including as Dean of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and as Vice President of the Technion for Public Relations and Resource Development. In 2015, while serving as President of the Technion, he was appointed Chairman of the Committee of University Heads. Over the years, Prof. Lavie has been a consultant and global expert in the field of sleep, and was involved in several significant public decisions, including the cancellation of “zero hour” classes in elementary schools, the introduction of daylight-saving time, the extension of the minimum sleep time in the IDF, and the “Quiet Wave” radio station during the first Gulf War.

Prof. Lavie currently serves as Chairman of the Israel Friends of the Technion and Chairman of the National Council for Civil Research and Development.

Ordre des Palmes Academiques medals