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Dr. Albert Abraham Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO, received an honorary doctorate yesterday from the President of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Professor Uri Sivan, during the graduation ceremony of 1,869 Technion undergraduates. Dr. Bourla received the award “in acknowledgment of his exceptional leadership in advancing the rapid development of a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19; with gratitude for spearheading this monumental feat in the face of a global crisis; and in admiration of his steadfast commitment and pioneering ingenuity, which embodies the highest values and standards of excellence in scientific innovation.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said: “As Chairman and CEO of the Board of Pfizer Inc., Dr. Bourla headed the trailblazing effort to develop a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The development of the COVID-19 vaccine is an extraordinary biotechnological achievement that exemplifies the importance of science and multidisciplinary research. The vaccine helped rescue the world from the crisis that began at the end of 2019, with the epidemic outbreak. Dr. Bourla’s family history, as a son of Holocaust survivors from Thessaloniki, is a symbol of the remarkable vitality of the Jewish people and their renewal capacity in the wake of the Holocaust.”

Dr. Bourla addressed the students in a moving and inspiring speech. “As a scientist and a Jew, I can’t overstate how much it means to me to receive this degree and to be invited to address this year’s graduating class. Since first opening its doors in 1924, the Technion has been a beacon of light not only for Israel, but for the entire world. The story of the Technion, like that of my company, Pfizer, is one of innovation, but also of courage and optimism – all of which have helped give birth to technological and scientific breakthroughs aimed at making the world a better place.

“Innovation, courage, and optimism are three things that define my colleagues at Pfizer. It took courage to make the counterintuitive decision to use mRNA technology in the COVID-19 vaccine we developed with BioNTech. This courage not only helped us deliver a safe and effective vaccine in only nine months, but it may also prove to be an important step in unlocking the great promise that the technology holds for many other therapeutic areas, including cancer and rare disease. Our successful vaccine journey showed us we can make the impossible possible – and our colleagues are now taking this newfound optimism to their work in other areas.”

He ended by citing human ingenuity, compassion, and courage, as values for the graduates to aspire and hold on to. “As you approach the many alternatives that lie ahead in your journey, always remember to aim high, be resilient, and remain optimistic in all you do. If you do, you just might be surprised with what you can accomplish – and the lives you will impact.”

Dr. Albert Abraham Bourla was born in Thessaloniki in 1961 to a Jewish family, part of which perished in the Holocaust. His family, who arrived in Greece from Spain following the Alhambra Decree, dealt in jewelry and diamonds, and their business spread across many countries. The Thessaloniki Jewish community, once the largest in Greece, had a population of approximately 80,000 in the 1930s. Approximately two-thirds of them perished in the Holocaust.

Dr. Bourla completed all his academic degrees at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds a Ph.D. in veterinary medicine and reproductive biotechnology. In 1993 he joined Pfizer, one of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, where he went on to hold a series of positions. He oversaw antibody development and served as Group President of VOC – Pfizer’s Global Vaccines, Oncology, and Consumer Healthcare business. In October 2018 he was appointed Pfizer’s Chief Operating Officer, in 2019, he was appointed CEO, and in 2020 he became Chairman of the company.

In recent years, Dr. Bourla has led Pfizer in strengthening ties with technology companies and in adopting technologies such as artificial intelligence. At the beginning of 2020, following the global outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, he harnessed most of the company’s resources to develop a vaccine, meeting challenging schedules. Throughout the process, Dr. Bourla promised there would be no compromise regarding the safety of the vaccine, and approval was obtained after an extensive study that included more than 40,000 subjects.

An honorary doctorate is the highest honor bestowed by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology upon the few who distinguished themselves through their outstanding scientific work or their leadership and public service to the benefit of Israel, the Jewish people, and humanity at large. Some notable examples include Chaim Weizmann (1952), Albert Einstein (1953), Niels Bohr (1958), David Ben Gurion (1962), Yitzhak Rabin (1990), Margaret Thatcher (1989) and Dr. Angela Merkel (2021).

The Aviva and Andrew Goldenberg Architecture Studio Pavilion – the result of a generous donation by Technion Guardians and alumni Dr. Andrew and the late Aviva Goldenberg – was inaugurated.

The lives of Dr. Andrew and Aviva Goldenberg (Z”L) have long been intertwined with the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Both are distinguished Technion alumni and Technion Guardians – a title reserved for the University’s most generous supporters. In June 2018, both Andrew and Aviva Goldenberg were awarded Technion Honorary Doctorates and announced their gift for the Goldenberg Pavilion.

Cutting the ribbon: Dr. Andrew Goldenberg and his daughters, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Prof. Alona Nitzan-Shiftan

In a moving ceremony held in the Technion, Dr. Andrew Goldenberg said: “Together with my daughters, we are happy to participate in the opening of the Pavilion that is part of the Technion faculty. My wife Aviva had a vision in respect to teaching and training architects. An accomplished architect, professor of architecture, and founder of an architecture firm, she was a successful and committed professional. Aviva and I committed to help the Technion – and the plan is now nearly completed.”

The couple’s twin daughters, Maya and Keren Goldenberg, also attended the ceremony.

Maya Goldenberg: “My parents met in 1967 as students of the Technion. Now they are helping a new generation of architecture students attain their education in the Technion and become outstanding professionals. My mom would be very happy to see her dream realized.”

Keren Goldenberg: “The link is both professional and emotional. It’s hard to focus on this wonderful event as we are grieving our mother’s recent passing. We wish she was here to witness the recent realization of this dream.”

L-R: Dean of the Faculty Prof. Yasha Grobman, Dr. Andrew Goldberg and his daughters, and Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan

Andrew and Aviva Goldenberg began their studies at the Technion in the mid-1960s. Andrew went on to graduate from the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering under the supervision of Professor Emeritus Julius Preminger, while Aviva graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning.

In the early 1970s, Andrew and Aviva Goldenberg travelled to Canada so that Andrew could continue his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. He was made a professor in 1982 and has remained there ever since. His long robotics-focused career path includes working in an elite team with NASA and Canada’s National Research Council to build robotic components for the space shuttle. Aviva Goldenberg was a renowned architect, who founded her own architectural firm and was a professor and program coordinator of Architectural Technology at Centennial College AAT.

Professor Alona Nitzan-Shiftan from the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning said: “I will start by speaking about a very special person … the late Mrs. Aviva Goldberg. She was a highly respected architect, wife, mother, and grandmother. She studied here and graduated in 1971. This is a powerful way to honor Aviva’s legacy for many years to come and will be a reminder for generations. The Pavilion is not only a legacy in name but also a place where students will acquire tools they need for the world of architecture.”

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan said: “It’s sad I never had the chance to meet Aviva. We will remember her through this Pavilion, which will enable the best and brightest students to achieve excellence in a modern studio workspace. We’re very grateful for your tremendous generosity over the years. Aviva will never be forgotten. Her memory and legacy will continue at the Technion, and we look forward to your future visits – where you will be able to see this place flourishing and full of life.”

Professor Yasha Grobman, dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning: “It’s a great honor to participate in this inauguration. It’s very symbolic that the new building is opening almost 100 years after Einstein’s visit in 1923. This wonderful pavilion is the first studio space for master’s degrees in Israel. As Eileen Gray once said: ‘to create, one must ask questions.’ This pavilion is the result of such questions. We realized that we need to reinvent ourselves. We’re confident this new model will be a beacon and role model to the profession. All this would not have happened without the vision and generosity of the Goldenberg family and especially Aviva. Thank you. Architecture should speak for a time and place but yearn for timelessness. It’s a small step towards a better world.”

Pavilion building

The Pavilion was designed by Mochly Eldar Architects – set up by Dagan Mochly, himself a Technion architecture graduate, together with Reuven Crimow.

Mochly has built a successful company for Urban Planning and Architectural Design of Buildings for commerce, medical facilities, offices, industry, high-tech, universities, research centers, pharmaceutical industry, retirement homes, residential properties, and hotels.

Watch, video created when Andrew and Aviva Goldenberg received Technion Honorary Doctorates :

Click here for the Technion website of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning

The first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was performed on a live patient nearly 50 years ago. Since then, the method has become indispensable for performing non-invasive imaging of internal bodily structures and the brain. While the conventional radiological imaging technique is already well established around the world, many advanced methods and other MRI applications are being developed and investigated for the purpose of medical diagnoses.

This summer, the Technion’s Faculty of Biomedical Engineering joins in the global scientific effort to improve the field of MRI by opening the May-Blum-Dahl MRI Research Center on the main campus. The Center will be located underground, in its own 200-square-meter facility housing a brand-new Siemens 3T MRI scanner delivered directly from Germany.

According to Dr. Moti Freiman of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and the Center’s academic director, the arrival of such a critical research tool has been long-awaited by the university’s scientists, who currently rely on extrapolated data and other MRI facilities to conduct their studies. The machine will be accessible to researchers from a wide range of fields at the Technion and the surrounding area, in addition to industry players interested in deepening their research and development capacities with MRI.

Technion Receives the Human MRI Research Machine

Expanding MRI research capabilities

The Center’s researchers will investigate a wide range of topics with various demographics, such as research into learning disabilities and language processing disorders in infants and children, conducted by Prof. Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus of the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, among other research fields. The Center is the ideal place for conducting such a study as it includes a mock scanner, making it possible to acclimate children and infants to the imaging process prior to entering the actual device.

Advanced cognitive neuroscientific studies will be conducted by Dr. Yoed Kenett’s lab in the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management using machine learning and MRI to investigate the complexity and organization of higher-level cognition, including creativity, associative thought, knowledge, and memory search.

Motor disability research, carried out by Prof. Firas Mawase’s lab in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, will seek to improve health outcomes for the victims of traumatic brain injuries by looking into the neural mechanisms that govern human movement.

The brand-new MRI machine

Using artificial intelligence to improve treatment

An internationally recognized expert in biomedical imaging, including computational radiology and MRI, Dr. Freiman eagerly awaits the opening of the Center to continue expanding his extensive body of radiological research. Dr. Freiman will look for clinical imaging phenotypes that describe tissue physiology, which can be characterized as “imprints,” using artificial intelligence to improve treatments for breast cancer and Crohn’s disease diagnoses, among other applications.

Dr. Freiman is also thrilled about the potential to study the science of MRI technology: “The Center is unique in that, unlike other universities where the MRI centers are not part of the engineering faculty, at the Technion, the vision is to leverage the enormous capabilities in engineering to develop MRI innovations at the forefront of research and technology, while addressing unmet clinical needs. For that, we have made sure that our center will be open for computer science, electrical engineering, signal processing, artificial intelligence and physics research to improve the image acquisition process itself, adding to its capacity to generate positive outcomes for human health.”

Manifestation of a multidisciplinary scientific approach

The Center’s staff will encourage multidisciplinary research and collaborative efforts between faculties and fields. As Dr. Daphna Link-Sourani, the Center’s manager, puts it: “The nature of MRI research is itself multidisciplinary, involving the fields of biology, physics, and chemistry on the one hand, and electrical, computer and materials engineering – on the other. The Center is a living example of MRI’s robust scientific approach.”

Ahead of the Technion’s centennial, Drs. Freiman and Link-Sourani believe the opening of a one-of-a-kind MRI research facility is another reason to celebrate: “The opening of the Center represents the evolution of the Technion from a small class of engineering and architecture students to an internationally recognized research university contributing to the betterment of human health.”

New material developed in a joint study between the Technion and the University of Chicago paves the way for restoring damaged nerve tissue and heart pacing through an external light source on the body. It is based on the concept that light projected into the body (near-infrared) will hit a membrane made of the new material, which will photo-activate the damaged nerve tissue or heart. The study, published in Nature Materials, was led by Assistant Professor Hemi Rotenberg of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion and Professor Bozhi Tian of the University of Chicago.

Nerve tissues are the biological platform that transmits information between different areas of the body. Most of them are found in the two control centers of the central nervous system: the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system stems from the central nervous system, controlling many physical activities, including muscle activation and the transmission of sensory information.

Damage to the peripheral nervous system can lead to limitations such as paralysis, numbness and chronic pain. Although peripheral nerves can undergo regeneration, this is a slow process with limited outcome. However, some medical interventions may enhance rehabilitation.

One solution for the treatment of damaged nerves is electrical stimulation, the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated in many studies. The problem is that this method usually involves invasive procedures that can damage the body’s tissues. The development by Prof. Rotenberg may eliminate the need for electrode transplantation.

Researchers at the Technion and the University of Chicago created a new semiconductor device in a flexible, ultra-thin membrane configuration that interfaces well with biological tissues. The idea is to use this membrane to wrap the damaged nerve tissue or in the case of heart pacing – wrap the heart itself. This step will be carried out as part of the surgery that is necessary in any case in the event of such vulnerabilities.

Asst. Prof. Hemi Rotenberg

“Our development is a photovoltaic material, that is, material that converts light energy into electrical energy that affects nerve tissue,” explained Prof. Rotenberg. “In the article, we demonstrate the efficacy of the new substance in two different contexts – heart pacing and the activation of the peripheral nervous system. In the context of heart treatments, for example, such a device can allow temporary cardiac pacing for post-operative rehabilitation and avoid the use of a temporary electrode to be inserted into the heart. Because the membrane we developed is made of a silicon-based material, which absorbs in the body without any toxic effect whatsoever, there is no need for further surgical action to remove it from the body.”

The uniqueness of the material developed by the researchers is the formation of a semiconducting diode junction from a single type of silicon. This is highly unusual, as diodes are usually made by interfacing two types of silicon. Semiconductors are based on energetic gaps that determine their level of conductivity; they are usually made up of n-type materials, which contribute an electron to the material, and p-type materials that take an electron from the material (leaving a hole instead). The connection between the two materials creates an efficient interface called p-n junction, the building block of electronic devices and solar cells.

The silicon membrane as seen before wrapping it around the heart or nerve tissue. The color you see is due to the porosity of the surface – pores that reflect and absorb the different wavelengths of light in a non-homogeneous way, causing the different colors of the rainbow to appear

The connection between the two different materials is a very complex technological challenge, hence the importance of the discovery presented in the new article; a diode made only of p-type silicon, and the junction is built of ordinary silicon and porous silicon.

According to Prof. Rotenberg, the creation of the new material was unexpected. “I accidentally used a metal tweezer in the laboratory, which provided iron ions to the solution – something I did not plan to happen. The iron ions turned out to catalyze the creation of nanopores on the surface of silicon.”

He also says the new material is a window that allows the medical team to have an external impact on the tissues of the patient’s body. Outside the medical field, the new development is expected to contribute greatly to various applications, for example, in the field of renewable energies. Since renewable energy sources such as the sun are volatile and do not operate at constant intensity throughout the day, energy storage becomes a major challenge in promoting the use of these energies. One of the trends in this regard is the production of hydrogen using the decomposition of water by the power of solar radiation, because the hydrogen produced is a storable energy source. Prof. Rotenberg estimates and hopes that the new material he developed with his colleagues will accelerate the development of more advanced and efficient solar devices.

Video: An isolated heart that spontaneously contracts. On the wall of the heart, you can see the silicon membrane (on the right). By projecting light on the membrane, you can change the heart rate in case of an arrhythmia (for the video we used a green light because infrared light does not show up well to the human eye). Similarly, limb movements can be affected by pulses of light.

For the full article in Nature Materials click here.

The Zisapel Electrical and Computer Engineering Building was inaugurated last week at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology during the Board of Governors meeting. The eight-story, 5,400 square-meter building will house the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Its construction was made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Zohar and Yehuda Zisapel, who are both alumni of the faculty. Last week, the brothers were awarded the Technion Medal – the most prestigious award bestowed in recognition of life-long support of the Technion.

Inauguration and ribbon-cutting ceremony. L-R: Major General (Res.) Amos Horev; Prof. Idit Keidar, Dean of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Zohar Zisapel’s grandson Yona Zisapel (in red); Prof. Peretz Lavie, Chair of the Israel Friends of the Technion; Zohar Zisapel; Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan; and Yehuda Zisapel.

“We enrolled at the Technion 50 years ago because it was the best engineering school in Israel – and actually also the only one,” said Zohar Zisapel. “Now we must preserve the Technion’s elite stature, which is why we are pleased that we are able to help.” His brother Yehuda Zisapel said that “The Faculty’s first building, where we studied, was donated by Fishbach, an American Jew, and was named for him. It’s a big honor for us that the new Faculty building was donated by us – Israelis who studied at the Technion.”

“It is rare for an institution of higher learning and research to make such a huge impact on a society and a country as the Technion did for Israel,” wrote President of Israel Yitzhak Herzog to Yehuda Zisapel. “Thanks to your many years of work, Zisapel brothers, there is today a bustling state-of-the-art research center that serves dozens of research groups from the Technion and elsewhere, enabling the faculty to boost its standing at the forefront of global research. In this way, the Technion will continue to train the best engineers and researchers for Israel’s high-tech industry, which needs the best engineers in order to enable its continued growth and prosperity.”

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan said, “Every time I visit the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, I am aware that this is a unique Faculty with an enormous impact on the State of Israel. Zohar and Yehuda gave an important push to the field of nanotechnology, which led to a revolution in Israel’s technological capabilities. They identified the importance of this field at a very early stage and generously contributed to its development at the Technion. The new building will help us continue to develop the faculty.” Prof. Sivan thanked Yehuda and Zohar for their support, their partnership, and their friendship.

The new Zisapel Building at the Technion.

“Israel suffers from a severe shortage of engineers and technological workers,” said Yehuda Zisapel. “Our donation to this building reflects our vision of helping the Faculty and the Technion increase the number of faculty members as well as the scope of research and teaching fields, and to train more young engineers for the benefit of Israel’s high-tech industry.” He added that, “We began studying at the Technion before the term ‘Israeli high-tech’ was coined. We are proud to play a part in the faculty’s development, and we hope that the new building will not only be used to expand the faculty but also to tighten the connection between the Technion and industry.”

Professor Idit Keidar, dean of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said that “The new building will enable us to carry out the quantum leap that the Faculty needs – recruiting brilliant faculty members and advanced-degree students, entering new research fields such as quantum technologies and AI applications in a wide range of fields, and building an improved computer infrastructure, which is necessary for new breakthroughs. On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank Zohar and Yehuda Zisapel. I promise the new building will be buzzing with activity and teeming with life.”

L-R: Research Prof. Yaakov Ziv; Yehuda Zisapel; and Prof. Idit Keidar, Dean of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering

“Yehuda and Zohar are role models of Technion alumni who not only became pioneers of Israel’s elite tech industry, but also spearhead the Israel Friends of the Technion,” said Professor Peretz Lavie, chair of the Israel Friends of the Technion. “Their support of the Technion, and especially of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering where they studied, is consistent and long-standing. The Zisapel Building joins the Nanoelectronics Building that is named after their parents Moshe and Sara Zisapel, which they donated previously. The Israel Friends of the Technion thanks Yehuda and Zohar and hopes that many others will follow in their footsteps.”

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology inaugurates the Mehoudar Center for Inventors – a center for creative engineering design. The center will encourage inventors from all over the country, school children, university students, and faculty members to dream and imagine. Most importantly, the center will provide them with the necessary engineering tools for building and testing prototypes – with the assistance of a highly skilled technical team and the resources to plan and execute their designs. The Mehoudar Center for Inventors will also be home for cross-faculty collaborations, for example the development of multidisciplinary final projects.

The center is named in honor of Technion graduate Raphael (Rafi) Mehoudar, graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion (1966) and the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the Technion (2014). On Israel’s 67th Independence Day (2015), Mehoudar was given the honor of being selected as one of the torchbearers, in acknowledgement of his contribution as “a successful, world-renowned engineer and entrepreneur who developed the drip irrigation technology that became an international success.”

Mehoudar’s children, Yael and Eyal, at the inauguration ceremony

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan stated that “The Mehoudar Center for Inventors offers a new and innovative approach to the challenge of maintaining and fostering the spirit of ingenuity in our students, faculty, high school students, and anybody interested in building and testing a prototype. The center will allow its users to transform their creative ideas and innovations into models and prototypes using its advanced new facilities, as well as experienced mentors. A hands-on approach will provide them with access to a productive space to explore and test their ideas and research before taking them to scale. We are confident that this approach will greatly inspire current and future creators to turn their inventions into practical technologies and follow the example set by Rafi and others.”

Prof. Peretz Lavie, Chairman of the Israel Friends of the Technion and former Technion president, noted that ” Raphael (Rafi) Mehoudar will be remembered in history as the person who has made one of the most important contributions to modern agriculture and by that changed the life of millions around the world. Mehoudar’s drip technology enables farmers to achieve greater yield of quality crops with reduced use of water, soil, and fertilizer resources, and with little impact on the environment. Millions of farmers currently use these systems in more than 110 countries around the world.”

Prof. Ezri Tarazi, Head of t-hub – the Technion Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, said that “Hundreds of millions of people around the world owe Rafi Mehoudar the very food that is laid on their table every day. The global climate crisis and the desertification process affecting large parts of the planet only reinforce the vital need for Mehoudar inventions, for the purposes of sustainability and survival.”

Raphael (Rafi) Mehoudar

At the age of 20, while still at the Technion, Raphael Mehoudar developed the dual flush toilet mechanism, currently in-use in almost every bathroom in Israel. At the same period, he developed also a unique sprinkler for watering square areas – as opposed to the standard 360° sprinkler. The Standards Institution of Israel was very enthusiastic about the young inventor, and after his release from the IDF, they recruited him for a part-time job within the institute. ‘Netafim’, which heard about the pressure regulator that he had developed, contacted him, and the rest is history: Mehoudar went on to invent and develop the drip irrigation technologies that changed the world of agriculture, and today he has about 400 patents registered to his name.

The new center will cover an area of about 1,000 square meters on the lower floor of the Danziger laboratories building, which was built in 1966 and is located next to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Model of Mehoudar Center for Inventors at the Technion

To recap the events, award ceremonies, and inaugurations of our June 2022 Board of Governors meeting, we issued a special edition of our English newsletter, “Technion LIVE.”

After more than two years of disruptive pandemic, we were delighted to host our board of governors meeting on campus. Entitled “Science & Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” the weeklong event featured an exclusive tech summit, kickoff of the Technion’s centennial celebrations, meetings with students and faculty, as well as off-campus tours.

To read all about it, check out the June edition of our e-newsletter, Technion LIVE.

To subscribe, click here; past issues of our e-newsletter can be found here.

Our 2022 President’s Report is available online, here.

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Rambam Health Care Campus, and philanthropists Andi and Larry Wolfe announced the establishment of the Wolfe Center for Translational Medicine and Engineering on Sunday, June 12. The Center will combine engineering and medicine to promote new technologies for the benefit of human health.

The Wolfe Center will bring the partnership between Rambam and the Technion to new heights and serve as a platform for extensive and in-depth clinical applied research. The Center will foster collaboration between physicians, scientists, and engineers. The interdisciplinary teams will work together on real problems from bench to bedside, translate research insights into innovative therapeutic tools and train the next generation of doctors and engineers to work together in a joint effort to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. The technologies that will be developed within the framework of the Center will be designed to address unmet clinical needs. These innovations will be examined in the clinic and laboratories and rapidly implemented in the field as part of an overall concept of bringing scientific and technological developments closer to the patient.

The Wolfe Center for Translational Medicine and Engineering will be established in the Helmsley Health Discovery Tower, which is located within the Rambam campus and adjacent to the Technion’s Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine. The Tower is the first joint project of its kind between Rambam, academia, and the biomedical high-tech industry. The Tower will also include centers of excellence and clinical institutes such as the Leir Foundation Clinical Research Institute at Rambam and the Uzia Galil Innovation Center. It will also feature several floors for start-up companies, as well as an exhibition hall and visitor center.

(L-R): Larry Wolfe, Prof. Miki Halberthal, Andi Wolfe, Prof. Rafi Beyar, Prof. Uri Sivan, Dr. Esty Golan

Andi and Larry Wolfe are involved in supporting the Michigan-Israel Partnership for Research and Education, in which the Technion plays a central role. Over the last decade, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation (named for Andi’s parents and of which Larry is the President) have supported many vital initiatives at Rambam and the Technion, including the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation Pediatric Pulmonary Institute, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation Center for Interventional Cardiology, and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation Mechanical School of Engineering. Larry Wolfe has been a member of the American Friends of Rambam Board of Directors for many years. Andi is a member of the Technion Board of Governors and on the National Board of Directors of the American Technion Society (ATS). Both Andi and Larry have also been involved in many other projects in Israel and in the State of Michigan.

“We are very proud and excited to be part of this transformational and collaborative research and innovation initiative between Rambam Health Care and the Technion,” Andi and Larry Wolfe said. “Our gift allows us to continue the legacy, vision and philanthropy of D. Dan and Betty Kahn in Israel.”

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan said, “Human health is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century and coping with this challenge requires a combination of capabilities from different worlds of content, from the patient’s bed and the doctors around it, to scientists and engineers from a variety of disciplines. Today, the Technion is creating a revolution aimed at connecting all those disciplines to deal with major challenges in human health, and the Wolfe Center will express the combination of the capabilities of one of Israel’s leading hospitals with a world-renowned scientific-technological university. We are grateful to Andi and Larry Wolfe for a long-standing partnership and for their contribution to enabling the establishment of the Center.”

General Director of Rambam Health Care Campus General Professor Miki Halberthal said, “Research and innovation are critical components in the success of the healthcare system in the 21st century. The tremendous contribution of the Wolfe family will enable us to increase our capabilities. Research is now a necessity for keeping Israeli doctors relevant in a competitive and constantly evolving field. The new center will allow us to convince doctors who are engaged in the difficult, demanding clinical field to continue to work in a large medical center, by providing opportunities for advanced research.”

The Technion is one of the few technological academic institutions in the world in which the Faculty of Medicine operates in conjunction with engineering and scientific faculties. The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine was founded in 1969 with the vision and understanding that the future of medicine lies in its connection to science, engineering, and technology. Today, the Technion conducts extensive teaching and research activities in connection with the world of medicine and many fields of study including biomedical engineering, computing, design, and architecture.

The cooperation between the Rambam Medical Campus and the Technion, which began decades ago, has been very strong in recent years and is a promising platform for innovative technological applications. In August 2020, the Technion launched the Human Health Initiative, which connects researchers across various fields and faculties at the Technion to jointly address the challenges of contemporary medicine. The Larry and Andi Wolfe Center for Engineering and Medicine will play a crucial role in this endeavor.

The Rambam Health Care Campus is very active in the fields of research and innovation through its partnerships with its Division of Research, the Rambam MedTech (technology transfer company), the MindUp incubator in cooperation with IBM, Medtronic, and Pitango VC.

Professor Rafi Beyar, a physician and engineer by trade and former director of Rambam who also served as the dean of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, added, “The Wolfe Center for Medicine and Engineering in the Helmsley Health Discovery Tower is the realization of Rambam’s master plan to connect clinical medicine and academic research with an emphasis on engineering. The joint center will house Rambam physician-researchers, Technion academic researchers, data science experts, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Bio-Convergence, which is at the forefront of Israeli Innovation, will be advanced at the Wolfe Center, connecting biology to engineering for the benefit of the patient and serving as fertile ground for strengthening the biomedical industry in Israel and around the world.”

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan opened the Board of Governors Meeting on Sunday, June 12, with the announcement of a new board member, Professor Adi Salzberg, who has been appointed Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion.

Prof. Sivan’s announcement of the appointment of Prof. Salzberg as Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion was one of the important announcements with which he opened the Technion Board of Governors meeting. In his opening remarks, the President congratulated Technion friends from Israel and around the world who came to the campus to take part in the annual Board of Governors meeting.

“The Board of Governors is a festive event that brings Technion friends from all over the world to our campus, and I am glad that we are once again able to hold it face-to-face after the long pandemic,” he said. “The impressive growth of the Technion, and the preservation of its position at the global forefront of research and science would not have been possible without our donors and the extensive activity of the Technion Societies around the world.”

The appointment of Prof. Adi Salzberg, a faculty member in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, went into effect earlier this month. She is the first person in the Technion’s history to hold this unique position. In her new role, Prof. Salzberg will work to promote equality, reduce gender and sectoral gaps, and promote diversity and representation of populations that are not adequately represented among the academic and administrative staff and in the student community.

According to President Sivan, “The Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion stemmed from the recognition that diversity in general, and gender diversity in particular, are important for better science and research, for better academia, and for a better, more respectful and fairer society.”

Technion’s Strategic Plan for the Next Decade

“The traditional university structure is not adapted to the 21st century, which is characterized by challenges that are essentially multidisciplinary,” said President Sivan in his remarks. “Today’s academic, research, and technological reality requires a combination of disciplines and the breakdown of barriers between disciplines and faculties. Scientific and technological breakthroughs today require multidisciplinary research and close cooperation between academia and industry.

“In the past two years, the Technion has formulated a strategic plan for the coming decade, based on the working assumption that academia must adapt itself to the rapid changes that are taking place around us. We understand that we need to deepen collaborations between researchers from different faculties to accelerate research and simultaneously change the teaching and training patterns of our students. The relationship with industry is changing rapidly and we need to find the right place for a leading technology university.

“Breaking down barriers is essential for maintaining the Technion’s status as a world-leading university and for tackling the challenges of the 21^st century. These challenges, for the most part, are multidisciplinary. Therefore, we focused on three main fronts: human health, sustainability, and the digital industry.”

President Sivan emphasized that the students will not only study these subjects, they will also apply them in the real world through contact with industry. He also stressed the importance of wide-ranging collaborations with the Technion.

One of the pioneering initiatives is the Human Health Initiative, which bridges different researchers, faculties, and disciplines to promote the application of science and technology for the benefit of medicine and human health. In this framework, grants have already been allocated to three research groups involving dozens of researchers from different Technion faculties. A joint research project has been launched by the Technion and Rambam Health Care Campus aimed at the application of artificial intelligence in medicine. The Larry and Andi Wolfe Center for Engineering and Medicine will focus on applied research in collaboration between the Technion and Rambam Health Care Campus. Also announced was the establishment of the Zimin Institute at Technion, which will harness machine learning and the processing of Big Data for the benefit of all aspects of human health.

Strengthening collaboration between academia and industry

“I do not know of any other university in the world that has had such a profound impact on the economy, society, and security of its country,” said President Sivan. “Israeli high-tech was born here and Technion graduates hold leading positions in the Israeli economy. Scientific and technological breakthroughs today require close cooperation between academia and industry. Over the past two years, we have worked to build a new ecosystem with industry and have promoted joint research on campus.

“We encourage lecturers from industry to participate in academic life at the Technion, to mentor and teach – exposing our students and researchers to real-world challenges and developments. Our goal is to integrate an exclusive hub of leading companies into the campus, with which the Technion has deep research ties, and will become part of our student education program. Together, we will create a meeting point on campus for industry and academia.

“This hub has been gradually taking shape including the following partnerships: software giant PTC was first to join and signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Technion a year ago, and their R&D center will be relocated from Matam Industrial Park to the Technion by the end of 2022; Google signed a cooperation agreement with the Technion, including research into AI for medical applications; Doral Energy signed an agreement with the Technion for joint activity in developing solutions to global challenges on climate and the environment; and Intel and Rafael, who are long-standing research partners with Technion. We are proud that Intel has selected the Technion as one of the six academic institutions worldwide with which it collaborates.”

The President added that ties with other leading companies are coming soon in additional core areas that are consistent with the Technion’s strategic goals.

As a result of the tightening of ties with industry, the Technion reported a record number of research agreements in 2021. The pace of establishment of startup companies at the Technion tripled, with a record 15 new companies in the past year . Additionally, a record number of Technion researchers received awards and research grants in the past year.

The Technion Board of Governors lasted three days, during which honorary doctorates and honorary fellowships were awarded to 11 outstanding women and men, as well as important prizes, including the Harvey Prize, which is considered a “Nobel Predictor,” the André Cohen-Deloro Prize for Research on behalf of the Adelis Foundation, and the Technion Medal, the Technion’s highest honor, which was awarded to brothers Yehuda and Zohar Zisapel.

The momentum on campus was tangible. During the Board of Governors sessions, inauguration ceremonies were held at various centers on campus, including the Polak Family Distance Learning Studio, the Mehoudar Inventors Center, the Aviva and Andrew Goldenberg Architecture Studio Pavilion, and the first floor of the Zisapel Building for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

As part of the program, The Marker’s annual high-tech conference was held this week at the Technion. The conference, which was held for the first time in Haifa and at the Technion, addressed technological innovation and the future of Israeli high-tech.

Click below to watch videos from the Technion’s 2022 Board of Governors meeting:

Eight distinguished individuals received honorary doctorates in a festive ceremony that took place during the annual Technion Board of Governors meeting – the first in almost three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was held in the presence of Technion President Professor Uri Sivan, Chairman of the Council Mr. Gideon Frank, Chairman of the Board of Governors Mr. Scott Leemaster, members of the Technion senior management, and faculty deans. Professor Wayne Kaplan acted as Master of Ceremonies and welcomed guests and honorees.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sent a video message congratulating the honorary doctorate recipients. He said that the Technion is Israel’s powerhouse of technology, and one of the most prestigious institutes in Israel, having produced four out of five Israeli Nobel prize laureates in the sciences. Prime Minister Bennett, who has a very personal connection to Haifa and the Technion – his father worked at the Technion, and he grew up in Haifa, also called the Technion a “beautiful model of coexistence – with Jews, Arabs, orthodox and secular students all coming together in the pursuit of excellence.” He finished by wishing everyone a wonderful evening and many more years of success.

In his welcoming remarks, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan began by asking the question of how we should define a university. The university, he said, is the sum of all those who chose to align themselves with its mission and values. From the Technion’s founding fathers to its faculty, students, and administrative staff, from its staunch supporters to those who impact the world . “Our honorees tonight have aligned themselves with the Technion’s mission and dedicated themselves to be of service to others. Congratulations to each one of you – may you continue to bask in the glory of your meaningful, heartfelt lifelong contributions and derive an endless sense of meaning and joy from your pursuits.”

Scott Leemaster, Chairman of the Board of Governors shared his delight at being back with the Technion family after three tumultuous years. “The Technion is a leading university today thanks to visionaries who have steered it in the last hundred years.” He paid tribute to Uri Sivan, the 17^th president of Technion who has led it through the many challenges of the last few years, putting his heart and soul into this work and shaping the university into an institution of excellence. Mr. Leemaster added that the honorees championed the Technion’s values in research and they now joined the ranks of Einstein, Churchill, and other luminaries. He emphasized how important science and innovation were for a sustainable future – and to ensure that the next generations will have access to clean air and water, food, and a stable environment. He thanked the students for “showing us excellence and inspiring us.”

Citations for the Honorary Doctorate recipients

Dr. George Elbaum

In honor of your passion for the Technion and its role in keeping Israel safe and bettering humankind; with admiration for your commitment to influencing today’s youth by telling your story as a Holocaust survivor; in gratitude for your tireless leadership on the local, national, and international levels; and in appreciation for your generous support of energy research and student programs at the Technion.

Click here for the video screened at the Honorary Doctorate Conferment Ceremony.

Professor Harry B. Gray

In recognition of your extraordinary contributions that raised worldwide awareness of research and development of solar energy utilization; and in gratitude for your outstanding support and guidance to the Technion and the Israeli academic community.

Click here for the video

Kenneth Levy

For your continuous support of the Technion, its mission and its students; in recognition of your success as an international business leader; in gratitude for your contributions to the Israeli economy through the establishment of several internationally recognized high-technology companies; in admiration of your undying commitment to the Jewish people, to science and to humankind by providing the spark for transformative innovations and scientific advancements.

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Robert (Bob) and Ruth Magid

In recognition of your joint support of Jewish communities in Australia, Israel and around the world; in gratitude for your relentless efforts to promote the Technion and its scientific pursuits; in tribute to your success and accomplishments as business leaders; and in appreciation of your selfless commitment to philanthropic causes and advocacy efforts.

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Irith Rappaport

For continuing the philanthropic efforts of your parents in supporting transformative biomedical research and education; in recognition of your steadfast dedication to empowering women and for your commitment to the arts; in gratitude for your devotion to the Technion and the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.

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Professor Anton Zeilinger

In recognition of your seminal contributions to quantum science and technology; in appreciation of your dedication to attracting young people to the field; in tribute to your efforts in envisioning science as a platform to enrich the human spirit; and for uniting the Israeli and European academic communities on the path to scientific achievement.

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Professor Daniel Zajfman

In recognition of your success at the helm of the Weizmann Institute of Science and for leading the way to impressive scientific achievements here in Israel and across the globe; in appreciation of your dedication to advancing science and promoting its accessibility on an international scale; and in deep gratitude for promoting collaborations between the Technion and the Weizmann Institute of Science in many significant areas of research.

Click here for the video.

Speaking on behalf of all the honorees, Prof. Harry Gray responded that he was “honored to be in your graduating class.” He acknowledged Albert Einstein’s enormous impact on Israel and the Technion, and his statement made 100 years ago that “Israel must develop technology to exist and survive.” Now Israel is the world capital of technology. This has been largely due to the Technion family who has gone out and established companies all over Israel.

Prof. Gray emphasized that the job isn’t finished and said there are three crises on the planet that need to be tackled: human health, energy, and environment. The Board of Governors should support the Technion’s efforts in these areas, and Prof. Gray said he was very encouraged by the new Center for Sustainable Processes and Catalysis led by Distinguished Professor Ilan Marek. Prof. Gray finished on a personal note by saying, “Shirley and I came here 43 years ago with our family. We love this place. It’s been so good to us. We can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for our family and for enriching our lives. With this honorary degree, there’s no way you’ll ever get rid of me now!”

Click below to watch videos from the Technion’s 2022 Board of Governors meeting: