A Bastion of Openness, Inclusivity, Free Speech

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology awarded honorary doctorates to five distinguished individuals: philanthropist Mr. Stephen B. Klein; entrepreneur and Technion alumnus Mr. David (Dadi) Perlmutter; philanthropists Dr. Martin Rosman and Mrs. Grace Rosman; and theoretical computer scientist and Technion alumnus Professor Avi Wigderson.

The ceremony formed part of the annual Technion Board of Governors meeting. Speaking on behalf of the honorees, Prof. Wigderson talked of the challenges Israeli academia is currently facing.

The laureates with the Technion President. L-R: Dr. Martin Rosman, Mrs. Grace Rosman, Mr. Stephen Klein, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan, Prof. Avi Wigderson, Mr. David (Dadi) Perlmutter

“The five individuals we honor today pushed the bounds of innovation onwards, upwards, and outwards. Expanding the bounds of opportunity, sharing their success with society, they exemplify the best of the Technion” President Prof. Uri Sivan stated at the ceremony. “The Technion is the sum of its people, who built it day by day. The founding fathers, the 17 architecture students in the first class, the supporters and governors who built it out of nothing, the faculty and staff, the graduates who built the infrastructure of Israel and high-tech all around the world, graduates like Dadi Perlmutter, supremely accomplished scientists like Avi Widgerson, philanthropists like Stephen Klein and Martin and Grace Rossman who through their generosity help the Technion flourish. Together, we are the Technion. Its spirit connects us all – us, the students, and the people impacted by Technion discoveries and inventions.”

Mr. Scott Leemaster, Chairman of the Board of Governors, said, “The Technion exists to make the world a better place. Our honorees today are paragons of that ideal. Everyone in this room tonight has felt the ripples of their achievements. They exemplify what the Technion strives for: learning, hard work, and Tikun Olam.”

L-R: Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan, Dean of the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry Prof. Noam Adir, Chairman of the Board of Governors Mr. Scott Leemaster, Chairman of the Council Mr. Gideon Frank, Senior Executive VP Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Executive VP for Academic Affairs Prof. Naama Brenner, Dean of the Graduate School Prof. Uri Peskin

Honorary Doctorate Recipients

Mr. Stephen B. Klein, from the United States, is a longstanding member of the Technion Board of Governors and the recipient of a Technion Honorary Fellowship in 2016. He is a prominent champion of Jewish, civic, and humanitarian causes in the United States and Israel.

The honorary doctorate was bestowed on him in appreciation of his commitment as a philanthropist to realize Tikkun Olam; with great admiration for his dedication to the Technion and Israel; in recognition of his leadership at the American Technion Society; with gratitude for his contributions as a Technion Guardian; and with thanks for his generous support of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering to secure Israel’s future.

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Senior Executive VP Prof. Oded Rabinovitch (left) conferring the degree on Mr. Stephen Klein

Mr. David (Dadi) Perlmutter is an Israeli technology and social entrepreneur and a graduate of the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He was executive vice president and chief product officer at the Intel Corporation, a multinational technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and is currently active in several non-profit organizations. Mr. Perlmutter is a member of the Technion Board of Governors.

The honorary doctorate was bestowed on him in recognition of his groundbreaking and multi-faceted contributions to the development of high-tech industry in Israel and its global advancement; for his role as a Technion alumnus, an educator, social and business entrepreneur, and his steadfast commitment to advocate for equal opportunities, diversity, integration, and inclusion across all sectors of Israeli society; for his contributions to the Technion, his efforts to promote higher education, and his dedicated service to the Israel Friends of the Technion.

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Senior Executive VP Prof. Oded Rabinovitch (left) conferring the degree on Mr. David (Dadi) Perlmutter

Dr. Martin and Mrs. Grace Rosman are steadfast advocates of Israel, the Technion, and the American Technion Society (ATS), and 2018 recipients of a Technion Honorary Fellowship. They are longtime members of the ATS Washington, D.C., Leadership Council and current Members of the Technion Board of Governors.

The honorary doctorate was bestowed on the couple in honor of their devotion to Israel and the Technion, their active leadership at every level of the American Technion Society and on the Technion Board of Governors; and in gratitude for their contributions as Technion Guardians, supporting projects such as the Rosman Atidim Program, which has impacted hundreds of students, and the Martin and Grace Druan Rosman High Performance Computer Data Center.

Technion President Uri Sivan and Executive VP for Academic Affairs Prof. Naama Brenner (second from left) conferring the degree on Dr. Martin and Mrs. Grace Rosman

Prof. Avi Wigderson is a graduate of Technion’s Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science. A researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, New Jersey, he is known for deepening the connections between mathematics and computer science.

The honorary doctorate was bestowed on him in recognition of his fundamental contributions and leadership in the fields of theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics, including complexity theory, cryptography, expander graphs, and many more; and in gratitude for his ongoing relationship with the Technion, which began with his undergraduate studies.

Prof. Uri Sivan (middle) and Dean of the Graduate School Prof. Uri Peskin (left) conferring the degree on Prof. Avi Wigderson

Speaking on behalf of all the honorees, Prof. Wigderson said, “My connections with the Technion are deep and numerous. It’s my alma mater. It inspired and prepared me for my career. I met my wife here. We even got married here. Israeli universities, and the Technion in particular, have been beacons of excellence, contributing to Israel’s economy and security. The Technion is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and truth. Openness, inclusivity, free speech – these are the necessary foundations of this search; without them, there can be no truth and no science.”

Front line: honorees. L-R: Mr. Stephen Klein, Mr. David (Dadi) Perlmutter, Mrs. Grace Rosman, Dr. Martin Rosman, Prof. Avi Wigderson