Technion Alumni Medal Awarded to Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitsan Alon and Former Minister Izhar Shay

The Technion celebrated 100 years since its opening with a festive event at its historic building in the Hadar neighborhood, in the presence of the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and his wife, Michal. The event marked the opening of the Technion’s Board of Governors meeting. During the event, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan presented the Technion Alumni Medal, awarded to alumni who have achieved exceptional accomplishments, to Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon, head of the intelligence system for locating hostages and missing persons, and Izhar Shay, former Minister of Science and Technology and co-founder of Next October.

The medal is awarded to alumni who have achieved extraordinary accomplishments in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, technology, and architecture; who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the economy, industry, and education; and who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment through public service to the State of Israel and the Technion.

Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon, born in 1965, began his impressive military career in a special forces unit, received the Chief of Staff Citation, and became the unit’s commander. After studying in the U.S., he commanded elite units and, following the Second Lebanon War, established the Operational Activation Division in the Intelligence Directorate. In 2012, he was promoted to Major General and appointed Central Command Commander, later becoming the project coordinator for countering the Iranian threat – a role in which he led strategic initiatives against Iran until his retirement from the IDF in 2019. After the October 7 massacre, he volunteered for reserve duty, established the intelligence unit for locating hostages and missing persons, and joined Israel’s negotiation team on the hostage issue. He holds a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Technion and studied in Washington. He received the Alumni Medal “in appreciation of his outstanding contribution to Israel’s security over decades; for his determination in facing complex challenges and varied threats; for leading efforts to release hostages and missing persons; and for being a leader and a man of action – a role model for Technion alumni.”

“Receiving the Alumni Medal from the Technion, my academic home, is an especially moving moment for me,” said Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon at the ceremony.  “The foundations of my career were laid here. The days that we studied engineering and science here became a critical component of my ability to serve our country. I served the State of Israel in various roles, but after October 7, I found myself with a difficult and painful mission: Establishing and commanding the Hostages’ Headquarters and being part of the negotiation team for their return. This is a mission that is at the core of our pain as a nation and has crucial importance for our future.

I see this medal as a medal for everyone who has acted day and night and continues to act on their behalf. This medal honors all the hostages’ families who continue to fight with endless courage and pain.”

Izhar Shay, born in 1963, is a graduate of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Shay served as a Knesset member from 2019 to 2021, as Minister of Science and Technology, and as a member of the Coronavirus Cabinet. He is currently a partner in the venture capital fund Disruptive AI, advises high-tech companies, and serves on the investment committees of Iron Nation and Phoenix Financial. He led two high-tech companies – Business Layers and V-Secure – to successful exits and was a partner for 15 years at Canaan Partners, based in Silicon Valley.

Following the death of his son Yaron Ori (Noni), who died defending Kibbutz Kerem Shalom on October 7, Shay founded the Next October initiative, which promotes the establishment of Israeli startups in memory of the war’s victims. He is involved in efforts to heal and unite Israeli society following the events of October 7.
He received the Alumni Medal “in recognition of his significant contribution to Israeli society and its economy; in appreciation of his outstanding achievements in the tech sector and public service; and for being a visionary leader and a role model for Technion alumni.”

“Since its founding, the Technion has been much more than an academic institution,” said former Minister Izhar Shay, at the ceremony. “It has been a home of inspiration, a source of groundbreaking innovation, and a beacon of Israeli entrepreneurship. Many of the leading technological innovations that protect the country’s security — those that continue to secure our future — were invented and developed within its walls by its graduates. As a Technion graduate, I feel the need to express my gratitude to this institution, which is not only a home for engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, but also one of the supporting pillars of the State of Israel.”

Previous recipients of the Alumni Medal include David (Dadi) Perlmutter (2018), Avi Natan (2019), Guido Pardo Roques (2019), Aharon Aharon (2023), Johny Srouji (2023), and Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis (2024).

Photo credit: Maayan Toaf / GPO