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Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

“A once-in-a- generation opportunity, to build a new university in N.Y.C.”, those were the words of Mayor Bloomberg in his invitation to top tier universities. I used these words when I conveyed his magnificent idea to a group of Technion Deans. I asked them to prepare a proposal for a new graduate program in NY, tailor-made to the economic strengths of the city. Between you and me, while I emphasized that this was indeed a once in a life time opportunity, I also encouraged them that

“since we have a very slim chance of winning –  be wild, use your imagination to build something original, new, out of the box.”      And indeed they did.

 Imagine, building a new university from scratch!

Prof. Skorton and now Prof. Polack and myself are eternally grateful to Mayor Bloomberg for giving us this incredible chance to fulfill every university president’s fantasy. This opportunity could not have come at a better time. One of the current most pressing issues facing universities and academic institutes world-wide,

is the search for the best means to adapt to the fourth industrial revolution – the digital revolution – the Machine Age.

Driven by the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and the notion of robotics replacing human labor, our machines are exhibiting abilities they have never had before. Jobs in which productivity can be greatly improved by technology – are already in steep decline. Tasks that are standardized, repetitive, and involve patterns – can now be carried out a million times faster by algorithms. Companies are making more money and hiring fewer people.

But the positions that are irreplaceable by machines, no matter how intelligent, are those that require social intelligence, creativity & perception –

characteristics we aim to cultivate here at Cornell-Tech, alongside excellence in sciences and engineering.

The challenge put forward by Mayor Bloomberg was direct and bold: “Our goal is to make New York City the global capital of technological innovation, I am looking for a university that will help us in doing that.”

Cornell and the Technion stood up to the challenge and came up with a new form of university. A university that is not only tailor made to the economy of NY, but is also designed to meet the challenges of the digital revolution.

Cornell Tech and the JTCI programs are unique. This is a revolutionary model for graduate-level technology education, removing traditional barriers between disciplines. It is rapidly establishing itself as a model academic institution for the second half of the 21^st century.

Ladies and gentlemen, the campus we inaugurate today is built for the future. It will generate the next big ideas, new companies and talents that will fulfill mayor Bloomberg’s vision for New York. Our students will become immediate players in the 4^th industrial revolution and will join New York’s vibrant economy.

With this magnificent campus, Cornell and the Technion are making a clear statement: practical knowledge, to paraphrase Ezra Cornell, is not inferior nor second rate to basic knowledge – they are the two sides of the same coin. The uniquely designed corporate co-location building will allow us to fuse academia and industry under the same roof. It will foster innovation and world-class research and start-ups for economic growth and for the public good.

To come full circle, I’d like to take one more opportunity to thank you so much, former mayor Michael Bloomberg, on behalf of the Technion and Cornell, for your vision, courage and generosity that have taken this incredible idea and made it into an incredible reality.

And in the words of a one-of-a-kind educator, Janusz Korczak,

“The one who cares for the future, plants wheat.

The one who cares for the years to come, plants trees.

The one who cares for future generations, educates people.”

credit: Cornell University CornellCast

THE TECHNION-ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW CORNELL TECH CAMPUS ON NEW YORK CITY’S ROOSEVELT ISLAND

The campus will serve as the new home of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, and as a new hub for New York City’s growing innovation and technology sector

NEW YORK, NY (September 13, 2017): Marking a new milestone for the ever-expanding technology and entrepreneurship community in New York City, Cornell Tech today officially dedicated its new campus on Roosevelt Island. The campus will expand the mission and impact of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute—an academic partnership between Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University—and directly foster technological innovation in key New York City industries.

“Today’s Cornell Tech campus opening marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute’s ongoing work to foster innovation in New York and beyond,” said Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, while addressing faculty, local, city and state government officials, diplomats and press attending today’s new campus dedication. “In partnership with Cornell University, we’ve developed a model of graduate-level technology education that is unlike any other – one that’s tailor-made not only for New York City but for the challenges of the digital revolution. Drawing upon Cornell’s incredibly strong presence and network in New York, we’ve cultivated meaningful new ties between academia and industry, and developed an ecosystem that directly fosters innovation, world-class research and entrepreneurship, driving both economic growth and public good. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Technion faculty members and staff who took part in this incredible project and worked tirelessly to make it a success. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and we couldn’t be more excited to take this next step.”

The Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute was established in 2013 with a $133 million gift from Joan Klein Jacobs and Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, founding chairman and CEO emeritus of Qualcomm. Since then, it has become a catalyst for global entrepreneurship and a driver of New York’s emerging tech ecosystem and local economy. The Jacobs Institute draws upon professors, research and resources from both Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a leading global research university that has been vital in Israel’s emergence as the “Startup Nation,” and Cornell, a longtime leader in engineering and computer science with a strong presence in New York City.

“The ultimate goal of the Jacobs Institute is not only to attract excellent students, but to give them the kind of excellent education that will ensure they are both prepared and excited to address the real-world challenges faced by professionals in their industries,” said Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs. “This new campus directly reflects that vision, and will be invaluable in supporting the Jacobs Institute’s ongoing work to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship for many years to come.”

“New York has long been the financial capital of the world, but the city is also home to a wide variety of other innovation-driven industries that make it particularly fertile territory for starting new companies,” said Ron Brachman, Director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. “Drawing upon Technion’s rich history of innovation and its role in establishing Israel as the ‘Startup Nation,’ the Jacobs Institute is well-positioned to drive economic development in New York, particularly in the high-tech sector. In the coming years, new research, innovations and companies coming out of the Jacobs Institute will directly contribute to the thousands of high-quality jobs that are expected to be created in New York, and will help to define the city as a leader within the tech sector of the 21st century.”

The Jacobs Institute’s master’s degree programs—in Connective Media and Health Tech—focus on driving innovation in industries in which New York City has historically excelled, while always remaining anchored in technology. Graduates of these programs receive master’s degrees from both the Technion and Cornell—which, as of 2016, makes Technion the first international university to grant an accredited degree on U.S. soil. The Connective Media graduate program, the first degree of its kind in the world, is centered on computer science and engineering, the human and social impacts of technology, and entrepreneurship. The Health Tech graduate program, meanwhile, focuses on the cutting edge of transforming how healthcare is delivered and experienced, and was designed to develop innovative new products and services that address real healthcare needs.

The Runway Startup Program at the Jacobs Institute supports recent PhDs who are likewise able to draw on the resources New York City has to offer as they build on their research to develop tech companies on campus. Over the past three years, Runway postdocs have founded 16 companies—from a smart baby monitor to an urban planning analytics platform—and collectively raised $19 million in funding.

“As an alumnus of the Technion in Israel and the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Startup Program, I’ve seen just how impactful a true culture of entrepreneurship can be, and I consider my time at the Jacobs Institute to have been instrumental in much of my own success,” said Assaf Glazer, CEO of the aforementioned innovative baby monitor company Nanit, and member of the January 2014 Runway Startup cohort. “As a postdoctoral student in the Runway Startup Program, Jacobs afforded me the resources I needed for my initial research and development, brand architecture, and networking. It quickly became apparent that New York City’s unique concentration of startups and consumer-focused companies would make it the ideal place to launch my business. New York City, Cornell Tech and the Jacobs Institute are true hotbeds of innovation, and I have no doubt that the new campus will extend that innovative spirit even further.” 

Today’s dedication ceremony included Cornell University President Martha Pollack; Cornell Tech Dean and Vice Provost Daniel Huttenlocher; Technion President Peretz Lavie; Bob Harrison, Chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees; former New York City Mayor, and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies Michael Bloomberg; Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology, Ofir Akunis; Consul General of Israel in New York, Ambassador Dani Dayan; New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio; and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.

MAYOR EMANUEL SIGNS AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CHICAGO’S CURRENT AND ISRAEL’S TECHNION

New Collaboration Will Develop Solutions to Global Water Challenges and Drive Economic Development in Both Chicago and Israel

Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed yesterday an agreement to drive collaboration and research between Chicago’s Current and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.  The Memorandum of Understanding will bring together Chicago academic and research institutions with Israel’s top public research university to develop solutions to global water challenges.

“This agreement helps us write the next chapter in the story of Israel and Chicago,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Working together to develop solutions to water challenges will strengthen economic development and protect public health in both Israel and the U.S. and far beyond.”

“Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel arrived at Technion with an important and significant vision: the establishment of international cooperation as a platform for solving the global water shortage.,” Technion’s Executive Vice President for Research Prof. Wayne D. Kaplan said. “This collaboration brings together leading academic bodies and key organizations in Chicago, including Current, and I have no doubt that we are laying the foundation for a long-term cooperation that will benefit not only the Technion and Chicago, and even not only Israel and the United States, but all of humanity.”

The agreement establishes academic partnerships in areas of fundamental science and applied water research between Technion and Current’s Research Consortium, which is comprised of Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois (Urban/Champaign), the University of Illinois (Chicago), the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the Chicago Department of Water Management.

The partnership will create a broad collaborative research platform between Current and the Technion, linking water research, technology development, commercialization, and deployment in industry and infrastructure.

“This effort brings together world-class scientists to tackle the critical challenge of ensuring that people worldwide have the water they need,” Steve Frenkel, Executive Director of Current said. “Leveraging the global reach of Current’s new research consortium will accelerate the science needed to deliver the water technology innovations society desperately needs.”

The agreement is designed to increase research outcomes that result in deployed solutions and aligned water research efforts between the Technion and Current’s Research Consortium. It will also generate solutions to water challenges with the potential to increase economic development and protect public health in both Israel and the U.S. through developing globally-exportable products.

Current is a joint effort that brings together public and private partners from across the Chicago area, to solve the toughest water challenges facing the nation and the globe. The effort is led by an unprecedented partnership between the City of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and World Business Chicago and is designed to leverage the strength of the Chicago region’s water industry to drive critical research forward and generate greater economic impact.

The agreement was signed during Mayor’s Emanuel’s trip to Israel to promote investment and innovation in Chicago. From Sept. 9 to 13 the Mayor is traveling with a delegation composed of academic and business leaders from across the Chicago area.

A key focus of the trip is to highlight Chicago’s leading role in advancing water technology innovation and conservation through Current while show casing new collaborations leveraging Israeli water expertise.

 

Invitation to the Media

Technion’s Cyber ​​Security Research Center will hold a conference next week on:

“Decentralized Cryptographic Currencies and Blockchains”

Sunday-Thursday, September 10-14, 2017, Churchill Auditorium

The Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber ​​Security Research Center at Technion will hold a conference next week on one of the hottest technological topics in the world today: “Decentralized Cryptographic Currencies and Blockchains,” which will feature a number of leading experts in the field including:

• Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, an open-source platform based on blockchains. Ethereum skyrocketed by 2,800% in 2017, reaching an all-time high.
• Zooko Wilcox, founder of Zcash, a system that maintains user privacy in cryptocurrencies. The project began with a study initiated by Prof. Ben-Sasson of Technion, with the cooperation of colleagues from MIT, Berkeley, Tel Aviv, and John Hopkins universities.
• Kathryn Haun, a federal prosecutor from the United States, who has exposed both criminals who used cryptocurrencies to fund crimes worth millions on the “Silk Road” website, and FBI detectives who misappropriated the cryptocurrencies confiscated from the same site.
• Peter Van Valkenburg, an attorney and expert on cryptocurrencies who testified on the matter to the US Congress.
• Prof. Joseph Bonneau of the University of New York
• Prof. Rafael Pass of Cornell University
• Prof. Zohar Aviv of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Prof. Eli Ben-Sasson of Technion, who developed the scientific-technological platform behind Zcash

The conference organizers are Prof. Eli Biham, head of the Fujiwara Cyber ​​Security Research Center, and Prof. Eli Ben-Sasson, a faculty member at Technion’s Computer Science Department who specializes in the subject.

The conference, to be held at Technion’s Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber ​​Security Research Center, is part of a series of cybersecurity and computer conferences held by the Center. Cryptocurrencies are an invention of the last few decades. They are designed to replace tangible currency platforms (bills and coins) as well as virtual platforms such as wire transfers. The first cryptocurrency was the Bitcoin.

The conference will also deal with blockchains, the technological concept on which are based cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Zcash; the regulation of virtual currencies; and more.

The conference is intended for students, researchers, and industry professionals, and is already arousing great interest among members of the virtual currency community in Israel.

The Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber Security Research Center at Technion focuses on cyber security research such as software and hardware protection, operating systems and cloud information protection as well as communication to and from the cloud, protection of IoT (Internet of Things) systems, verification of software and hardware, computer vision, security of autonomous systems, machine learning for security, cryptology and  cryptanalysis, security and privacy of medical and aeronautical systems, and many other subjects. The Center is a leader in its field in Israel and manages research grants for researchers, funds graduate and doctoral students, and is a magnet for research in the field.

For the full conference program click here

For more information: Doron Shaham, Technion Spokesperson, 050-310-9088

Hyundai Motor Commits to Jointly Research

Future Mobility with Technion and KAIST

‘HTK Consortium for Future Mobility Research’ to accelerate developments in autonomous driving, cyber security, and artificial intelligence

Hyundai Motor targets Israel’s best start-ups to create next generation automotive technologies

September 6, 2017 – Hyundai Motor has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) to conduct joint R&D projects around future mobility technologies. The company and the globally renowned institutes will work together with a collective goal to quickly and effectively respond to rapidly changing needs and environments associated with the automotive industry.

The newly-signed agreement will see the company and the universities form the ‘HTK Consortium for Future Mobility Research’, to do research to accelerate developments in advanced future technologies, beginning with autonomous driving, cyber security, and artificial intelligence over the coming years.

Hyundai Motor will also call on Technion’s significant experience and expertise in working with start-ups, with the Israeli tech institute acting as bridge between Hyundai Motor and emerging companies. The HTK Consortium will discover and incubate prospective start-ups in Israel, providing the support and consultation they need to bring their products and technologies to the market.

“By identifying, nurturing and boosting the work of the best start-ups, we plan to accelerate our global leadership in future mobility,” Tae-won Lim, head of Technology Innovation Center at Hyundai Motor said. “Israel is known around the world for the quality of its start-ups, so with Technion and KAIST’s combined expertise, Hyundai Motor will be well placed to lead the development of the next generation of automotive technology.”

“The 4th industrial revolution is fast changing the automotive industry, bringing with it unique opportunities for those who are bold enough to embrace them,” said Technion President, Prof. Peretz Lavie. “The new consortium brings together the best of both worlds: KAIST and Technion’s outstanding track record in research and innovation combined with Hyundai’s remarkable ability to incorporate cutting edge technology into designing and manufacturing ultra-modern, safe and reliable vehicles. I have no doubt this partnership will have a profound positive influence on the vehicles we will be driving in the near future.”

The collaboration was spearheaded by Hyundai Motor’s Strategic Technology Center, which was launched in February 2017. The Center oversees the company’s research in future technology from AI, advanced materials, energy, and robotics, to the next generation of information communication technologies.

Hyundai Motor Group has a track-record of using start-ups in its projects. Last year a startup created a simulation testing environment for a connected car project jointly led by Hyundai Motor and Cisco.

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, long a key driver of Israeli innovation, and a hub for the ‘Start-up Nation’, is the country’s oldest university established in 1912. It has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading science and technology universities and has recently expanded to New York and China. Its three Nobel Prize winners exemplify academic excellence. Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, in areas including life-saving medicine, sustainable energy, computer science, robotics, water conservation and nanotechnology.

About Hyundai Motor

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars. Hyundai Motor has eight manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers worldwide and in 2016 sold 4.86 million vehicles globally. With more than 110,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell and IONIQ, the world’s first model with three electrified powertrains in a single body type.

Going Out Into the World:

15 students from 6 countries have completed their studies at Technion International

“They say that if you’re the smartest person in the room it’s a sign that you’re not in the right room. Here, I was in the right room with the best and smartest people.” This is how Rebecca Samarelli summed up her four years of study at Technion International. Samarelli said, “The beginning was not easy. The shock on the first day was tremendous, and communication was complex. I thought I’d get excellent grades here, just like I did in high school – and I was wrong, big time. But our class turned into a melting pot very quickly: we studied together, we had fun, we suffered, and we became a family. We learned the meaning of hard work here. We learned that the effort is always worthwhile.”

Samarelli is one of 15 students who recently completed their studies at Technion International and earned a degree in Civil Engineering, focusing on environmental engineering and construction management. Four of them are from Italy, one from France, seven from China, one from India, one from Guatemala, and one from Japan. Two of them will continue to earn graduate degrees at Technion and two will join the labor market in Israel.

Technion International Director Ronit Lis-Hacohen presided over the graduation ceremony. Dean of Graduate Studies, Prof. Orit Hazzan, congratulated the graduates: “Each of you will be able to make a mark on their community: in environmental protection, green energy production, the creation of jobs, housing, and more. In this way, you will continue the Technion tradition of disseminating scientific and engineering knowledge and the message of innovation around the world.”

Prof. Mark Talesnick, founder of the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) branch at Technion, spoke about the challenges facing the global engineering community. “We live in a world where more than a billion people have no access to drinking water and two billion have no access to medical treatment,” said Prof. Talesnick. “You, as the engineers of the future, have learned a lot here – but you have not learned how to work with your hands, how to lead, how to grow a social conscience. It is important for these things to guide you in your future endeavors as well. You can make a difference – go out and do it.”

Invitation to the Media

The Future of Health: from Molecules to Machines

The Michigan-Israel Partnership for Research and Education Symposium will take place at the Technion from September 5-8, 2017, with the participation of researchers from Technion, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and the Weizmann Institute of Science

From September 5-8, 2017, Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine will host the 6th Annual Scientific Symposium for the Michigan-Israel Partnership for Research and Education, titled: “The Future of Health: from Molecules to Machines.”

The Michigan-Israel Partnership was founded on the initiative of the late Dan Kahn, who also provided initial funding. The Partnership supports joint projects of researchers from Technion, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The Partnership is headed by Prof. Ofer Binah of Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Prof. David J. Pinsky of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and Prof. Avraham A. Levy of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The festive opening session will take place on Tuesday, September 5 at 13:00 with the participation of Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie. At 14:00, Prof. Peretz Lavie will deliver the keynote lecture, entitled “My Science Heroes.”

Symposium lectures will cover a variety of topics that combine basic, biomedical, and engineering research, such as “Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering”; “Robotics and Nano/Micro-Machines in Biomedicine”; “Clocks, Pumps, and Transporters in Cell Function”; “Microbiome: Microbes in Our Body, Targeted Delivery of Cancer Drugs”; and more.

For the full conference program click here

For further details: Technion Spokesperson Doron Shaham – 050-3109088

 

Doctoral student Tal Gilboa from the Technion receives Clore Fellowship

Tal Gilboa, a doctoral student at the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, will receive the Clore Fellowship for outstanding scientists in November

In early November, Tal Gilboa, a doctoral student in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion, will receive the Clore Fellowship for 2017. The $89,000 award includes a three-year fellowship, an allowance for research-related expenses and a personal award. The Clore Fellowships are awarded by the Clore Foundation to outstanding young scientists in order to promote scientific excellence in Israel.

Gilboa, the daughter of Orna and Rony Hitron, was born and raised in Nesher and attended the Nesher Comprehensive High School. She served as a logistics officer in the Nahal Brigade (and as a deputy company commander in the reserves) and began studying at the Technion after a trip around the world. Today she is 32, married with two children.

“I decided to study at the Technion and looked for an interdisciplinary degree,” she says, “and so I came to the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering – a faculty that instills and integrates knowledge in a variety of disciplines: electricity, computers, biology, optics, signal processing, mathematics and of course medicine. In my opinion, this is a fascinating field that uses engineering tools for improving and saving lives.” After earning her undergraduate degree, she continued in the direct PhD track in Prof. Amit Meller’s lab, where she is conducting the study that earned her the Clore Fellowship: the development of a bio-sensor to monitor individual DNA molecules in minute quantities for the purpose of personalized diagnostics. The new technology is based on passing DNA molecules through a nanopore with a diameter of less than 4 nanometers. As part of Gilboa’s research, the lab developed a system that includes optical reading of the DNA molecule as it is passing through nanopore. The characterization method is based on marking specific regions of diagnostic importance in different colors, identifying the color sequence as the DNA moves through the pore and classifying the molecule according to the signal obtained. Cross-referencing the optical and electric data obtained provides unprecedented accuracy in characterizing the molecule. The system built at the Technion enables the characterization of a single molecule but also an accumulation of heterogeneous molecules, thus providing critical diagnostic data such as accurate characterization of various infections and bacterial resistance to antibiotics – the area on which Gilboa is concentrating in her research.  

ACS Nano recently published another use of this system: monitoring sub-methylation in the DNA molecule. Disruptions in the methylation process are liable to lead to diseases, including various cancers. Current methods for monitoring methylation levels in DNA molecules have significant limitations which the new detection method has managed to overcome. The study was carried out in collaboration with doctoral student Chen Torfstein of Prof. Meller’s research team and researchers from Germany and Tel Aviv University.

“The Clore Fellowship is given based on one criterion alone- academic excellence,” says Prof. Meller, who has been Gilboa’s advisor since she began her master’s degree and now for her doctorate. “Tal is developing a revolutionary genomic method for identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, combining analytic capabilities from the field of signal processing, experimental research in optics and nanomaterials, and work in molecular biology.” In addition to being a diligent and outstanding researcher, which has been reflected in her publications in scientific journals, she has twice been named Outstanding TA in the Computerized Biomedical Design course, which has become a hit, largely thanks to her. She is now the first student at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering to win the Clore Fellowship, and for us this is a very significant event and a source of great pride.”

Asael Reiter of Technion Wins First Place in International Mathematics Competition

Held in Bulgaria, the Israeli delegation won first place in the group ranking

Asael Reiter, a graduate of the Rothschild Scholars Technion Excellence Program, won first place in the International Mathematics Competition (IMC) held in Bulgaria August 2-3, 2017. Technion graduate Nitzan Tur won seventh place.

Teams of students from universities around the world participate in the IMC, which is held annually in Bulgaria. The Israeli delegation is comprised of students from various universities, and this year a student from the Open University and three from Tel Aviv University were also ranked among the top 20. The Israeli delegation won first place in the group ranking.

Reiter, who won first place in the competition, grew up in Moshav Nof Ayalon near Modiin, completed his high school studies at Shaalvim Yeshiva, and served in the IDF in  “Hesder,” a program for observant Jewish students combining advanced Talmudic studies with military service. He was then admitted to the Technion Excellence Program, and completed his studies last year with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Physics, and a second undergraduate degree in Computer Science. Reiter had the highest average grade among the graduates who took part in the recent undergraduate graduation ceremony. He is now a graduate student at Technion’s Faculty of Mathematics.

The Rothschild Scholars Technion Excellence Program is an individualized academic program designed to maximize the skills of outstanding students while fostering curiosity, creativity, and in-depth scientific research.

Science is fascinating to many, but sentences that are full of expert-level terms and description can scare away even the most passionate readers. Can scientists learn to talk about their research without using too many technical terms? One of the obstacles to avoiding jargon is that scientists suffer from “the curse of knowledge” – they simply do not remember not knowing what they now know as experts.

To help scientists recognize which words are jargon and should be avoided or explained when engaging with the public, researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and HIT–Holon Institute of Technology have created a program that automatically identifies terms the average person may not know. In a recent paper published in the journal PLoS One, the free of charge and scientist-friendly De-Jargonizer  is introduced. Once a text is uploaded or pasted, the algorithm color codes words in the text as either frequent or intermediate level general vocabulary, or jargon. This is based on frequency of the words on an internet news site, designed and written for the public. The corpus will be updated periodically, and can be expanded to include other sources and languages.

“The De-Jargonizer provides a grim glimpse at the current level of jargon in scientific writing,” says Technion Prof. Ayelet Baram-Tsabari Who led the research with Dr. Tzipora Rakedzon.

When the authors compared 5,000 pairs of lay summaries, written for a wide audience, and their corresponding academic abstracts published in the journals PLoS Computational Biology and PLoS Genetics. Results showed that lay summaries indeed include less jargon (10%) than academic abstracts (14%) on average; however, research previously showed that for adequate comprehension, readers need to be familiar with 98% of the words. Therefore, the recommended level of unfamiliar words, i.e. jargon, is 2% – much lower than the percentage found in the lay summaries.

“The scientists intuitively understand they need to use less jargon when speaking with the public than to their peers”, says Baram-Tsabari, “but using so many unfamiliar words excludes the very people they are trying to engage.”

The program is designed to help scientists and science communication instructors improve and adapt vocabulary use when communicating with non-experts. Also, professionals in medicine could use it to evaluate text level for communication with patients. Overall, the importance of such a tool is to aid in making science and research accessible to the public, to support informed citizenship and more productive dialogue in these complex times for science in society. 

Technion Formula Team ranked 8th out of 31 in the student Formula competition in Austria. Next week the team competes in Germany.

The Technion Formula Team was ranked 8th out of 31 in the Formula Student competition in Austria. In the competition, 31 of the best teams in the world competed in the combustion category. Next week, the team will participate in a similar competition in Germany.

Technion team member Alain Altari said, “The competition is divided into the static part, in which we present the project, and the dynamic events, which include Acceleration; Skidpad (skid prevention); Autocross (driving one kilometer); and Endurance, which includes changing drivers and is 22 kilometers long. Racing cars must withstand very difficult conditions, so planning requires pure science and not just mechanical knowledge. We are pleased with the ranking in Austria and are preparing for the competition in Germany. Next year we hope to compete in the new Autonomous Racing Car category.”

This is the fifth year that Team Technion has participated in Formula Student competitions. Technion’s car was developed as part of the New Product Design Project course led by Dr. Hagai Bamberger under the guidance of Prof. Reuven Katz, Head of the Design, Manufacturing, and CAD track at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. This year, around 50 students from 7 different faculties are participating in the project, which is led by the Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering faculties. At the unveiling held recently at Technion, certificates of merit were awarded to several students: Alain Altari, Or Amsterdam, Yael Haslavsky, Omer Cohen, Tal Lipshitz, and Tom Mazor.

The new Formula car is a dramatic upgrade of Technion’s car that competed in Europe last year. Amongst other improvements, the pneumatic transmission system was replaced with an electric one, the weight of the car dropped from 255 kg to 175 kg, and the engine was replaced by a single-cylinder KTM engine. An active suspension system based on accelerometers was installed in the new car. In both competitions in Europe, the Technion team competes against veteran teams supported by leading car companies including BMW, Audi, and Porsche.

New Era in Microscopy in Israel: Technion Purchases the World’s Best Electron Microscope

The Themis microscope will enable characterization of the structure and chemical composition of materials at sub-nanometer resolution

The Technion recently purchased a Themis, an innovative and state of the art electron microscope, one of the most advanced in the world and the best of its kind in Israel. Themis is a transmission electron microscope (TEM) capable of providing an image of individual atoms and, based on this image, provide information about the material’s structure and properties. The microscope is about 4 meters high, and enables real-time tracking of dynamic processes occurring in the material, for example as a result of heating or cooling. The new microscope was purchased with the assistance of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) at the Technion.

Themis (Titan Cubed Themis G2 300) is manufactured by the American company FEI (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Its installation at Technion took about a week, and preparations for its operation will be completed by company representatives and Technion’s Electron Microscopy Center staff within a few weeks. It is installed in a special room that is insulated from its surroundings to prevent the influence of acoustic noise, mechanical vibrations, and electromagnetic field interference on experiments. It is fixed to a surface anchored to a rock deep in the ground, stabilized by a floating floor that insulates it from various vibrations in the environment, and controlled from an adjacent dedicated control room.

The Themis replaces the previous microscope, the Titan (FEI Titan 80-300 KeV S/TEM), which was purchased by the Technion in 2006 and was considered the world’s leading electron microscope at the time. Dr. Yaron Kauffman, head of the Electron Microscopy Center at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, said, “We call it a microscope, but it is actually a complete laboratory that enables us to perform diverse experiments under changing conditions, monitor processes in materials, and characterize materials in ways that were previously unavailable to us. This is a significant tool for atomic-level characterization of diverse materials such as metals; semiconductors and polymers; and ceramic, organic, hybrid, and biological materials.”

“Themis will lead the microscopy revolution at the nano and quantum scale, and marks the beginning of a new era in microscopy in Israel,” said Prof. Wayne Kaplan, Technion’s Executive Vice President for Research. “The new microscope will enable us to see the bonds between atoms, and important fundamental chemical processes with nanometer resolution.”

Prof. Kaplan added, “In order to remain at the forefront of global science we must constantly update the research infrastructure at the Technion. Unfortunately, despite the quantum leap in research in Israel thanks to the new microscope, it was purchased by the Technion without financial assistance from the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education (or any other government agency). It is regrettable that the government decision-makers who congratulate us on our scientific achievements and Nobel Prizes do not understand that the State of Israel will not be able to remain a global science and technology power without massive investment in research infrastructures.”

How does it work?

The principle of the operation of the electron microscope is similar to that of the optical microscope, which the public is more familiar with; but instead of using glass lenses to illuminate the sample with a focused light beam (photons), the electron microscope uses electromagnetic lenses (coils) to project a focused electron beam onto the sample.
The main advantage of the electron microscope is its high-resolution capability. Compared with the optical microscope, which is limited to a resolution of about 200 nanometers, the electron microscope is capable of achieving a resolution below 1 Ångstrom (one tenth of a nanometer). The reason for the difference is that the wavelength of the electron is significantly shorter than the wavelength of light.

In TEM, the electrons penetrate the sample, are emitted on the other side, and monitored by various sensors. These sensors enable us to understand the structure of the material (arrangement of atoms), its chemical composition (type of atoms), and the types of chemical bonds inside it.

Like its predecessor, Themis will operate at the Electron Microscopy Center at Technion’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The Center is used by scientists both from the Technion and from outside academic and industrial entities in the following fields: TEM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), application of analytical methods for chemical analysis, and computerized optical microscopy. The Center also prepares microscope samples using diamond saws, diamond polishing systems, ultrasonic cutting machines, electrochemical systems, gold and carbon coaters, and more.