Asides

DIAGNOSTICS Saliva-based microscale diagnostics I Prof. Moran Bercovici I Mechanical Engineering* Monitoring the sewage system for COVID-19 residue to track the spread of the virus I Prof. Eran Friedler I Civil and Environmental Engineering* Mathematical model with user interface for epidemiological analysis of COVID-19 epidemic I Prof. Nir Gavish I Mathematics* Rapid testing kit for COVID-19 diagnosis I Prof. Naama Geva-Zatorsky I Medicine* Diagnostic test for pre-symptomatic COVID-19 carriers I Prof. Hossam Haick I Chemical Engineering Pooling method for accelerated testing of COVID-19 I Prof. Roy Kishony I Biology* Genetic changes in COVID-19 patients over time as a tool for predicting disease progression I Prof. Yael Mandel-Gutfreund I Biology Using AI to evaluate a patient’s condition I Profs. Shie Mannor, Uri Shalit, Joachim Behar I Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Biomedical Engineering Identifying and quantifying RNA using nanopores I Prof. Amit Meller I Biomedical Engineering Sensor for rapid COVID-19 diagnosis using CRISPR technology I Prof. Daniel Ramez I Biomedical Engineering Thermal imaging camera for remote measurement of vital signs I Prof. Yonatan Savir I Medicine* Advanced microscopy techniques to detect COVID-19 antibodies in the blood I Prof.  Yoav Shechtman I Biomedical Engineering Monitoring the immune status and identifying high-risk patients I Prof. Shai Shen-Orr I Medicine* Diagnostic testing based on throat cultures and blood and urine samples I Prof. Tomer Shlomi I Computer Science Non-invasive blood test to diagnose COVID-19 patients I Prof. Dvir Yelin I Biomedical Engineering Rapid and accurate diagnostic techniques I Prof. Gilad Yossifon and Prof. Yehezkel Kashi I Mechanical Engineeing, Biotechnology and Food Engineering AI powered smart stethoscope I Prof. Yehoshua Zeevi and Prof. Rafael Beyar I Electrical Engineering, Medicine Virology collaborative research lab I Prof. Yotam Bar-On I Medicine VACCINE DEVELOPMENT Vaccine for COVID-19 based on a vaccine for shrimps  I  Prof. Avi Schroeder I Chemical Engineering Developing antibodies for ACE-2 receptors  I  Prof. Zaid Abassi and Prof. Oded Lewinson THERAPEUTICS ACE-2 receptor based therapies for COVID-19 I Prof. Zaid Abassi I Medicine* Ointment COVID-19 infections I Prof. Roee Amit I Biotechnology and Food Engineering Respirators using microturbines I Prof. Beni Cukurel I Aerospace Engineering Drug development I Prof. Zeev Gross I Chemistry COVID-19 patient breathing patterns: Interaction between respiratory, heart and cardiovascular systems I Prof. Amir Landsberg I Biomedical Engineering Trapping COVID-19 using existing nano-ghost technology I Prof. Marcelle Machluf I Biotechnology and Food Engineering Characterizing cannabinoids to inhibit the cytokine storm and suppress the ACE-2 receptor I Prof. David Meiri I Biology Targeted drug delivery for ARDS I Prof. Avi Schroeder I Chemical Engineering Direct drug delivery to the lungs I Prof. Dror Seliktar I Biomedical Engineering Drug development for rapid healing of damaged tissue I Prof. Yuval Shaked I Medicine Liquid Foam Therapy (LIFT) for ARDS I Prof. Josué Sznitman I Biomedical Engineering* Heparin-like drugs to inhibit COVID-19 infection and its progression I Prof. Israel Vlodavsky I Medicine AIDS FOR MEDICAL TEAMS Ultrasound for lung imaging I Prof. Alex Bronstein, Prof. Ron Kimmel and Doron Shaked I Computer Science Durable surface disinfectant I Prof. Yachin Cohen I Materials Science and Engineering 2D and 3D biocidal surfaces I Prof. Yoav Eichen I Chemistry Active coating for protective masks I Prof. Yair Ein-Eli I Materials Science and Engineering Antiviral disinfectants I Prof. Shady Farah I Chemical Engineering* Analysis of antiviral disinfectants I Prof. Debbie Lindell and Prof. Oded Beja I Biology Photocatalytic antiviral disinfectant I Prof. Yaron Paz I Chemical Engineering Antiviral coating I Prof. Boaz Pokroy I Materials Science and Engineering Air Shield innovative protective equipment for medical personnel I Prof. Ezri Tarazi I Architecture and Town Planning * Antiviral protective sticker “Maya” using nanometric fibers I Prof. Eyal Zussman I Mechanical Engineering * *Advanced stage > COVID-19 NEWS AND UPDATES

LATEST UPDATES COVID-19 Technion Innovations Technion COVID-19 Response on YouTube May 6, 2020 > Israel’s Lockdown Exit Policy – New Simulator by Prof. Nir Gavish > Israeli Researchers Developing Treatment to Save COVID-19 Patients’ Lungs – Prof. Josue Sznitman > Israeli hospital to treat COVID-19 patients with Cannabis > Israeli startup can predict the spread of COVID-19 – Diagnostic Robotics > Touch-free access in a post-COVID world based on idea from Technion > Hospitals across Israel are piloting an anti-viral sticker MAYA April 26, 2020 > Rapid Coronavirus Test – Prof. Naama Geva-Zatorsky > Technion developing rapid coronavirus test with results within an hour > Israeli scientists develop rapid home COVID-19 test > Israeli Team Developing At-Home Coronavirus Test With Results in Less Than an Hour > Israel Develops Rapid Coronavirus Test that Can Be Done On Site, Within an Hour and Without Need for Lab > A Novel Protective Patient‘s Hood that Prevents the Spread of COVID-19 – Prof. Moshe Shoham (video) > Tamar Robotics Deploys New COVID-19 Solution for Coronavirus Wards to Protect Medical Teams > Israeli Robotics Tech Firm Develops Coronavirus Solution To Protect Hospital Workers > Tracking Coronavirus through the sewers – Prof. Eran Friedler > Could the country crack the coronavirus crisis by studying our s**t? > Up at night with coronavirus nightmares? Experts say it’s totally normal – Prof. Peretz Lavie  > Cannabis Companies Join Search for Covid-19 Cure – Prof. Dedi Meiri April 20, 2020 > Technion President to Give Opening Remarks at  KAIST Online Forum on Global Cooperation on COVID-19 > Technion Researchers Create Rapid Home Testing Kit for Coronavirus > Israeli Researchers Developing Home Test Kit for Coronavirus > COVID-19 and the Need for Enhanced U.S.-Israel Technology Cooperation > End of Exponential Growth: The Decline in the Spread of Coronavirus > Israeli Scientists at Cutting Edge of Coronavirus Vaccine Research > Startups Sprouted in Israeli Design Contest are Recruits in the COVID-19 War: Technion Biomedical Engineering grad student Ori Shemla in First Place > Maya Anti-Viral Covid-19 Protective Sticker for Surgical Masks (animated version) > Maya Anti-Viral Covid-19 Protective Sticker for Surgical Masks with Prof. Eyal Zussman (video) > COROBOT: Robot for Remote Medical Care of Covid-19 Patients (video) April 16, 2020 > Technion Researchers Develop Technology to Treat Covid-19 Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome > In Technological Full Force, Israel Innovates and Acquires Equipment to Fight COVID-19 > Technion Researcher to Track Coronavirus Outbreaks Through Sewers > COROBOT to Replace Staff Treating Coronavirus > Air-shield Improves Effectiveness of Doctors Protective Masks > Technion scientist at cutting edge of coronavirus vaccine research Startups > Technion Startup: Anti-terror Biometric Facial Recognition > Israeli anti-terror tech to facially recognize mask-wearing health staff > Technion-born Startup Diagnostic Robotics Can Predict the Spread of Covid-19 > Technion Alumni Startup Vocalis Discusses Vocal Biomarkers for Identifying COVID-19 April 12, 2020 > Updated list of Corona-related research projects/labs at Technion > Technion graduate Dr. Yehuda Sabiner in Midst of Coronavirus Fight > “Maya” Nanotech Anti-Viral Protective Sticker for Masks > Israeli hospital pilots virus-killing sticker for coronavirus masks > 7 Israeli mask and face shield solutions for coronavirus > Maya Anti-Viral Protective Sticker for Masks – video > COROBOT Designed to Protect Medical Staff from Coronavirus > High school develops robot to help protect doctors from coronavirus > Student-built robot to help battle corona in hospital > Israel Invents ‘Corona-Bots’ for Patients in Quarantine > “Air Shield” Improves Protective Masks for Medical Staff > New Israeli-designed mask creates ‘air curtain’ for those treating COVID-19 > Cortica AI Technology Deployed to Identify Mask-Wearing Medical Staff > Diagnostic Robotics Coronavirus Mapping Technology to Assist India > Shrimp Vaccine to be Adapted for COVID-19 Featured in Forbes > Pooling Technology for Increased Testing April 8, 2020 > Technion Passover Holiday Message from Technion President and students: a Unique Webinar > Technion-led Coronavirus Mapping Technology to Assist Indian Authorities > Ten Scientific Miracles from Technion for Passover > Technion-led Hack Could Help Teams on COVID-19 Frontlines Produce Quick Affordable Ventilators > Israeli Hack Could Help Teams On COVID-19 Frontlines Produce Quick, Affordable Ventilators > American Technion Society Webinar 13th April:  How Postdocs at the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Program are Tackling COVID-19 > Technion UK Webinar 14th April: Could a Vaccine for Shrimp Help in the Fight Against COVID-19? April 6, 2020 > Webinar 7th April – Technion Australia – Join Technion experts Prof. Alon Wolf and Prof. Debbie Lindell: How Close Are We to Finding a Coronavirus Vaccine? > Webinar 7th April – American Technion Society – Join Technion experts Prof. Yaron Fuchs and Dr. Yehuda Sabiner on Combatting the Coronavirus > Israeli Academic Institutions Quickly Adjusted to Remote Learning > Technion FIRST Innovative Israeli hack that could help produce quick and low-cost ventilators > Prof. Dror Seliktar: Targeted Administration of Drugs to Treat Covid-19 Patients (video) > Prof. Yoav Shechtman wins first Edition of the IUPAB Young Investigator Medal and Prize > Dr. Yehuda Sabiner, first Haredi Israeli-trained medical doctor, in the frontline treating Coronavirus patients > All Hands to the Deck: Technion student volunteers April 2, 2020 > Israeli hospital pilots virus-neutralizing sticker for masks to combat corona > Diagnostic Robotics Shares Anti-pandemic Knowhow with Global Community (Technion company) > Prof. Asya Rolls: How Emotions and Stressful Thoughts Affect Your Health (video) > Breakthrough in Slaughter-Free Steak Production April 1, 2020 > Dr. Kira Radinsky: The 33-year-old data scientist helping Israel – and the world – fight coronavirus > Israeli Universities Lead the Fight Against Coronavirus > How Israeli universities are at the forefront of defeating coronavirus > Israeli Scientists Announce Breakthrough in Slaughter-Free Beef Production > Scientists Discover How to Grow Lab-Grown Steak on “Soy Scaffolding” > Slaughter-free Steak Breakthrough March 31, 2020 > New 3D-Printed Tech That Can Make Medical Masks Stronger Against COVID-19 > Radar System Will Monitor COVID-19 Patients > Coronavirus–Blocking Sticker > A Temporary Coronavirus Testing Fix > Israeli Researchers Successfully Grow Beef on Soy Protein Scaffolds > Israeli Researchers Grow Cultured Meat on Soy Protein Scaffolds March 30, 2020 > Israel Greenlights Coronavirus Blocking Sticker Pilot – Technion technology > Israel’s Defense Adapting Military Technology Developed at Technion for Fight Against COVID-19 > Israeli Researcher Finds a Clever Way to Enforce Social Distancing > Israeli Researchers Offer Hope for More Efficient Coronavirus Testing > Technion-born Diagnostic Robotics Ltd., founded by Prof. Moshe Shoham and Dr. Kira Radinsky, lead National AI Initiative to Contain COVID-19 March 29, 2020 > Tablet magazine: The Israeli ‘Pooling’ Method That Could Rapidly Expand COVID-19 Testing > Development of Early Detection Technologies for the Coronavirus by Prof. Hossam Haick (video) > Coronavirus Lecture for the General Public by Prof. Debbie Lindell (Video) > In the age of Zoom, who is watching what? > Medical Cannabis Market Size Overview March 27, 2020 > Israeli Scientists Shrimp Antiviral Could be Adapted for Coronavirus > Israeli Universities Lead the Fight against Coronavirus > Dangers of Being Delusional when Sizing up New Coronavirus March 26, 2020 > How Emotions and Stressful Thoughts Affect Your Health – Prof. Asya Rolls > Nano-Ghosts to Trap Corona Virus – Prof. Marcelle Machluf > What do we know about the Coronavirus? – Prof. Debbie Lindell and  Prof. Yoram Reiter > Israeli Researchers Come Up with New Method of Testing for Coronavirus March 25, 2020 > Technion researchers working on emergency projects to fight coronavirus > Israeli Scientist Could Adapt Shrimp Antiviral for Humans > New Ventilator Mask Protects Entire Face From Coronavirus > How to Fight Infection by Turning Back Your Immune Systems Clock > What Do We Know about the Coronavirus? Profs. Debbie Lindell and Yoram Reiter > Technion Researchers on the Frontline in the Fight against COVID-19 > Technion Alumni Led Startup Aims to Identify Coronavirus Carriers Using their Voice > Israeli defense ministry launches COVID-19 voice-test study > Israel pilots coronavirus voice-test scheme March 24, 2020 > Complacency Not Panic Real Danger > Pooling Method for COVID-19 > Interview with Technion behavioral expert Prof. Ido Erev > Technion-born Pluristem Therapeutics proposes stem-cell therapy for compassionate treatment of COVID-19 patients March 23, 2020 > Technion Goes Virtual > Zoom Gifted to Technion > Students in Israel on the front-line against coronavirus > Technion alum Oded Gal delivers Zoomtopia Product Keynote > Dr. Aviv Censor explains how the virtual lecture hall works using Zoom > Technion researchers app crowdsources coronavirus data > Crowdsourcing app aims to fill gaps in coronavirus data > A framework for identifying regional outbreak and spread of COVID-19 from one-minute population-wide surveys > Dr. Kira Radinsky joins experts on Israel’s response to coronavirus in virtual panel talk March 22, 2020 > Prof. Josue Sznitman presents Liquid Foam Therapy (LIFT) for pulmonary drug delivery of potentially life-saving treatments of currently untreatable lung disorders > Israeli researchers announce new, faster testing method for COVID-19 > An Outbreak of Compassion > Celebrating resilient Israeli women March 20, 2020 > Study identifies factors that determine trustworthiness of online information about vaccines > Prof. Avi Schroeder talks about viral disease research > Israeli researchers develop innovative diagnostic method for coronavirus > Technion & Rambam Scientists Present Novel Method for Testing More than 60 Patients for COVID-19 at the Same Time > Israeli researchers announce new, faster testing method for COVID-19 > Pooling method allows dozens of COVID-19 tests to run simultaneously March 19, 2020 > Technion preparations in the face of the spread of the Corona virus – update #8 > Roundup: Israel strives to boost COVID-19 testing capacity > Complacency, Not Panic, Is the Real Danger > For the first time in Technion’s history, the semester opened with a comprehensive program of distance teaching and learning.  > As virus keeps Israelis home, internet is coping with the higher loads… so far > Take a Fresh Breath March 18, 2020 > Technion, Weizmann Institute Join Efforts To Accelerate Coronavirus Testing Rates > Technion and Rambam Health Care Campus scientists present a novel method for testing over 60 patients simultaneously > To ease global virus test bottleneck, Israeli scientists suggest pooling samples March 17, 2020 > Technion distance learning, teaching and working in times of emergency > Trusting online vaccine info March 16, 2020 > New Technion study identifies factors used when trusting vaccine info     “Community is Immunity” TRANSCRIPT: Message from Technion President, Prof. Uri Sivan Haifa, 17th March 2020 At this moment, COVID-19 is threatening our families, communities and wellbeing worldwide. Its rapid spread affects our normal lives and jeopardizes our inherent need for certainty and security. In these difficult times, our hearts and thoughts are with those who lost their dear ones, those infected by the virus and their families, and those confined to their premises. For all of us, the atmosphere is unsettling. But my own experience tells me that if handled correctly, by focusing first on saving lives and on containing the danger, such crises may eventually turn into a source of strength and insight. At Technion, we are currently focusing on the containment phase, taking all necessary steps to keep the Technion family safe. Following instructions by the Israel Ministry of Health, we will open the spring semester on March 18th with all classes taught online. Residents in self-isolation in our student dorms have been moved to one wing for effective monitoring and are provided with food and other supplies by our Students Association. We are also maintaining close communication with all the Technion community, recognizing the strength and resilience that emerges when we work together for the safety of each other. At Technion, we believe that community is immunity. Together, we will emerge stronger from this crisis. COVID-19 is a global challenge, which ultimately asks for global scientific and technological solutions. At Technion we have already started to direct the brainpower of our faculty to addressing these challenges. In the long-term, one effect of COVID-19 on Technion will be an intensification of research in multidisciplinary fields which address the threat of epidemics and pandemics. These include medical research, pharmaceuticals, big data, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, digital health responses, and much more. Dear Technion family across the world, we wish you good health, safety and well-being. We will emerge from COVID19 together with insight, strength and resilience.

The Technion Students Association isn’t only the largest in Israel, it is also the most active – organizing a plethora of events and initiatives which enrich the overall student experience. Thanks to Technion’s diligent Students Association, students not only enjoy a rich selection of extracurricular activities and cultural events; they also benefit from a support network that helps them cope with the academic challenges. Under the leadership of Students Association Chair Amir David Nissan-Cohen, a Computer Science Master’s student, and Graduate Students Chair Asaf Hershkovitz, a PhD student in Materials Engineering, the organization is busier than ever. One of the Students Association projects that gained steam this year involves graduate students helping undergrads with their coursework. The Students Association also organizes approximately 40 workshops each semester for students who feel that they are behind in their course material, and 40 more prior to final exams. Each workshop is 20 hours long and heavily subsidized. This year, the Technion Students Association (TSA) launched a new joint effort with the Center for Promotion of Learning and Teaching whose goal is to improve the quality of teaching at Technion. The Association is involved in training teaching assistants, advocating for more filmed courses, and processing student feedback on teaching quality and content. PARTIES, SPORTS AND MORE In addition to providing academic support, TSA ensures that Technion students have access to a wide array of extracurricular activities and cultural events throughout the year. The 4,000 tickets to each of their four annual mega parties usually sell out fast, and the two-day Student Festival held every May attracts 18,000 people a day, making it the largest of its kind in Israel. Moreover, on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 14:30 there are no classes on campus and during that time the Students Association hosts a different event every week, such as a concert or crafts fair. “But every day there is something going on,” reveals Nissan-Cohen, adding that TSA runs 36 different competitive sports teams, some of which are quite successful. Over 3,000 students take part in sports. Nissan-Cohen also stresses the importance of volunteering and community outreach. Every two weeks, a busload of students participates in a voluntary activity such as helping in local hospitals, painting apartments for elderly people or cleaning up litter from the beach. Another project involves the collection of old computers and other equipment, which students overhaul and then donate to NGO’s or disadvantaged students. “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” – Aldous Huxley Other projects that the Association initiated this year include opening a Gymboree for children and building a music room where students can practice and record. Moreover, it organized the first Technion-wide hackathon, in collaboration with the private sector. Over 650 students participated in the 30-hour hackathon – the biggest held in Israel. 1/3 GRAD STUDENTS One out of every three Technion students is working towards an MSc or PhD, and this large cohort has very different needs and priorities from undergrads. “They are generally at a later stage in life; many are married and have children; and they have different cultural interests than younger students,” points out Asaf Hershkovitz. Many live in the Graduate Student Village, which Hershkovitz describes as “one of the nicest neighborhoods in all of Israel.” The Students Association has improved the amenities at the Village, adding facilities such as a laundry room and outdoor exercise machines. Special programs organized for graduate students include cooking workshops, plays and concerts, and subsidized meals for graduate students at campus eateries. There are activities for their children, such as the annual kid’s carnival at the end of the summer vacation.  

Christine Khoury, 26, PhD Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) “I was born in a small village in Lebanon, and when I was seven, my family moved to Israel. In 2011, I started my studies at the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering and completed my BSc summa cum laude. Technion provided me with a lot of intellectual challenges as well as allowing me to learn important skills such as working in a team and self-learning. My research topic is the ‘Transformation of Biomass-Derived Molecules to Fuels and Chemicals Using Cooperative Catalysis.’ As part of my research, I am trying to accelerate environmentally-friendly reactions by designing and synthesizing new materials. In the future, I plan to work in R&D, using my skills to improve the yield of chemical processes and suggesting sustainable alternatives to existing energy-intensive processes.” Joseph Rodriguez, 21, BSc Civil Engineering, Technion International “I grew up in Ecuador and I am proud to be a Technion student in Civil Engineering. I aim to someday work in the ever-growing construction industry. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to live in Tel Aviv with my family due to my Dad’s work. After experiencing life in Israel for a year, I knew it wasn’t going to be my last time here. I found in Technion the school that allowed me to fulfill my dream of both living in Israel and getting a top-level education. Throughout the past three years, this school has helped me reach my academic potential, learn from professors whom I admire, and make lifelong friendships. In my free time, I enjoy reading and playing sports such as soccer, tennis and chess.” Roni Anna Gofman, 25, MSc Astrophysics “I was raised in Tel Aviv and in high school I was the captain of my school’s FIRST robotics team. I have volunteered in this program ever since. After serving in the IDF as an artillery instructor, I moved to Haifa to study physics at Technion. I’m currently doing a Master’s degree in the Physics Faculty with Prof. Noam Soker as my advisor. My research involves theoretical work in the field of Astrophysics. In my Master’s thesis, I hope to provide a theoretical model for a peculiar supernova that was detected in 2014. As a daughter of Technion alumni, I always knew that I would study here. The things I like most about Technion are the people and the atmosphere. I enjoy being surrounded by successful, interesting and excellent people. I like the fact that everyone’s main goal here is to learn and understand more.” Boris Levin, 25, Barch Architecture and Town Planning “I was born in Saint Petersburg and when I was 16 I decided that I would make Aliyah and study at Technion to become an architect. I live in a dorm on campus and am considered a new immigrant, alone in the country. The most challenging thing for students in the Faculty of Architecture, I think, is a never-ending necessity to be creative, especially under the stress of a huge number of courses, projects and presentations. Nevertheless, I do love my studies and try to appreciate everything that we have an opportunity to learn here. I believe that the technological approach and the deep research in topics such as urbanism, green architecture and innovative infrastructure may be the answer to making our world a better place. Technion is the very best place in Israel which can provide this sort of knowledge at the highest level.” Yehuda Sabiner, 28, MD Medicine “I grew up in Jerusalem in a family of Gur Hassidim. I live in Bnei Brak with my wife and three children. I established an organization called “Haredim in Medicine” to help integrate Haredi men and women into medical studies in Israel. I was attracted to this field since childhood, and for many years I volunteered with Magen David Adom. I am completing my sixth year at Technion and plan to specialize in internal medicine or pediatrics. My biggest challenge was having to acquire pre-academic education when I was 20. I joined the first cohort of the Technion program designed to prepare Haredi students for academic studies. What I love about Technion is that it is a superb institution that leads in developing the country in every field – and always for the most noble reasons.” Rotem Dror, 30 , PhD Natural Language Processing “I am half-way through my doctoral studies in natural language processing at the Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management. I am one of 57 students from all over the world who was awarded a Google Fellowship this year. I have spent my entire academic career at Technion.My research focuses on developing structured prediction algorithms for natural language processing applications. I love to teach and my dream is to pursue a career in academia. I live in the Stanley Shalom Zielony Graduate Student Village with my husband and young daughter. I love Technion. I was surprised that Technion chose me for the Google Fellowship competition. The Fellowship is a vote of confidence. It’s a serious boost to my motivation.”

The Yanai Prize for Excellence in Academic Education, which was awarded for the first time in 2011, has become a status symbol among Technion faculty – reaffirming the importance of effective teaching. INITIATE, INVESTIGATE, INTELLECT. One of the goals set a decade ago was to recognize excellence in teaching. To this end, the Yanai Prize for Excellence in Academic Education was launched eight years ago together with Moshe Yanai, a Technion alumnus and global pioneer in the field of information storage. Yanai, together with his wife Rachel, sought to give back to Technion in gratitude for the life skills that he gained during his studies nearly 50 years ago. He contributed $10 million to reward lecturers who demonstrate teaching excellence. The prize he endowed awards 100,000 shekels to each recipient. The prize is awarded in appreciation for faculty members who set an example through their valuable contributions to teaching, and who strive to improve student involvement and sense of belonging to Technion. By honoring faculty, who are not only excellent researchers but also outstanding lecturers, the Yanai Prize sends a clear message that teaching quality is supremely important. Since it was established, 69 professors have received the Yanai Prize, including five this year. “The main reward is not prestige and money but your opportunity to change and inflfuence people’s lives” – Moshe Yanai   Congratulations to this year’s winners! Assoc. Prof. Daniel Orenstein Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning “My students receive a solid knowledge base that enables them to critically evaluate and understand the factors that affect the main environmental challenges of our generation. They learn to acquire many different types of knowledge, from academic textbooks and literature, from the cumulative experience of experts, from people’s everyday lives, and from the students’ own life experiences.” Assoc. Prof. Adi Salzberg Rappaport Faculty of Medicine “I demand a high degree of investment from my students, so that they will have a high level of knowledge and understanding, but at the same time I demand the same from myself. I invest a great deal of time and energy in frontal instruction and I spend many hours preparing my course. Furthermore, I spend a lot of time in personal meetings with students.” Assoc. Prof. Keren Censor-Hillel Faculty of Computer Science “Although the main goal of teaching is to convey the material on the syllabus, I aspire to expand the students’ horizons and therefore I encourage them to gain research experience. I believe in active learning. The website Socrative.com is an important tool for me; it enables students to choose answers to problems that I ask them. I also use other interactive tools in order to make the material more accessible to the students.” Assoc. Prof. Daniella Raveh Faculty of Aerospace Engineering “I view training students as my foremost responsibility as a faculty member. I believe that my unique contribution to teaching comes from working with students in various frameworks and through continuous interaction, as well as by being available to listen and give advice. I am especially proud of my contribution as an advisor for student research projects and experiments.” Assoc. Prof. Avi Schroeder Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering “I developed a teaching method based on ‘individually adapted teaching’ – a way of learning whereby each subject is studied from several different angles, in complete cooperation with the students. This multi-dimensional view enables the students to express their aptitudes while acquiring an in-depth understanding of the subject in question. As a Technion professor, I feel it is an honor to be an active partner together with the students in building their skills and their professional futures.” Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering The faculty received the Yanai Prize this year as a result of its continuous improvement in teaching scores and the many personal prizes awarded to both senior and junior faculty in recent years. The Faculty has established an extensive support network for students in order to respond effectively to all problems that arise during their studies. The Faculty works with student representatives to improve the student experience, nurture a pleasant social atmosphere, discuss changes in the curricula, plan the class and exam schedules, and balance the student work load. HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Yanai Excellence in Teaching Prize was awarded to Assoc. Prof. Roee Amit of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Yael Yaniv of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and Asst. Prof. Roi Reichart of the Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management.

 263 faculty members recruited over the past decade  IMPASSIONED, INDUSTRIOUS, INSPIRED: Meet some of the outstanding young professors who are bringing fresh energy and cutting-edge research to Technion, Israel and the world.   Prof. Ashraf Brik SCHULICH FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY Ashraf Brik, who is an Arab Israeli, received his PhD in Bioorganic Chemistry from Technion and was a research associate at the Scripps Research Institute in California from 2002 to 2006. He returned to Israel in 2007, joining Ben-Gurion University’s faculty before being recruited in 2015 by Technion’s Schulich Faculty of Chemistry as a Neubauer professor.  Brik is well known for his contributions to the development of chemical approaches to prepare posttranslationally modified proteins for biochemical, biophysical and functional analyses. In particular his group has developed chemical methods to prepare ubiquitin-based conjugates, which opened the door for several studies that were not previously feasible.  MY TECHNION “The university has an excellent environment for my type of research.”  Brik is an elected member of the Israel Young Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the ERC Advanced Grant. He has over 120 publications in top journals, holds several patents, and has received numerous prestigious awards. He is 45, lives in Haifa and has two children.   Asst. Prof. Ido Kaminer ANDREW AND ERNA VITERBI FACULTY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Ido Kaminer joined Technion as an assistant professor and an Azrieli Faculty Fellow in 2018, when he returned to Israel after a postdoc at MIT. He currently holds the Technion’s Jacques Lewiner Career Advancement Chair. MY TECHNION “One major reason that brought me to Technion was the decision to invest in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope. This facility is unique in Israel and one of only a few in the world, enabling powerful research capabilities.” Prof. Kaminer’s research on applications of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics applies ideas from the field of light-matter interactions to nanophotonics with 2D material platforms. His group is developing new microscopy techniques in novel materials using ultrafast lasers and electron microscopes.  During his PhD studies at Technion, Prof. Kaminer discovered new classes of accelerating beams in nonlinear optics and electromagnetism, for which he received the 2012 Israel Physical Society Prize and the 2014 APS Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Laser Science. Kaminer, 33, lives in a faculty apartment on the Technion campus. He has wide interests including sports, traveling, hiking, and the history of Israel and Judaism.   Assoc. Prof. Moran Bercovici FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Moran Bercovici, associate professor of analytical chemistry at Technion, is one of three outstanding recipients of the 2019 Blavatnik Israel Award for Young Scientists. He was recognized for developing novel microfluidic technologies for microscale manipulations of fluids and molecules. A central theme in Prof. Bercovici’s lab has been the development of new microfluidic devices and assays. His current focus is on exploring physical mechanisms for the development of highly configurable microfluidic devices. He and his team demonstrated the ability to control flow patterns using surface chemistry, field effect electrodes or temperature gradients, all without the use of physical walls. Prof. Bercovici joined Technion in 2011, following his postdoc at the Stanford University School of Medicine.  MY TECHNION “I was actively recruited by Prof. Pini Bar-Yoseph, who was then dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and by Dist. Prof. Moti Segev, who convinced me that one can conduct research at Technion that is comparable to or better than any top US universities. Both believed in me way before I believed in myself.” Bercovici, 36, lives in Haifa with his wife and two daughters. In addition to research, he also enjoys playing the saxophone.   Asst. Prof. Adi Radian  FACULTY OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Adi Radian is an environmental chemist who, during her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota, designed encapsulation matrices for bacteria in order to improve bioremediation technologies. She joined Technion in 2016 as an assistant professor.  MY TECHNION “I chose Technion mainly for the high quality of students, the available facilities and funds for young scientists – and, of course, for it being in Israel.” Today, Prof. Radian heads a lab which studies the fate of pollutants in the environment and the development of comprehensive and sustainable soil and water remediation solutions. Her team also designs and applies clay minerals and metal oxides as catalytic surfaces to improve and develop remediation technologies. Their work alongside Prof. Ayelet Fishman from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering has resulted in a provisional patent that hopefully will become applicable in the future.   Aside from conducting research, Prof. Radian also finds her role as a mentor and lecturer to be very important and fulfilling. “I am devoted to my teaching and feel I can make a real difference through my work in the classroom,” she says. This year, she received a teaching excellence award for her “Introduction to Soil Chemistry” course.  Radian lives in Kiryat Tivon with her husband Oren and their three young sons, aged 6, 4 and 2.   Asst. Prof. Shay Hacohen-Gourgy FACULTY OF PHYSICS Shay Hacohen-Gourgy is an experimental physicist who joined Technion in 2017 after a postdoc at UC Berkeley. MY TECHNION “I wanted to join Technion as it educates high-quality students and hosts high-quality fabrication infrastructure, which are important for building a successful lab and research group.” Prof. Hacohen-Gourgy works on quantum circuits built from superconducting materials. His most substantial achievement has been demonstrating a simultaneous measurement of non-commuting observables. The dynamics of such a measurement had been an open experimental problem until this demonstration, which was published in Nature and opened a path for a wide array of new capabilities for quantum systems.  He has also been active with small-scale quantum simulators as tools to better understand certain physical models. In particular, he was involved in an emulation of a three-site one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard lattice with attractive on-site interactions, showing that selected states can actively be stabilized – an important feat for future quantum simulators and quantum annealers. Recently, Prof. Hacohen-Gourgy has been working on using machine learning to aid in measurement and control of quantum systems.    Hacohen-Gourgy, 38, lives in Nofit with his wife and two daughters.   Assoc. Prof. Yael Yaniv FACULTY OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Yael Yaniv joined Technion’s Faculty of Biomedical Engineering as assistant professor in March 2014, following a postdoc and research fellowship at the National Institute on Aging–National Institutes of Health in the U.S. She received her BSc, MSc and PhD degrees from Technion.  MY TECHNION “I joined Technion’s faculty because if you want to be the best you must join the best!” Prof. Yaniv’s research focuses on two main objectives: understanding the molecular mechanisms that control heart rate dynamics and developing algorithms to identify changes in heartbeat dynamics in a time window that will allow prediction of future cardiac events or provide treatment in the early stages of a disease.  When using the current methods to quantify changes in heartbeat dynamics, it is too late to provide a treatment to reverse the heart condition. In the last five years, Prof. Yaniv’s lab has discovered that both Ca2+ and phosphate ions control heart rate dynamics; used computational work that led to two pharmacological approaches and one gene manipulation method to restore the beating rate of aged heart pacemaker cells to that of normal adult cells; and developed algorithms to predict fatal arrhythmias. Yaniv, 38, is married and has a baby daughter. Asst. Prof. Yaron Fuchs FACULTY OF BIOLOGY After completing his PhD at Technion and his postdoc in the U.S., Yaron Fuchs returned to Israel in 2014 as an assistant professor at Technion’s Faculty of Biology, where he heads the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. MY TECHNION “I returned to Technion as I deeply love this institute. I think the level of science here is truly phenomenal and as Technion is solely dedicated to science and technology, it represents a unique environment that nourishes interdisciplinary collaborations.” Fuchs has had a long-term interest in different modes of cell death and how they regulate diverse aspects of stem cell biology and stem cell-dependent processes. Fuchs and his team discovered that by manipulating the process of stem cell suicide, they can dramatically accelerate the wound repair process in both the skin and intestine. In addition, they have been able to find a potential new cure for melanoma, generate different organs in the dish, and unearth novel stem cell populations. Fuchs, who is 40, has received more than 20 awards for his scientific excellence and his unique teaching style, including the Wolf Foundation Krill Award and the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) Sartorius and Science Grand Prize for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy. He lives in Haifa with his wife and two children. Asst. Prof. Oksana Stalnov FACULTY OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING Oksana Stalnov was born in Minsk, Belarus, and her family immigrated to Israel when she was 11, settling in Kiryat Gat. She received her MSc and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Tel Aviv University, and in 2012 was appointed a research fellow at the University of Southampton, England. In 2017 she returned to Israel and joined Technion as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.  MY TECHNION “The Faculty is world renowned in the field of Aerospace Engineering, and Technion offered me the opportunity to establish a state-of-the-art research group.” At the heart of her research is the question of how noise is generated when unsteady flow interacts with a blade, where many complex phenomena take place within the boundary layer; and how this knowledge can be used to enhance performance. She is developing new diagnostic tools and modelling techniques, which will enable a step change in the understanding of noise generation mechanisms and the development of advanced flow and noise control strategies.   Stalnov, 39, lives in Haifa with her husband, 7-year-old son and 2.5-year-old daughter.