Science Forward: 7th Annual Zuckerman STEM Leadership Forum
Participants were treated to a heartfelt address by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who attended with First Lady Michal Herzog.
He praised Zuckerman’s academic researchers and thanked them for their efforts, particularly during the past year and a half. “Investing in and advancing academic excellence is about securing our future, driving economic growth, and ensuring that Israel remains a global leader in discovery and progress,” Herzog said. “I salute the remarkable Israeli academia. I know how difficult this time has been for faculty, students, and academia at large. I salute all of you for your commitment to defending the principles at the root of our Israeli society.”
During the Forum, Eric Gertler, Trustee of the Zuckerman Israel Institute and Zuckerman Family Foundation, announced a transformative gift to advance neuroscience in Israel. The cornerstone of the initiative includes a lead gift of $25M to establish the Zuckerman Center for Research on Learning, Memory, and Cognition at Weizmann Institute’s Azrieli Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences. Moreover, $5 million of the overall gift will be directed to create the Zuckerman National Neuroscience Research Program, promoting collaboration in the neurosciences between leading academic institutions in Israel and the United States.
In addition to recognizing the unprecedented number of scholars and growing number of women in the Zuckerman program, the evening acknowledged the continued successful partnership with Israel’s Council for Higher Education. It was also an opportunity to welcome the program’s newest faculty scholars. These nine talented Israeli scientists returned to Israel in the past year, and are in the process of opening their own labs at eight Israeli universities.
Welcoming new Faculty Scholars
- Liron David, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- Angelica Elkan, Tel Aviv University
- Maya Maor-Nof, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
- Sivan Pearl Mizrahi, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Yishay Pinto, Bar-Ilan University
- Lidor Shaar-Moshe, University of Haifa
- Yaniv Shlosberg. Ariel University
- Gal Vardi, Weizmann Institute of Science
- Dar Weiss, Tel Aviv University
Keynote Presentation
Networks of Creativity: Celebrating our Imaginative Minds
- Prof. Rafi Malach, Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science
- Dr. Michal Ramot, Zuckerman Faculty Scholar, Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science
Participants included Israel’s best and brightest “Guardians of Israel:” current Zuckerman scholars and alumni; university presidents Alon Chen, Weizmann Institute of Science; Ariel Porat, Tel Aviv University; Arie Zaban, Bar-Ilan University; Asher Cohen, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Uri Sivan, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology; Ehud Grossman, Ariel University, Leo Corry, Open University; university rectors; Yoseph Mekori, Chair of the Budgeting and Planning Committee, Israeli Council for Higher Education; Joelle Uzarski, Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Jerusalem; Jacob Frenkel, former Governor of the Bank of Israel, and Chair of the Frenkel-Zuckerman Institute for Global Economics; Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, Emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Doron Almog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency; and Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, among others.
