Ilene & Steve Berger Technion Visiting Fellows Program
One of the American Technion Society’s most popular speaker series, the Ilene & Steve Berger Technion Visiting Fellows Program features the university’s greatest assets: its students. Known as the Berger Visiting Fellows, these select scholars represent the very soul of the Technion. Their visit provides an inspiring glimpse into the lives and minds of those who will help shape the future of Israel and the world.
This year four Berger Visiting Fellows will be visiting communities across the United States to share their life-changing research and personal stories with warmth, humor, and enthusiasm. We invite you to reconnect with fellow ATS supporters while meeting these outstanding Berger Technion Visiting Fellows who are determined to make the world a more equitable and healthier place.
For more information, contact hello@ats.org.
About the Student Fellows
Aviram Avital ’18, M.S. ’20 is pursuing both a Ph.D. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and an MBA. His research, focused on developing a biological delivery system to combat viral diseases in agriculture, could lead to increased crop yields and greater food security, and is already garnering attention from industry. A self-professed basketball fan, Aviram speaks to high school students about the importance of academic education and serves the Israel Defense Forces in active reserve duty with the rank of first sergeant. Looking ahead, he hopes to lead a Biotech company in Israel in the R&D or business development sectors.
Roni Goldin ’22 is a master’s candidate in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. Passionate about education, he serves as the Faculty’s head teaching assistant and the graduate students’ representative. He is researching the hypergolic ignition of kerosene gel and hydrogen peroxide in rocket motors in the David I.A. Fine Rocket Propulsion Center, with the hope of developing advanced, environmentally friendly rocket propulsion technology. Roni is an Atuda student in the “Silon” excellence program, a joint academic and military training initiative, where he manages tutors and mentors more than 70 Technion students.
Maya Goldshlager is an undergraduate in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, focused in the areas of signal analysis and biomechanics and fluids. During her military service, Maya taught more than 300 soldiers and officers how to operate the Iron Dome defense missile system. Maya works in the Technion Visitors Center and is a mentor in the “Big Brother” program for new students in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. In her spare time, the Tel Aviv native enjoys dance classes, running, swimming, reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends.
Ido Han is pursuing his M.D. in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, where he is a research assistant in Professor Sara Selig’s Laboratory for Molecular Medicine. Ido trained in the IDF paratrooper brigade, served as a training officer in the Officers’ Training School, and is currently a captain in the IDF reserves’ HR Evaluation Unit, which evaluates candidates for designated officer courses in the IDF.
Itai Massad ’17, M.Sc. ’18 is a Ph.D. candidate researching catalysis and its role in constructing complex organic molecules — the building blocks for all life forms — with the aim of finding sustainable routes toward important bioactive molecules. He has received numerous accolades, including five teaching awards and the Leonard and Diane Sherman Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Fellowship. This past year, he was selected to participate in the 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Upon completing his degree, Itai will conduct postdoctoral studies at the University of Cambridge and hopes to become a professor.
Tom Rahav ’23 is an undergraduate student in the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science. He was chosen to participate in the “LAPIDIM entrepreneurship” Faculty Excellence Program, an exclusive endeavor that admits just 10 students each year. Tom interned last summer at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, where he researched different architectures for training and building deep learning models that incorporate “common sense.” He also led a team in the MindState Ideation Sprint, an international collaboration between multiple universities and major Israeli hospitals that encourages students to work with the medical staff in order to solve complex medical oriented challenges.
Omer Sabary ’18, M.Sc. ’20, a Ph.D. candidate in the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science, is working on next generation DNA-based systems that could help solve the world’s digital storage crisis. The work entails designing algorithms to encode digital data to DNA in a way that is resilient to errors. He holds a patent for that research and has received many awards. A former officer in IDF Intelligence Unit 8200, Omer enjoys running, working out, and baking, and hopes to become a professor at the Technion.
Lishai Shoham ’19 is a Ph.D. candidate in the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. An avid researcher, Lishai’s focus is on finding alternative materials and ideas to replace silicon-based electronic devices, which will open new possibilities for future electronics. She has presented her research at multiple conferences including the American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting in 2021 and 2022, and already has three published peer-reviewed research papers. She also was part of a youth movement that helps young people appreciate Israel by exploring the country on foot.
