The Technion’s story has been intertwined with Israel’s for more than a century, from laying the foundations for a new nation to shaping its future.
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Pictured above: Dori Brown and her sister Judi Gottesman Doris “Dori” Brown San Diego, California The Technion became Dori Brown’s cause of choice after taking a friend to an American Technion Society (ATS) event. She and her late sister Judi Gottesman invited their friend, suffering from early onset of Parkinson’s, to hear Technion Professor Emeritus Moussa Youdim speak about his then-breakthrough drug for the condition. Prof. Youdim later arranged for her to get the medication (Azilect ®), “and she is still playing golf now, at least 20 years later,” said Ms. Brown. “That was such a miracle to us, that…
Dr. Eric Albin recounts in this first-person piece why he chose to support Technion in his estate plans. Some time ago, I read that hedge fund manager John Paulson had gifted Harvard University’s engineering school the fantastic sum of $400 million. My thought was, and is, that the Harvard endowment fund has more than $40 billion, so Paulson’s gift, though very generous, would make absolutely no difference in the world. It was then that I began my personal search as to where my financial support would provide the most good for the world, for this and future generations. Technion -…
Modern-day Israel was built by hardworking pioneers, people like Avraham Ashkenazi ’66, M.S. ’72. Fleeing war-torn Europe, he studied engineering at the Technion and forged the nation’s infrastructure and industry. After a successful career in Israel, Iran, and the U.S., Mr. Ashkenazi can now pull back — and give back. He and his late wife Patricia have contributed to numerous causes, including Friends of the IDF, Jewish Film Festival, Israel Guide Dog Center, Chabad Beth El, and other synagogues in Hampton Roads, Va., near his home in Norfolk. But the American Technion Society holds a special allure. “The Technion is…
For newly minted Ph.D.s, choosing where to plant their academic roots can be an overwhelming decision. It shapes the direction of their research, where they live, and with whom they collaborate. The choice is also key for universities, which rely on recruiting top faculty to attract the best students. That’s why the Technion has long made faculty recruitment a priority. Donor-funded initiatives such as The First Steps Program, endowed Chairs, and the new Faculty Recruitment Fellowship Program allow the Technion to stay competitive with elite peers in the U.S. Despite the pandemic, the Technion recruited 36 new faculty last year,…
When considering how to best direct his IRA funds, ATS donor Robert Kaplan shared, “My easiest estate planning decision: Should my IRA funds go to the IRS or support the American Technion Society?” Making a charitable donation with your IRA withdrawal is a win-win strategy. The IRS requires you to take mandatory annual distributions on your IRA at age 72, which are subject to ordinary income taxes and could put you in a higher tax bracket. However, a tax-relief strategy is available starting at age 70 ½. It allows you to direct IRA distributions of up to $100,000 per year…
Pictured above: William Davidson, who passed away in March 2009, was a life-long supporter of Israel, an honorary member of the Technion Board of Governors, and a Technion Guardian. The Technion has just renamed its MBA program The William Davidson Master of Business Administration Program in honor of the late businessman, basketball Hall of Famer, and visionary supporter William “Bill” Davidson. “William Davidson’s outstanding achievements and legacy have made him a source of inspiration for those seeking to become entrepreneurs and innovators themselves,” said Technion President Uri Sivan during a meeting with directors of the William Davidson Foundation. “I cannot…
Few American Technion Society events are as uplifting as the annual visit of the Technion’s most promising students. Meet the 2021 Berger Visiting Fellows, a diverse and brilliant group of graduate and undergraduate students poised to become the influential scientists and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. These six students study in areas ranging from computer science to biotechnology and aerospace engineering, often juggling the demands of academia with young families. Hear more about their fascinating research — building a rocket, engineering healthy food, tackling Alzheimer’s disease — and the personal journeys that have shaped their pursuits. Dean of Students Professor Ayelet Fishman…
Associate Professor Avi Schroeder, of the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering, and Associate Professor Daniel Zelazo, of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, were selected as the inaugural winners of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Crown Vanguard Award for Science and Technology Innovation. The awards are in recognition of their trailblazing work in life sciences and classical engineering. The Crown Vanguard Award was created to secure the Technion’s place at the forefront of innovation, making it possible to retain outstanding mid-career faculty whose brilliant work is at the stage wherein it could become the next world-changing breakthrough. Winners are…
From L to R: Martin and Grace Rosman, Nir Emuna with his son Yachin on his shoulders, Liad Emuna, and Irv Elenberg, ATS – Washington, D.C. Senior Director of Development By day, he was a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces. At night, Nir Emuna, B.S. ’11, M.S. ’13, Ph.D. ’19, moonlighted as a short order cook at Burger King to make ends meet. “Flipping burgers and sweating up until midnight makes you think about your future,” he said. “I felt I was not reaching my potential. I knew I could do more, and I wanted to do more.” He considered…
Though we did not have the fortune to know the late Lewis and Joan Lowenstein, we are grateful for their values and commitment to helping others. For many years now, the Lewis and Joan Lowenstein Foundation has funded various initiatives that support Technion students, from Second Chance Scholarships in Haifa to masters fellowships at the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, to an apartment in the graduate student village at the Technion, named in honor of Lewis and Joan Lowenstein. In 2020, the Lowenstein Foundation made a gift to name the entrance lobby at the Technion’s Polak Visitor’s Center, highlighting…
Education and Israel have been lifelong passions for American Technion Society (ATS) donors Barbara and William Dahl of Chapel Hill, N.C. Mrs. Dahl’s grandfather, an ardent Zionist, brought 300 Jews over from Germany to a family-owned hosiery mill in Nashville, Tenn., in the 1930s, and served as president of the Zionist Organization of America for a period after World War II. He took 9-year-old Barbara to Israel in the summer of 1957. While there, she stayed with Golda Meir, and got to see Israel through the future prime minister’s eyes. Mrs. Dahl’s parents first learned of the Technion through a…
As told by ATS Supporter Norman J. Rosenberg A few years after Israel’s founding, a debate erupted in the Knesset over how to feed its growing population. The country was relying heavily on U.S. donations of surplus grains and dairy products. Some said the country needed to rely less on others and more on its own technological prowess. As one lawmaker declared, “We don’t need powdered milk, we need Lowdermilk.” He was referring to the renowned American conservationist Walter Clay Lowdermilk, the subject of a fascinating book written by Technion supporter Norman J. Rosenberg. Lowdermilk, not Powdered Milk!: An American…