By Anji Mantripragada, Special to JTNews
Showing off Israel’s technological prowess sometimes requires a personal touch. That’s why two top students and a professor from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology visited Seattle on March 9, their fourth stop in a jaunt across the country. The group is touring the United States as a part of the American Technion Society’s educational outreach effort to talk about the work of technology in Israel.
Student Yochay Tzur is working toward his master’s degree in Computer Science. In his spare time, he enjoys playing jazz music and doing origami. He is a family man, born and raised in Migdal Haemek, a small city in the north of Israel. Tzur received his bachelor’s degree from the Technion in Computer Science. While an undergrad, he worked at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Ltd., the Israeli authority for the development of weapons and military technology.
“I specialize in capturing the 3D environment of computer graphics, which is the primary building block of every computer graphic today,” Tzur, who is working toward a doctorate, told a group of ATS supporters. “I would like my Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Technion because I value the flourishing high-tech industry and the Technion’s use of interdisciplinary knowledge principles in its research and development.”
Born and raised in Haifa, student Roni Zidon served as an instructor in the Israel Defense Forces’ artillery division. She received a bachelor’s degree from the faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion in 2006 and she teaches for the Technion American Medical Students Association and takes pride in being an ambassador for Israel as well as for the Technion. She has also participated in delegations organized by the ministry of foreign affairs to help improve negative views of Israel abroad.
Zidon talked about the Technion’s unique research and development strategy.
“Many research problems today require interdisciplinary knowledge studies, and the Technion combines research between different departments to solve the problems of today’s technological and medical advances,” she said. “I am working on a new approach in the Technion Cancer Center to target the process of Angiogenesis to block tumor progression. We use [the] research and development of many different departments to pool resources.”
The American Technion Society plays an exceptional role in generating awareness of the Technion Institute in Israel, Professor Arie Feuer told his audience. For years, ATS has raised money for fellowships, scholarships, new faculty, bigger housing, and research and development for the Technion’s top students, so that they can educate themselves as well as travel abroad to educate donors about the work of technology in Israel.
“At these critical times, technology is still Israel’s future, and the Technion Faculty of Electrical Engineering is at its forefront,” said Feuer. He stressed his desire for collaboration with American counterparts in sophisticated engineering, medicine and technology development.
Feuer was raised in Israel and is a member of the Technion Faculty of Electrical Engineering. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces infantry, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Technion and worked in the industry, then returned to the Technion for his master’s. He received his doctorate at Yale and his core research interests lie in image processing, adaptive systems and signal representations.
“I volunteer for ATS to help the Technion generate long-term supporters and potential candidates,” Feuer said.
There are challenges, however, that the Technion must overcome to continue to attract the best students and faculty, he added.
“Difficulties lie in attracting new faculty because of our limited selection — all classes are taught in Hebrew,” he said. “Another downfall is the Israel government’s inability to compete with U.S. salaries.”
The Technion is Israel’s oldest university and has been crucial in building the country’s defense and high-tech industries, according to the university’s Web site. Many scholars from the Technion regularly contribute to Israel’s economic structures and believe that highly developed technology will continue to foster the expansion of Israel’s prosperity.
Its laboratories work to enhance the country’s economy, and they work with the government to offer novel solutions, research facilities and world-class expertise, according to the Web site.
Wendy Rosen, director of the local ATS chapter, noted that the organization is preparing to wrap up a 13-year, $1 billion fundraising campaign for the Technion, in 2009.
“The ATS has a world-wide reputation, and Seattle does well because of the potential collaborations such as Microsoft, Boeing and the advancements in bio-tech industries,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of having visitors show that things are happening in Israel beyond the regional conflict.
“People need to know that there is so much more going on in this world than what’s going on in Gaza, Jerusalem, [and] Dimona,” she said. “Israel is going through revolutionary changes that have a huge impact on the world and have changed Israel entirely.”
In this new age, the Technion’s role at the forefront of science and technology has never been more imperative, Rosen added.
Anji Mantripragada is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.