Moshal Scholarship Students Say “Todah”
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NEWSLETTER OF BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב Illinois Governor Signs Collaborative Magnanimous Bequest from Agreement on Behalf of University of Illinois Eric Ross to Benefit Students American Associates, Ben-Gurion University Guzik Family Antiquities of the Negev (AABGU) recently received Pathway Highlights a $17.4 million bequest on behalf of Negev History Ben-Gurion University from the estate of businessman and philanthropist Eric Ross of Photo: Carl Cox South Orange, New Jersey and West Palm Beach, Florida. In recent years, Ross and his late wife Lore BG Racing Team Puts made frequent gifts to BGU. They supported Guzik Family Antiquities Pathway Students on the Fast numerous University programs, including Highlights Negev History Track scholarships for students in need, capital projects, as well as community service programs for disadvantaged residents of the Negev region. An outgrowth of their extraordinary personal relationship with Local Hero Given Full University President Prof. Rivka Carmi, they Scholarship to BGU also made numerous contributions to the President’s Discretionary Fund. Ross rose from humble beginnings, fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938 with only $10 in his pocket and arriving in New York on what is * now infamously known as Kristallnacht. He Eric Ross receives an honorary doctoral degree started what became an extremely successful business, manufacturing plastics and vinyl went to college and was forced out of school products for the flooring industry, as well as in 1933 at the age of 14, and have now compounds for the medical industry. Ross received the University’s highest honor, I have later sold it and began his second career not yet digested it.” as a philanthropist. He gave away much of his fortune in his lifetime, determined to During the honorary doctorate ceremony that Learn more about Green Campus contribute to the greater Jewish community. took place at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial /http://cmsprod.bgu.ac.il/Eng/Units/green Museum in Washington, D.C., Carmi praised See us on YouTube Over the course of his life, Ross donated Ross, stating, “You are an inspiration. A www.youtube.com/BenGurionUniversity approximately $250 million. Education man who has overcome overwhelming became his philanthropic passion. When odds: losing home, country, family and Join us on Facebook Ross was awarded a prestigious honorary education, you came to this glorious nation, www.facebook.com/BenGurionUniversity doctoral degree from BGU in June 2010, he raised a magnificent family, built a business Follow us on Twitter said, “What does this honorary doctorate empire and committed your later years to www.twitter.com/BenGurionU (@BenGurionU) mean to me? Well, considering that I never philanthropy.” NEWSLETTER OF BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV Let the New Building Begin! Three impressive new buildings are now Braverman, who originally promoted the growing department and includes additional under construction on the eastern side of the idea of the NIBN while serving as president laboratory space for incoming scientists from Marcus Family Campus, with another in the of BGU. The impressive new building is other departments. advanced stages of planning. The current designed by Chyutin Architects and is projects represent an investment of more located adjacent to the existing NIBN. It Work will soon begin on an interdisciplinary than $55 million to expand the University’s includes state-of-the-art laboratories and laboratories building that will significantly research and teaching capacity as part office space for this world-class institute. improve the University’s ability to absorb new of the long-term strategic plan to solve scientists in emerging fields. current problems of overcrowding. All of the Work has also begun on the Ruth and buildings conform to the University’s Green Heinz-Horst Deichmann Classroom and Planning is in the advanced stage for two Campus standards and incorporate energy Computer Lab Building, made possible new buildings in Sede Boqer – a building for saving technologies. See architectural through the generosity of Dr. Heinz-Horst the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center renderings below. Deichmann of Germany. Designed by and the American Associates Village at Sede architect Haim Dotan, the building will Boqer. “The University anticipates that with the eliminate the current move of the Israel Defense Forces to the overcrowding, while south and its own natural growth, we will allowing for future need new laboratory, classroom and office growth. space over the next five years,” explains University President Prof. Rivka Carmi. “If we Designed by architect want to remain competitive with the great Dagan Moshli, the new universities of Israel and the world, we must building for the Avram provide state-of-the-art facilities for both and Stella Goldstein- students and faculty.” Goren Department of Biotechnology The cornerstone was laid in November for Engineering is also the National Institute for Biotechnology in underway. The facility the Negev’s new building, in the presence will provide expanded of Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor laboratory and MK Shalom Simhon and MK Prof. Avishay office space for the The new building for the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev The building for the Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Ruth and Heinz-Horst Deichmann Classroom and Computer Lab Building Department of Biotechnology Engineering 2 Illinois Governor Signs Collaborative Agreement on Behalf of University of Illinois “Education is how we prepare our workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn at a signing ceremony of a collaborative agreement between the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and BGU. The Governor represented the University of Illinois as part of a trip to Israel with a delegation of state officials, businesspeople and representatives of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, which organized the trip. BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi and Illinois State Senators Ira Silverstein and Jeffrey M. Schoenberg also participated in the ceremony. “The key to expanding life expectancy is public health,” Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn (left) said as he signed a collaborative agreement on behalf of the University of Illinois. Outgoing Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Shaul Sofer (right) signed for the University The agreement, which was also signed by the outgoing dean of BGU’s Faculty Governor Quinn, adding that “the key to matters. Aharonson-Daniel outlined the of Health Sciences Prof. Shaul Sofer, expanding life expectancy is public health. applied research the center was undertaking. formalizes scholarly and scientific interaction This agreement is designed to extend and between the institutions’ departments of enrich people’s lives.” “The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan public health through the promotion of Chicago has been proud and pleased to exchange opportunities for academic staff, Before the signing, the delegation was be able to play a role in advancing the professional staff and students, and by briefed by Vice-President for External Affairs relationship between BGU and UIC. Today, encouraging cooperative activities. Prof. Amos Drory and Dr. Limor Aharonson- that partnership moves to a new stage Daniel, the founding director of BGU’s which is sure to bring benefits to both “This is an excellent partnership between Prepared Center for Emergency Response universities and the communities that they two world-class universities, and I look Research, in response to the Governor’s serve,” said Michael Kotzin, Executive Vice- forward to the results of their efforts,” said request for information on homeland security President of the Jewish United Fund. To Africa, With Love from the Zalman Aranne Central Library About 800 boxes of journals, worth in the library. Rather than just recycle them to several universities in Africa.” hundreds of thousands of dollars, donated them, librarian Ilona Geller wanted to find by BGU’s Zalman Aranne Central Library somewhere to donate them. Through The project to transfer journals from BGU to were recently loaded on trucks to begin their the contacts of Prof. Emeritus Hanan J. Africa falls under the responsibility of Roving journey to academic institutions in various Kisch of the Department of Geological and Ambassador to Africa Dan Shaham, who is African countries. Environmental Sciences, she reached out to responsible for academic cooperation with the Foreign Ministry with the idea of donating African countries on behalf of the Ministry of Aranne Library Director Haya Asner them to universities in the developing world. Foreign Affairs. Shaham praised the move, explained, “After purchasing digital The reaction she received was extremely noting that “academic cooperation with subscriptions to several journals, we positive and the Ministry promised to take Africa, in which I had a partner in the late couldn’t continue to hold the hard copies the journals off her hands and distribute Dr. Tamar Golan, continues to develop.” 3 NEWSLETTER OF BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV Guzik Family Antiquities Pathway Highlights Negev History 2,000 years ago, the Nabateans established a series of forts along the major southern trade route to guard their spice shipments. Some of the Negev’s most enduring archeological sites are these forts, which became the major cities of the area, such as Halutza and Avdat. Not people to let a good thing pass them by, the Romans eventually