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Itinerary American Technion Society PIONEERS of PROGRESS MISSION

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Itinerary American Technion Society PIONEERS of PROGRESS MISSION Itinerary American Technion Society PIONEERS OF PROGRESS MISSION April 26 – May 7, 2014 (As of 04/09/14 - - Subject to Change) Mission Chairs: Ilene and Steve Berger “The Technion’s trailblazing, innovative spirit knows no bounds.” - Shimon Peres SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014 - - DEPARTURE 10:45 pm: United Air # 90 (suggested group flight) departs Newark, New Jersey Overnight: Flight SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014 - - WELCOME TO ISRAEL 4:20 pm: Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport on United Air # 90. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Drive south through the Negev to the Beresheet Hotel located on the edge of the Ramon Crater in the town of Mitzpe Ramon. 8:00 pm: Check into the hotel. 8:30 pm: Dinner and Welcome Program at the hotel in the main dining room. Greetings by Mission Chairs Ilene and Steve Berger. Overnight: Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014 - - THE POWER OF THE DESERT 7:00 – 8:00 am: Breakfast at the main dining room of the hotel. (At 8:00 am, please proceed to the Ophir Room located one level down from the main dining room.) 8:15 – 9:00 am: “An Inside Look at the Negev” with a member of the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council. They will introduce and orient us to the Negev by sharing with us its history and geography, as well as the economic and sociological factors facing the region today. (This will take place in the Ophir Room located one level down from the main dining room.) Itinerary Pioneers of Progress Mission Page 2 Monday, April 28 continued 9:10 am: Meet in the hotel lobby for a prompt 9:15 am departure to the Desert Shade Eco Camp. 9:30 – 10:15 am: Arrival at the Desert Shade Eco Farm and Camp with greetings by the owner Ziv Spector. Enjoy a short leisurely walk through the sculpture garden located along the edge of the Ramon Crater. Then gather on the patio with views into the Crater where we will participate in a meditative service in memory of those killed in the Holocaust as this is the Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Day. At 10:10 am we will stand at attention along with the rest of Israel as the siren sounds throughout the country. 10:15 am – 12:45 pm: Depart via Jeep for a Jeep Tour to explore the geological wonders of the Ramon Crater. There will be two options: one for those who prefer a smoother ride, no stair climbing and minimal walking; and another option for those who seek more adventure, can climb series of stairs and don’t mind heights. 12:45 pm: The jeep tour will conclude back at the Eco Shade Farm and Camp for a delicious vegetarian home cooked lunch. 1:45 pm: There will be afternoon options depending on your interests: Option 1: Time to enjoy the spa at the Beresheet Hotel or just rest and relax and savor the beautiful views. (Treatments will be scheduled in advance.) Option 2: Guided visit to the 2,000 year-old city of Avdat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in the Negev Desert, one of the stops on the ancient Nabatean spice route. Return to the hotel at 4:00 pm. Option 3: Leisurely nature walk along the spectacular narrow canyon at Ein Avdat (Spring Source). Return to the hotel at 4:00 pm. 5:55 pm: Meet in the hotel lobby for a prompt 6:00 pm departure for Orlyya Lone Farm. 6:30 pm: Our visit to Orlyya Lone Farm begins as soon as we arrive and are greeted at the gate by owners Yoni and Orly Sharir. They will share their home and land with us as we tour the property located in the Negev wilderness to learn the story of how they came to the Negev and started their Aragan oil business. See the oil press in action and learn how Aragan oil is made. Our Lone Farm experience will conclude with a delicious ethnic dinner served in an elegant hospitality tent. After dinner: Optional walk along the crater’s edge for a night of star gazing accompanied by Technion professor astrophysicist Ehud Behar, Director of the Asher Space Research Center, Department of Physics. Overnight: Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon Itinerary Pioneers of Progress Mission Page 3 TUESDAY, APRIL 29 - - DREAMS TO REALITY 7:00 – 8:15 am: Breakfast at the hotel in the main dining room. Check out of the hotel. 8:25 am: Meet in the hotel lobby for a prompt 8:30 am departure for our day’s activities en route to Haifa. 9:00 am: Visit the gravesite of Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, located on Kibbutz Sde Boker overlooking the Wilderness of Zin in the Negev Desert. 10:00 am: Drive north towards Be’er Sheva. 11:00 am – 2:00 pm: Visit the Netafim Irrigation Company located on Kibbutz Hatzerim, the company that pioneered drip irrigation. We will meet with Technion graduate Rafi Mehudar, who invented and developed the next generation of the sophisticated drippers manufactured by the company, which has kept Netafim one step ahead of its competitors. Gain insight into this Israeli world leader in drip irrigation, literally responsible for fulfilling David Ben Gurion’s dream - of making the desert bloom - come true. Lunch at Kibbutz Hatzerim. 3:30 – 5:00 pm: Continue north to Kiryat Gat to visit the facilities of Intel. Meet with Technion graduates and gain insight into the role the computer giant has played in Israel and specifically in this small town on the fringe of the northern Negev. We will visit Fab28 for a view into the clean room, the size of four soccer fields! 5:15 pm: Continue driving north towards Haifa. 6:45 pm: Enjoy dinner, wine tasting and great conversation with Technion graduates who are entrepreneurs at Binyamina Winery. Continue to Haifa and check into the Dan Carmel Hotel at approximately 9:30 pm. Overnight: Dan Carmel Hotel, Haifa WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014 - - CUTTING EDGE EDUCATION, INOVATION AND INSPIRATION - TECHNION DAY I 7:00 – 8:15 am: Breakfast at the hotel in the main dining room. Itinerary Pioneers of Progress Mission Page 4 Wednesday, April 30 continued 8:25 am: Meet in the hotel lobby for a prompt 8:30 am departure for the Technion campus accompanied by Technion students. 9:00 – 10:10 am: “Welcome to the Technion” Program at the Coler California Visitors Center. The Technion has earned a global reputation for it’s pioneering work, world-renowned faculty, brilliant students, and forward-thinking entrepreneurial graduates all which have led Israel’s transformation into the technological powerhouse that is often referred to as the “Start-Up Nation.” Professor Boaz Golany, Technion’s Vice President of Public Affairs and External Relations will showcase how Technion is providing solutions to global challenges. From treating cancer to developing smaller and more effective computer chips, Technion scientists are leading the way—transforming pure science and mathematics into life-changing applications that make the world a healthier, cleaner, safer and smarter place. The importance and results of the American Technion Society/Technion collaboration over the decades and how Technion’s future successes depend on keeping the partnership strong will be highlighted throughout our days on campus as we take part in supporting the Technion through our Innovation for a Better World campaign. Our exploration of the Technion Autonomous Systems Program (TASP), a priority project which focuses on the development of advanced unmanned systems and robotics, will start with a brief overview from the founding head of TASP, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Daniel Weihs of the Technion Faculty of Aerospace Engineering holder of the Louis and Lyra Richmond Chair in Life Sciences. TASP Rap and Wrap-up: Hear from Technion alumnus Dr. Yoav Medan, a visiting scientist and a professor at the Technion’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering. He is building an interdisciplinary group of researchers devoted to improving safety during surgical procedures as part of the Technion’s Autonomous Systems Program. He focuses his research on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), therapeutic ultrasound, technologies for autonomous interventional medical devices, signal processing and multimedia. 10:30 – 10:45 am: Coffee break and greetings at the Asher Space Research Center by Professor Ehud Behar, Director of the Asher Space Research Center, Department of Physics, whom we met during our time in the Negev. 10:45– 11:40 am: Split into two groups and visit both of the following labs: Distributed Space System Laboratory and the Electric Propulsion Laboratory both located in the Asher Space Research Institute, headed by Professor Pini Gurfil of the Aerospace Engineering. Itinerary Pioneers of Progress Mission Page 5 Wednesday, April 30 continued 11:45 am – 12:00 pm: Group Photo (wear your mission shirts) then walk to the D. Dan Kahn and Betty Kahn Mechanical Engineering Building. 12:15 – 12:45 pm: Split into two groups and visit one of the following labs: 1. Microfluidic Technologies Laboratory headed by Dr. Moran Bercovici, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. 2. Biorobotics and Biomechanics Laboratory in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering headed by Professor Alon Wolf. Prof. Alon Wolf is the founder and director of the Biorobotics and Biomechanics LAB (BRML) in the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and his work has applications in medical/surgical robotics, rehabilitation robotics, and biorobotics. He is the founder of Medrobotics, a medical robotics company. 1:00 - 1:15 pm: Brief overview of the new D. Dan Kahn and Betty Kahn Mechanical Engineering Building with Professor Pinhas Bar-Yoseph, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical engineering to showcase the new building from outside.
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