June 2008

Risky Beehavior

Most people think before making decisions. As it turns out, so do bees. In the June 12 issue of Nature, Technion researchers report that when making decisions, people and bees alike are more likely to gamble on risky courses of action if the results are known, but will take the safer route if consequences are cloudier.

More on this fascinating phenomenon

Karnit Goldwasser displays her diploma while Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres, her invited guests, look on.

Heroic Student Graduates

Karnit Goldwasser, wife of kidnapped IDF soldier Ehud Goldwasser, graduated magna cum laude from the Technion last week with a master’s degree in civil engineering. She managed to complete her thesis while traveling the world, working tirelessly to trace her husband’s whereabouts and raising awareness. Udi was abducted two years ago by Hezbollah militants.

Read what Karnit said at her graduation

Profs. Moussa Youdim (l) and John Finberg holding Azilect

Parkinson’s Drug Stymies Disease

After successful late-stage trials, Israel’s pharmaceutical giant Teva announced that Azilect could be the first disease modifying treatment for Parkinson’s. The drug is the brainchild of Technion Professors Moussa Youdim and John Finberg.

What could this mean for Parkinson’s sufferers?

Mission a Success

More than 100 ATS supporters from across the country took part in our annual mission: “Israel at 60: Triumphs of the Past, Technion Innovations for the Future.” Israel’s anniversary was an apropos theme for an enlivening immersion into the nation’s history and its future. Two pre-mission tours -- a floating symposium through the Netherlands and Belgium, and a tour of Poland -- preceded the Israel portion. More than $16 million was raised for the Technion.

View the photos!

Twelve Days Left for Best CGA Rates

Less than two weeks remain to take advantage of great rates on a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA). Lock in a great rate before July 1 and receive a guaranteed, fixed income for life, regardless of what happens on Wall Street

Learn more about the CGA

Friedman Cites Technion Professor in Column

Renowned New York Times columnist Tom Friedman quoted Prof. Boaz Golany of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management in a recent column that contrasts Israel’s innovative economy with Iran’s oil-dependent economy.  Friedman received an honorary doctorate from the Technion during the recent International Board of Governors meeting.

Read “People vs. Dinosaurs”

Elbit, Technion Collaborate on Vision Systems

Elbit Systems, a Nasdaq-traded defense manufacturer based in Israel, will collaborate with the researchers and students at the Technion Faculty of Electrical Engineering.

Learn more about this collaboration