Asher Space Research Institute Building Dedicated at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Monday, March 9, 2009
By: Kevin Hattori

In a February 12th ceremony, the Norman and Helen Asher Space Building was dedicated at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Chicago resident Helen S. Asher and her late husband Norman provided the $3.5 million lead gift for the building.

The occasion also marked the 30-year anniversary of Israel's space program and the 10-year anniversary of the Technion student-built "Gurwin TechSat" satellite.

"So much has happened since the Asher Space Research Institute was first established," said Helen Asher, "I hope the next 25 years bring as much progress as the last 25."

The new, three-story, 17,000 square foot building features six laboratories, a seminar room, conference rooms and a satellite station on the roof.  It will house the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI), which was established in 1984.

The mission of the Asher Space Research Institute is to advance education, science, technology and engineering in all space related fields.  The ASRI operates with a broad national perspective, and fosters interdisciplinary work and collaboration with researchers from other countries, universities, agencies and industry.

"Because of its power, influence and symbolism, space must be a high priority for the State of Israel," said Prof. Moshe Guelman, head of the Asher Space Research Institute. "The institute is vital to the realization of this vision."

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The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university.  Home to the country's winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine.  The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society (ATS) is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with offices around the country.