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TAU’s race car is headed to Italy

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

Team of engineering students who constructed the car entirely by themselves will compete internationally

The students of the Formula project designed and built a race car as part of their final project in Mechanical Engineering. Now, after a year of hard and challenging work, they are preparing for the cherry on the cake – participating in the Formula ATA competition, where they will compete with students from all over the world for the honor, glory and of course, the trophy, of coming first.

 

Getting your hands dirty

Fifteen students and instructors from the Faculty of Engineering of the Iby and Aladar Fleischmann Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University will travel to Italy at the end of July – the country is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rare sports cars. In the belly of the plane will rest their race car, which they spent an entire year building, as part of their final project for their Bachelor’s degree. This is the only project at the faculty that requires a manufacturing process (not just planning and design) and is one of the university’s flagship projects as a result. It’s the result of collaboration between all the schools of engineering that comprise the faculty – Electric/Software, Materials, and of course Mechanical. The project is led by the School of Mechanical Engineering, and headed by by Prof. Yoram Reich.

 

“Our goal was to design and manufacture a vehicle the way a real engineering company does it, with all that that entails,” says Nadav Gvaram, a fourth year student who is taking part in the project. “The entire project is divided into sub-projects according to the different systems in the vehicle, such as the chassis design, the wheel assembly, the cab, the steering system and more, and is executed according to the competition rules (about 120 pages that specify the requirements and nature of the competition), which we can now quote even in the middle of the night,” he adds with a smile.

 

“I’m very excited about the trip,” says team leader Dima Medvednik, a Bachelor’s degree student in Mechanical Engineering, who has been part of the project for five years. “Two years of very intensive work have all led to the past two weeks and to this competition.” The rest of the group attests to him being the most extensive source of knowledge in the project.

 

Is there a screw loose? The Formula Team tightens and examines each element of the race car

Is there a screw loose? The Formula Team tightens and examines each element of the race car

 

The unique project gives students practical experience in planning and assembling a product. “There’s a real a win-win situation here both for our graduates and for the industry,” explains the project manager, Baruch Meirovich. “Most of the students come to us without hands-on knowledge, and this work gives them practical tools for real life, where they get their hands dirty and can go into the industry with more experience. And beyond the pride we feel at the School of Mechanical Engineering, we also feel like we’re representing our country internationally.”

 

#tau_racer: Nadav Gvaram’s debut story about the car on Instagram

 

International standards

Tel Aviv University is one of three universities in Israel (alongside the Technion and Ben-Gurion University), which traditionally participates in annual international competitions of this kind. This year, TAU’s race car will be the only Israeli representative at the competition in Italy, along with 46 cars from universities all over the world, including India, Egypt, Spain, Ukraine, Thailand and more. The requirements for admission to the competition are very strict, and currently the waiting list, two weeks before the event starts, stands at 32.

 

The cars are tested according to many parameters. Even the business plan and production costs are scored. With a low budget, comprised mostly of sponsorships from companies like Xenom, HP and others, students acquiring the spare parts and build the entire car themselves, from the chassis to the engine.

 

“There are static tests, that examine mainly the design of the main systems and the quality of the assembly, and then there are of course the dynamic stages in which the cars get on the track,” explains Gvaram. The car’s driver, who must meet stringent height and weight criteria, drives the vehicle first on the acceleration track, which the ability to accelerate the vehicle along a straight path is tested. He then competes in another track called “skidpad”, where the car is tested on its maneuvering abilities. The race culminates on the last day, as cars compete on the “autocross” race track, that examines the overall dynamic abilities of the vehicle, and then on an endurance track that is 22 kilometers long and identical to the autocross.

 

As befits a competition of this calibre, the car with the highest score earns its team a cup and of course, enormous respect. “I don’t know if there’s another major prize like this, but I can say that this will certainly be enough for us,” says Gavram.

Featured image: Part of the team who spent a year building the race car from scratch

 

Antibacterial fillings from TAU may combat recurring tooth decay

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New material may prevent one of the costliest and most prevalent bacterial diseases in the world

Tooth decay is among the costliest and most widespread bacterial diseases. Virulent bacteria cause the acidification of tooth enamel and dentin, which, in turn, causes secondary tooth decay.

A new study by Tel Aviv University researchers finds potent antibacterial capabilities in novel dental restoratives, or filling materials. According to the research, the resin-based composites, with the addition of antibacterial nano-assemblies, can hinder bacterial growth and viability on dental restorations, the main cause of recurrent cavities, which can eventually lead to root canal treatment and tooth extractions.

 

Research for the study was led by Dr. Lihi Adler-Abramovich and TAU doctoral student Lee Schnaider in collaboration with Prof. Ehud Gazit, Prof. Rafi Pilo, Prof. Tamar Brosh, Dr. Rachel Sarig and colleagues from TAU’s Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine and George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. It was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces on May 28.

 

Can your fillings fight germ?


“Antibiotic resistance is now one of the most pressing healthcare problems facing society, and the development of novel antimicrobial therapeutics and biomedical materials represents an urgent unmet need,” says Dr. Adler-Abramovich. “When bacteria accumulate on the tooth surface, they ultimately dissolve the hard tissues of the teeth. Recurrent cavities — also known as secondary tooth decay — at the margins of dental restorations results from acid production by cavity-causing bacteria that reside in the restoration-tooth interface.”

 

This disease is a major causative factor for dental restorative material failure and affects an estimated 100 million patients a year, at an estimated cost of over $30 billion.

 

Historically, amalgam fillings composed of metal alloys were used for dental restorations and had some antibacterial effect. But due to the alloys’ bold color, the potential toxicity of mercury and the lack of adhesion to the tooth, new restorative materials based on composite resins became the preferable choice of treatment. Unfortunately, the lack of an antimicrobial property remained a major drawback to their use.

 

“We’ve developed an enhanced material that is not only aesthetically pleasing and mechanically rigid but is also intrinsically antibacterial due to the incorporation of antibacterial nano-assemblies,” Schnaider says. “Resin composite fillings that display bacterial inhibitory activity have the potential to substantially hinder the development of this widespread oral disease.”

 

From nano materials to major breakthroughs


The scientists are the first to discover the potent antibacterial activity of the self-assembling building block Fmoc-pentafluoro-L-phenylalanine, which comprises both functional and structural subparts. Once the researchers established the antibacterial capabilities of this building block, they developed methods for incorporating the nano-assemblies within dental composite restoratives. Finally, they evaluated the antibacterial capabilities of composite restoratives incorporated with nanostructures as well as their biocompatibility, mechanical strength and optical properties.

 

“This work is a good example of the ways in which biophysical nanoscale characteristics affect the development of an enhanced biomedical material on a much larger scale,” Schnaider says.

 

“The minimal nature of the antibacterial building block, along with its high purity, low cost, ease of embedment within resin-based materials and biocompatibility, allows for the easy scale-up of this approach toward the development of clinically available enhanced antibacterial resin composite restoratives,” Dr. Adler-Abramovich says.

 
The researchers are now evaluating the antibacterial capabilities of additional minimal self-assembling building blocks and developing methods for their incorporation into various biomedical materials, such as wound dressings and tissue scaffolds.

The 50th International Physics Olympiad has opened in Tel Aviv

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Hosted and academically managed by the School of Physics and Astronomy

78 delegations of high school students from all over the world have arrived in Tel Aviv to display their talents in experimental and theoretical physics and to compete for the prestigious medals.

The event, from 7-15 of July, is being led by Prof. Alexander Palevski of the School of Physics and Astronomy, with the dedicated assistance of academic, technical, and administrative staff from the School, from Tel-Aviv University for Youth, and from the Ministry of Education.

TAU one of top 20 universities worldwide in scientific impact

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QS World University Rankings assess performance of over 1,000 universities in 82 locations worldwide

The 16th edition of the QS World University Rankings, released this month by higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, revealed that Tel Aviv University has broken into the world’s top 20 universities for “Citations per Faculty,” which measures the impact of research produced by faculty members. Among the six Israeli universities represented in this year’s rankings, TAU also most improved its overall position from last year, rising 11 places to rank 219th out of 1,001 universities surveyed.

 

TAU also achieved the highest mark in Israel for “Employer Reputation,” ranking 235th globally in this indicator.

 

The rankings are produced by the global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds and provide assessments of the world’s top 1,000 universities. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was named the world’s leading institution of higher learning for the eighth consecutive year.

 

One of the world’s top 100 universities

According to Ben Sowter, director of research at QS, “Israel is one of the world’s most innovative nations, and one of the most prolific for research output as measured by number of scientific papers per million citizens. It also boasts one of the highest ratios of scientists and technicians among the employed population, underlying its status as a world-class tech hub whose competitive edge is also attributable to the quality of research produced by its leading universities.

 

“Being home to one of the world’s top 100 universities for citations per faculty metric, which measures the productivity and impact of research faculty, is testament to this outstanding infrastructure.”

 
The universities were assessed according to feedback provided by 94,000 academics and 44,000 hiring managers; 11.8 million research papers; 100 million citations; and trends in the distribution of 23 million students and 2 million faculty

 

 

From VR to the migrant crisis at TAU’s international film festival

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International students, filmmakers and glitterati attend to 21st edition of the TAU student film festival, held throughout the city of Tel Aviv

The Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival — one of the largest and most influential student film festivals in the world, according to CILECT, the International Association of Film and Television Schools — celebrated its 21st edition on June 16-22 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

 

“This year we stressed the tension between traditional forms of filmmaking and the inventive storytelling of the digital age we are in,” says Mya Kaplan, co-director of this year’s festival with Talia Wigoder. “While most of the films screened were ‘traditional’ in the sense that an audience is watching artwork on a screen, many student filmmakers employed cutting-edge technology that afforded audience members the opportunity to truly experience the stories as they unfolded. This technology might be a 360-degree camera that twirls the spectator around or 3D animation, or virtual reality. We are a new generation of filmmakers who fall right in between traditional and future modes of storytelling.”

 

“We embarked on two new events at the festival this year that showcase how the digital age allows artists to tell their stories in new, bright and interesting ways,” Wigoder adds. “The International Digital Media Exhibition and Competition allows visitors to physically enter a film through virtual reality technology and artificial intelligence. Technology allows spectators to sit up from their seats and immerse themselves in the creative process. The Experimental Film Competition showcases films that question the position of contemporary art, of fundamental cultural concepts, without providing any answers.”

 

The only school where filmmakers own their work

The festival was founded in 1986 by students from Tel Aviv University’s Steve Tisch School of Film and Television and is now an annual event supported by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the Israel Film Council and TAU. The Tisch School is the only film school in the world where student filmmakers own the rights to their student films. The School’s admission policy is equally unique. All qualified applicants — high school graduates with appropriate college entrance exam scores, etc. — are admitted to the first-year BFA program. Sixty-five students are invited to continue to the second year, after faculty and lecturers have had the opportunity to gauge the quality and artistic merit of their work.

 

Still from Adi Mishnayot’s film “Image of Victory”

 

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, Head of the Tisch School Prof. Raz Yosef and others paid homage to festival participants and organizers in a video screened during the opening ceremony at Jaffa’s HaPisga Garden.

 

“The increasing global impact of the Tisch School is demonstrated not only by the wide pull of the Festival, but also by our outstanding showing on the international stage,” Prof. Porat says.

 

“Last year, Tisch students presented their films at 312 screenings in over 30 countries and received 68 awards from major venues such as Locarno and Jerusalem,” Prof. Porat adds. “This year the Tisch School launched an English-language International MFA Program in Documentary Cinema, a particular strength in Israel that we can now export and leverage for additional partnerships with top institutions abroad.”

 

Over 100 student films 

Prize-winning films included Andreas Muggli’s Hamama and Caluna (The International Competition); Adi Mishnayot’s Image of Victory (The Israeli Competition); Lee Gilat’s Committed (The Short Independent Competition); Yair Bartal and Nofar Laor’s Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost (The Digital Media Competition); and Or Arieli’s Billboard (The Experimental Film & Video Competition).

 

Still from Lee Gilat’s film “Committed”

 

This year’s festival showcased more than 100 short films from 28 countries and drew more than 100 film students, filmmakers and directors from around the world for special screenings, master classes and cultural pop-up events across the city. The festival’s unique Film Bus, a traveling theater that brings the short films to all parts of the country, made its eighth nationwide circuit.

 

In addition, the festival, in cooperation with Israeli fashion house Renuar, emphasized the special connection between cinema and fashion. A variety of fashion-centric lectures by designers and international stylists and screenings of fashion films were held across the city. Master classes held by members of the Israel Screenwriting Guild and the Makor Hebrew Foundation on how to make films outside the film school framework were among the best-attended festival events.

Featured image: A still from Andreas Muggli’s winning film “Hamama and Caluna”

 

TAU scientist elected EMBO member

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Prof. Judith Berman will now be a member of the The European Molecular Biology Organization which promotes excellence in the life sciences

Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Judith Berman was recently named one of 56 new members of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), joining a group of more than 1800 of the finest researchers in Europe and around the world.
 

Prof. Judith BermanProf. Berman, of TAU’s George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, is being recognized for her outstanding achievements in the study of the growth and evolution of yeast. Prof. Berman, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Society for Microbiology, uses yeasts, especially pathogenic yeasts, to address basic mechanisms of genome change that underlie rapid phenotypic responses to stress.  

 

“We are so proud of Prof. Berman for being elected to EMBO, which chooses the most exceptional scientists to join their ranks,” says Prof. Karen Avraham, Vice Dean of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, a member of the EMBO Council and Prof. Berman’s nominator for EMBO.

“Prof Berman is an appreciated member of the Faculty of Life Sciences at TAU,” says Prof. Abdussalam Azem, Dean of TAU’s Faculty of Life Sciences. “Electing Prof Judith Berman as an EMBO Member is a strong recognition of her research, which is at the forefront of molecular biology of pathogenic yeasts.” 

 

EMBO Members actively participate in the execution of the organization’s initiatives by sitting on committees and editorial boards, evaluating applications for EMBO funding, mentoring young scientists and providing suggestions and feedback on activities.

 

“EMBO Members conduct research at the forefront of all life science disciplines, ranging from computational models or analyses of single molecules and cellular mechanics to the study of higher-order systems in development, cognitive neuroscience and evolution,” adds EMBO Director Maria Leptin.

 

Improving the future of medicine

“It is a great honor to be recognized for my study of pathogenic yeasts of humans and their responses to antifungal drug stress,” says Prof. Berman. “These include mitotic defects that cause aneuploidy and cell-to-cell heterogeneity driven by non-genetic mechanisms.

 

“We investigate the interplay between chromosome instability, membrane and cell wall dynamics, and intracellular localization of antifungal drugs to better understand processes that modulate the amplitude and diversity of phenotypic responses.”

 

EMBO will formally welcome its new members and associate members at the Annual Members’ Meeting in Heidelberg between October 29-31.

 

8,000 Cyber Security Experts to Attend 9th Annual Cyber Week Conference at Tel Aviv University

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Weeklong event features world’s top cyber security experts in government, military, industry and academia

On June 23-27, more than 8,000 cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors and academics from around the world will attend the 9th Annual International Cybersecurity Conference held at Tel Aviv University, organized by TAU’s Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Researc Center together with the Israeli National Cyber Bureau and Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

The guests from more than 60 countries will participate in dozens of seminars, workshops, competitions and roundtable discussions addressing the cybersecurity threats facing the international community, cybersecurity cooperation at the government level and the latest advances in cyber technology.

 

“From a modest, one-day meeting nine years ago, Cyber Week has evolved into a mega event with more than 50 sessions and participants from 60-plus countries,” says TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat. “This growth reflects the vital importance of bringing together the best minds from around the world — and from a variety of disciplines — to work on cyber issues together. In this same vein, Tel Aviv University is currently conducting joint research projects in the cyber field with a number of international partners, in the U.S., Germany, India, Italy and Singapore.”

 

“Israel is the global center of innovation and of cyber security,” adds Gili Drob Heistein, Managing Director of the Blavatnik ICRC and Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security. “Israel, in general, and Tel Aviv University, specifically, were among the first to recognize that in order to deal with cyber threats, we would need to initiate governmental, academic, corporate and international collaborations.”

 

“Cyber Week brings together top cyber allies in the military, multinational corporations, think tanks and more to address growing cyber threats around the world.”

 

Over the past eight years, Cyber Week has become the must-attend event for the world’s top cybersecurity experts, drawing the best and the brightest in the field. The largest and most anticipated event of Cyber Week is the Main Plenary, slated to take place Tuesday, June 25. The Main Plenary features government officials and industry leaders discussing the crucial cyber dilemmas and issues facing every company, city and country in the world today. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the keynote speaker.

 

Other sessions will address women in cyber; the role of artificial intelligence in cyber; how to protect our critical infrastructures from cyberattacks; the threat of fraudcom; the Internet of Things; and privacy issues.

 

Featured guest speakers at the 2019 conference include Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser; former director of the NSA and former head of the U.S. Cyber Command Mike Rogers; Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Christopher C. Krebs; former Senator Joseph Lieberman; Director of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center John Felker; and other leading policymakers, military officials and academic experts in the field of cyber security.

 

“In the last few years, cyber security has witnessed a renaissance in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI),” concludes Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, Cyber Week Conference Chairman and Director of Blavatnik ICRC. “Cyber security is a promising area for AI/ML, because if a machine has access to everything you consider detrimental, you can train it to find new malware and anomalies when they surface. Israel is home to the best minds and capabilities in AI, ML and cyber security.

 

“While cyber problems usually have technological solutions, the problems are never purely technological. The ICRC at TAU takes advantage of the multidisciplinary character of TAU to enhance cyber research.”

 

To learn more about the conference, visit the Cyber Week web site at https://cyberweek.tau.ac.il/2019/.

 

Tel Aviv University Ranks Among World’s Top 20 for Research Impact

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The QS World University Rankings assess the performance of over 1000 universities in 82 locations worldwide

The 16th edition of the QS World University Rankings, released today by global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, sees Tel Aviv University breaking into the world’s top 20 in Citations per Faculty indicator, which measures the impact of research produced. TAU came in 19th. Out of the six Israeli universities represented in this year’s rankings, TAU also most improved its overall position from last year – rising 11 places to rank 219th out of 1001 universities worldwide. 

 

In terms of Employer Reputation, TAU also achieved the highest mark nationally, ranking 235th globally in this indicator.

 

The rankings, produced by global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds, assess the world’s top 1000 universities. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was named the world’s leading institution of higher learning for the eighth consecutive year.

 

According to Ben Sowter, Director of Research at QS, “Israel is one of the world’s most innovative nations, and one of the most prolific for research output as measured by number of scientific papers per million citizens. It also boasts one of the highest ratios of scientists and technicians among the employed population, underlying its status as a world-class tech hub whose competitive edge is also attributable to the quality of research produced by its leading universities.

 

“Being home to one of the world’s top 100 universities for citations per faculty metric, which measures the productivity and impact of research faculty, is testament to this outstanding infrastructure.”

 

The universities were assessed according to feedback by 94,000 academics and 44,000 hiring managers; 11.8 million research papers; 100 million citations, and trends in the distribution of 23 million students and 2 million faculty.

 

BOG 2019: Yehuda Naftali Botanic Garden Dedicated

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A major gift by entrepreneur and philanthropist Yehuda Naftali will transform the Garden into an Israeli national landmark

Mr. Yehuda Naftali, an Israeli-American real estate entrepreneur, dedicated Tel Aviv University’s Botanic Garden in his name in the framework of the 2019 Board of Governors meeting. A true oasis in the heart of Tel Aviv, the Garden is a living laboratory for plant sciences research and a vital resource for nature conservation and public education in Israel.

 

Outgoing TAU President Joseph Klafter said, “The Yehuda Naftali Garden will serve as a cornerstone of the University’s research and educational activities in biodiversity. The newly-modernized facilities will give a substantial boost to plant sciences and sustainable development, and especially to innovations in food security.  We can’t wait to see the dramatic improvements that will come about thanks to the generous gift.”

 

Mr. Naftali described his reasons for supporting the Botanic Garden, including his growing up on a kibbutz and job as a shepherd, which was his first connection with nature. “Now I’ve come full circle to be part of this Botanic Garden,” he said. “The entire Garden is like one giant laboratory, and I’m really excited that it will serve as an educational center for people to learn about nature, particularly children from the big cities who sometimes believe that food grows in the supermarkets!” 

 

Upgrading a high-traffic site

The Garden is already a vibrant national attraction with over 10,000 visitors per year. With the opening last year of the adjacent Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, this number could increase to 300,000, potentially making the Garden the most high-traffic site of its kind in the country.

​Yehuda Naftali planting a tree at the inauguration ceremony

 

The Naftali funding will enable sweeping improvements of the Garden’s research, teaching and conservation facilities. In addition, a perpetual endowment fund will ensure the long-term mission of advancing agricultural, conservation and sustainable development research, together with educating new generations on ecological and environmental issues.

 

A resident of Los Angeles, Yehuda Naftali has more than 40 years of experience in the real estate business. He founded Big Shopping Centers, Ltd., in 1994, and BIG Shopping Centers USA, Inc., in 2010. He serves as the Chairman of the Board for both companies. Mr. Naftali translated his accomplishments in the United States into even greater success in Israel, where he pioneered the open-air shopping center concept.

 

“The Garden will be redeveloped and flourish, and will help Planet Earth and humankind. Thank you all for coming to celebrate with me,” he concluded. 

Featured image: Yehuda Naftali (left) and outgoing President Joseph Klafter

It’s Simple Math

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TAU is pursuing creative ways to get more girls interested in STEM subjects

Whoops and cheers rip through the room as industrial engineering student Merav David looks on with amusement. She has just told 60 teenage girls on a tour of TAU’s Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering that women are by far the highest achievers among the students in her third-year class. The girls on the tour study advanced math and science in Bat Yam high schools – defying the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This gap is evident from an early age and carries through university, where women represent fewer than 25% of STEM graduates in developed countries worldwide, even as they outnumber men in study programs overall. Starting young is critical according to Prof. Rachel Gali Cinamon, Head of TAU’s Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education: “The current system misses out on girls. We must engage them before they are tracked into non-STEM fields.”

 

A new TAU program, “Girls Think Science,” is designed to spark girls’ interest in STEM subjects during the golden window of learning from 3rd to 6th grade. Girls from Israel’s social and geographic periphery, including Arabs and Orthodox Jews, enjoy experiential learning at STEM labs, guided by female students and researchers. The program expands upon engineering tours that Dr. Dana Ashkenazi of the School of Mechanical Engineering has been organizing on a volunteer basis for the past decade at TAU’s Engineering Faculty. Girls attending the tours get answers to questions such as “why is the sky blue?” at Prof. Avishay Eyal’s Optics & Photonics Lab, guided by doctoral student Lihi Shiloh; see the inner workings of the body with 3D printing of biological organs at Dr. Orna Sharabani-Yosef’s Tissue Engineering Lab; and encounter artificial intelligence (AI) robots at Dr. Goren Gordon’s Curiosity Lab.

 

During her PhD studies in the 1990s, Dr. Ashkenazi was the lone woman in a class of 40. This experience motivated her to introduce girls to the joys of science in the hope of recruiting more women to STEM. “My parents exposed me to scientific and engineering topics from a young age. But still, as a mother, I could see my daughters being steered toward humanities tracks at school. I tell them they can do whatever they set their minds to, but society says something else. Girls begin to question themselves, their abilities and their chances to succeed.”

 

Questioning one’s ability to succeed influences the high rate of attrition that increases with each higher education milestone among women in STEM. Prof. Cinamon, in conjunction with Israel’s Ministry of Science & Technology, studied this phenomenon and developed unique interventions for all stages of academic development, from BSc through post-doc. Interventions range from mentorship to reframing the post-doc as a unique family experience. “Among undergrads, MScs, and PhDs we found that academic identity – rather than academic achievement – is the major factor deter-mining whether a student will pursue higher level STEM studies. Women may have phenomenal grades and academic achievements, yet still may believe they are not good enough.”

 

The post-doc hurdle

But what are women’s chances of making it in STEM? The TAU President’s Advisor on Gender Equity Prof. Ilana Eli runs the numbers: “Women represent 54% of PhD candidates at TAU, but less than 50% of TAU lecturers and only 22% of professors. In STEM fields these percentages drop precipitously, with some departments employing only one female faculty member among nearly 50 men.

 

“These numbers reflect the past – professors today began their careers more than two decades ago. Yet these numbers also influence the future – our female students lack role models showing the academic path as accessible to women, especially in STEM,” says Eli. The postdoc is the most formidable obstacle for Israeli women in academia. By the time they complete their PhDs many are starting a family and a postdoc placement of two to four years abroad can seem untenable. TAU is now helping by awarding yearly stipends of $25,000 each for women postdocs in STEM.

 

“We grant five stipends annually. But deserving candidates are double that number and we wish we could grant more,” says Prof. Eli.

 

Other programs include a joint post doc in which women conduct research abroad under the auspices of a foreign university as well as at TAU, thus cutting the need for a multiyear relocation. The President’s office also sponsors stipends for travel with a nursing baby and caregiver, enabling new mothers to participate in international conferences essential for establishing themselves in academia.

 

Changing reality

TAU scientists are eager to boost the number of female faculty through Girls Think Science. “It’s simple math: The larger the pool of girls exposed to STEM, the greater the chance of women choosing to go into STEM fields, both in industry and academia,” says Prof. Shiri Artstein-Avidan, the only female full professor of pure math among over 40 professors at the Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Mathematical Sciences and a 2016 Kadar Family Award winner. “My father is a mathematician. I want to bring girls who were not brought up in a scientific milieu to this fascinating world.”

 

Dr. Vered Padler-Karavani of the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences did not enjoy access to science in her home or local school. She grew up in a development town and discovered science through TAU’s long-running Dov Lautman Unit for Science Oriented Youth (now Youth University). “Starting early is important, as is having someone to look up to,” says Padler-Karavani. That is why she volunteers as Chair of ISEF—the Israeli Scholarship Education Foundation—which seeks to expand STEM among youth in Israel’s periphery. She is eager to host Girls Think Science participants in her lab where she studies how to target diseased cells through their protein and sugar coatings.

 

Role models are crucial, maintains Dr. Ashkenazi. “We hold our tours in the presence of female faculty members and students as mentors.” Ashkenazi believes that the program must engage students from Israel’s periphery, not just from the urban, affluent areas of central Israel because, “When it comes to these subjects, just being a girl places you in the periphery.”


Featured image: High school girls from Bat Yam touring the teaching laboratory at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering

 

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