Walking in Their Footsteps in Ashdod

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INITIATIVES
Academic Commandos

RESEARCH
Open Research Day
Dealing With Stress, the Natural Way
Setting the Computer's Sights
Democracy is Not the Key to Peace in the Middle East
Islam and Christianity
Punctuating Mozart
Reshaping Distance Education

TECHNOLOGY
E-reader
Hybrid Books

GRADUATES
Prof. Gidi Gross: Cancer Researcher
Israel Adam: From Slum Alcoholic to Honors Student and a Master's Degree
All Doors Opened to Elishai Ezra
The Open University as His Greatest Challenge in Life: Sharli Afanger

STUDENTS
Walking in Their Footsteps in Ashdod
University Student Since 8th Grade

MILESTONES
Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron
Prof. Ron Weidberg
Dr. Yuval Eylon
Dr. Adia Mendelsohn-Maoz
Prof. Aviva Halamish
Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor
Dr. Baruch Ziv
Dr. Milly Perry
Dr. Yoav Yair
SuperBrand University

EVENTS
Dance with Your Fears
Heavens Above

MILESTONES
Milestones Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron: New Chairperson of the Prestigious EU Contest for Young Scientists Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron, President of the Open University, is the first Israeli ever to be selected to chair the judges committee for the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS). Now, in its 22 year, EUCYS is considered to be the most important competition for young scientists, helping to advance the most promising youth and ideas within the worlds of science and technology. Initiated in 1989, leading young scientists, ages 14-21, from around the world present their scientific ideas to a board of international scientists. Prof. Messer-Yaron has been an active participant in the EUCYS, sitting as a judge for the last three years, and now chairing the judges committee. "As a female scientist and president of the only university in Israel that enables high school students to study for an undergraduate degree, I fully understand the importance of encouraging youth to study, research and develop." Dr. Ron Weidberg Selected Israel's Leading Composer 2010 Kudos to Dr. Ron Weidberg, Chairman of the Department of Literature, Language and Arts at the Open University, recipient of Israel's annual award for composers. Ron's extensive works include: symphonies, concertos, operas, cantatas, chamber music, music for the piano and numerous songs. Dr. Weidberg has earned a long list of awards: Prime Minister's Award for Composers in 1991, as a single recipient, several times the ACUM (Authors, Composers and Music Publishers Association of Israel) Prize for Composition, the Yoel Engel Prize by the Tel Aviv Municipality for original composition in 2005, and the ACUM Lifetime Achievement Award in music the following year. Two OU Faculty Members Appointed to an Elite Group of Scholars Dr. Yuval Eylon, of the Open University's Department of History, Philosophy and Jewish Studies and Dr. Adia Mendelsohn-Maoz of the Department of Literature, Language and the Arts have now joined an elite group of Israel's leading young scholars on the prestigious national Forum for Young Researchers. The Forum, a research, advisory and brainstorming platform is part of the National Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The Academy was established in 1961 as a national focal point for Israeli scholarship in both the sciences and humanities, helping to monitor and promote Israeli intellectual excellence, advise the government on scientific planning, fund and publish research of lasting merit, and maintain active contact with the broader international scientific and scholarly community. Prof. Aviva Halamish Wins Prestigious Yitzhak Ben Zvi Award Prof. Aviva Halamish, Head of Modern History Studies at Open University, received the prestigious 2009-2010 Yitzhak Ben Zvi Award for her book Meir Ya'ari, a Collective Biography. The first 50 years: From 1897-1947. Meir Ya'ari, politician, educator and social activist, served as leader of the Hashomer Hatzair movement whose socialist-Zionist ideology played a seminal role in the early days of the State. Prof. Halamish unravels the secret of his leadership which extended over five decades. Prof. Aviva Halamish is President of the Association for Israel Studies and since 2007 has served as Head of the Modern History Studies in the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at The Open University. This is not the first time that Aviva's works have been recognized. She is also the recipient of the Herzl Institute's Hecht Prize for her book, A Dual Race Against Time: Zionist Immigration Policy in the 1930s. [in Hebrew]. Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor: Allon Fellowship Prize Recipient Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor is the newest Open University recipient (last year there were two) of the Allon Fellowship Prize. The "Allon Fellowship" Program enables universities to absorb outstanding young scientists. Every year 25-30 prizes are distributed to outstanding university faculty from a diversity of research fields. Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor joins a long list of Open University faculty members who have been recognized for their work in recent years. Dr. Munz-Manor is a faculty member in the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at the Open University, and was awarded the prize in recognition of his research on ancient Jewish hymns (piyutim). Dr. Baruch Ziv: Member of International Weather Research Team at Columbia University Research on climatic change largely deals with changes in temperature, and research projects focus on applying statistical analyses to established climatic models. Dr. Baruch Ziv has a slightly different approach. For the past few years, Dr. Baruch Ziv, Head of the Physics Group at the Department of Natural Sciences at the Open University, has been researching anticipated changes caused by the lower barometric pressure system, resulting in rain and strong winds, in order to study the underlying reason for winter surface changes. His research brought him to Columbia University in New York, where he collaborated with a team of researchers to shed new light on the rainy seasons and create an accurate climatic predictor for weather changes. Dr. Milly Perry: Elected to European Board of Research Managers and Administrators Dr. Milly Perry, Director of the Research Authority of the Open University, was recently elected to the Board of EARMA, the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators. The only Israeli to be elected for the past seven years, Dr. Perry joins an elite group of research managers and administrators working at the forefront of building and planning the European Research Area, interfacing between research funding organizations and the scientific community, bridging cultural and legal differences between countries, and academia and industry, contributing to policy consultations, and managing the smooth running of research projects. Prof. Yoav Yair: Joins Global Team of Scientists Investigating Venus Prof. Yoav Yair, Dean of Development and Learning Technologies at the Open University of Israel, joins a global team of scientists and researchers analyzing the information to flow back to earth from the Akatsuki, Japan's first robotic mission to Venus.The orbiter is expected to arrive on Venus in December 2010. By studying the greenhouse effect which has made the surface and lower atmosphere of Venus one of the hottest places in our solar system, scientists hope to learn more about the Earth's greenhouse effect. Open University: SuperBrands Israel 2010 Open University was selected as a superbrand by 800 consumers and 76 senior managers who selected it from a list of 2,300 Israeli brands.Superbrands is the world's largest independent arbiter of branding that annually selects those brands that are "performing above and beyond others within the market."

MILESTONES

Milestones

Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron: New Chairperson of the Prestigious EU Contest for Young Scientists

Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron, President of the Open University, is the first Israeli ever to be selected to chair the judges committee for the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS). Now, in its 22 year, EUCYS is considered to be the most important competition for young scientists, helping to advance the most promising youth and ideas within the worlds of science and technology.

Initiated in 1989, leading young scientists, ages 14-21, from around the world present their scientific ideas to a board of international scientists. Prof. Messer-Yaron has been an active participant in the EUCYS, sitting as a judge for the last three years, and now chairing the judges committee. "As a female scientist and president of the only university in Israel that enables high school students to study for an undergraduate degree, I fully understand the importance of encouraging youth to study, research and develop."

Dr. Ron Weidberg Selected Israel's Leading Composer 2010

Kudos to Dr. Ron Weidberg, Chairman of the Department of Literature, Language and Arts at the Open University, recipient of Israel's annual award for composers. Ron's extensive works include: symphonies, concertos, operas, cantatas, chamber music, music for the piano and numerous songs. Dr. Weidberg has earned a long list of awards: Prime Minister's Award for Composers in 1991, as a single recipient, several times the ACUM (Authors, Composers and Music Publishers Association of Israel) Prize for Composition, the Yoel Engel Prize by the Tel Aviv Municipality for original composition in 2005, and the ACUM Lifetime Achievement Award in music the following year.

Two OU Faculty Members Appointed to an Elite Group of Scholars

Dr. Yuval Eylon, of the Open University's Department of History, Philosophy and Jewish Studies and Dr. Adia Mendelsohn-Maoz of the Department of Literature, Language and the Arts have now joined an elite group of Israel's leading young scholars on the prestigious national Forum for Young Researchers.

The Forum, a research, advisory and brainstorming platform is part of the National Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The Academy was established in 1961 as a national focal point for Israeli scholarship in both the sciences and humanities, helping to monitor and promote Israeli intellectual excellence, advise the government on scientific planning, fund and publish research of lasting merit, and maintain active contact with the broader international scientific and scholarly community.

Prof. Aviva Halamish Wins Prestigious Yitzhak Ben Zvi Award

Prof. Aviva Halamish, Head of Modern History Studies at Open University, received the prestigious 2009-2010 Yitzhak Ben Zvi Award for her book Meir Ya'ari, a Collective Biography. The first 50 years: From 1897-1947. Meir Ya'ari, politician, educator and social activist, served as leader of the Hashomer Hatzair movement whose socialist-Zionist ideology played a seminal role in the early days of the State. Prof. Halamish unravels the secret of his leadership which extended over five decades.

Prof. Aviva Halamish is President of the Association for Israel Studies and since 2007 has served as Head of the Modern History Studies in the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at The Open University. This is not the first time that Aviva's works have been recognized. She is also the recipient of the Herzl Institute's Hecht Prize for her book, A Dual Race Against Time: Zionist Immigration Policy in the 1930s. [in Hebrew].

Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor: Allon Fellowship Prize Recipient

Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor is the newest Open University recipient (last year there were two) of the Allon Fellowship Prize. The "Allon Fellowship" Program enables universities to absorb outstanding young scientists. Every year 25-30 prizes are distributed to outstanding university faculty from a diversity of research fields.

Dr. Ophir Munz-Manor joins a long list of Open University faculty members who have been recognized for their work in recent years. Dr. Munz-Manor is a faculty member in the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at the Open University, and was awarded the prize in recognition of his research on ancient Jewish hymns (piyutim).

Dr. Baruch Ziv: Member of International Weather Research Team at Columbia University

Research on climatic change largely deals with changes in temperature, and research projects focus on applying statistical analyses to established climatic models. Dr. Baruch Ziv has a slightly different approach.

For the past few years, Dr. Baruch Ziv, Head of the Physics Group at the Department of Natural Sciences at the Open University, has been researching anticipated changes caused by the lower barometric pressure system, resulting in rain and strong winds, in order to study the underlying reason for winter surface changes. His research brought him to Columbia University in New York, where he collaborated with a team of researchers to shed new light on the rainy seasons and create an accurate climatic predictor for weather changes.

Dr. Milly Perry: Elected to European Board of Research Managers and Administrators

Dr. Milly Perry, Director of the Research Authority of the Open University, was recently elected to the Board of EARMA, the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators. The only Israeli to be elected for the past seven years, Dr. Perry joins an elite group of research managers and administrators working at the forefront of building and planning the European Research Area, interfacing between research funding organizations and the scientific community, bridging cultural and legal differences between countries, and academia and industry, contributing to policy consultations, and managing the smooth running of research projects.

Prof. Yoav Yair: Joins Global Team of Scientists Investigating Venus

Prof. Yoav Yair, Dean of Development and Learning Technologies at the Open University of Israel, joins a global team of scientists and researchers analyzing the information to flow back to earth from the Akatsuki, Japan's first robotic mission to Venus.The orbiter is expected to arrive on Venus in December 2010. By studying the greenhouse effect which has made the surface and lower atmosphere of Venus one of the hottest places in our solar system, scientists hope to learn more about the Earth's greenhouse effect.

Open University: SuperBrands Israel 2010

Open University was selected as a superbrand by 800 consumers and 76 senior managers who selected it from a list of 2,300 Israeli brands.Superbrands is the world's largest independent arbiter of branding that annually selects those brands that are "performing above and beyond others within the market."