Peter and Dr. Gyongyver Kadas

Dr. Gyongyver and Peter Kadas, longstanding friends and supporters of the University from the United Kingdom, have pledged NIS 50 million (~$16 M) towards the University of Haifa's BE 50 capital campaign. The largest one-time donation in the University's history, the gift will support the creation of an International Faculty Initiative for Global Climate Change, a virtual community of scholars, spanning universities and research centers across the globe. "The International Faculty of Global Climate Change will initially focus on marine and coastal ecology research in the rapidly changing Eastern Mediterranean basin, with the ultimate aim of using this research to predict the impact of climate change on other waterways and coastal regions," explains Prof. Dan Tchernov, Scientific Director of the University's Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel. "A consortium of global universities and research centers, employing virtual technology, will offer online educational modules, and employ cutting edge technology to create virtual research platforms untethered by geographical location.” Gyongyver and Peter Kadas received honorary doctorates from the University of Haifa in 2016, in recognition of their significant contribution to the advancement of higher education and research in Israel.

Prof. Assaf Distelfeld (Director, Institute of Evolution) will receive the Rita Levy Montalcini Award for his research on molecular mechanisms of wheat and other grains to improve nutrition, increase wheat yields and contribute to global food security. The goal of the prize is to promote scientific cooperation as a tool for global development, and to improve ties between Italy and Israel. Rita Levy Montalcini was a groundbreaking Italian-Jewish neurobiologist whose pioneering work on nerve growth factor together with her colleague Stanley Cohen received a Nobel Prize in 1986. 

Congratulations to Dr. David Friesem (Department of Maritime Civilizations) on receiving a 2021 ERC Starting Grant for his research entitled BEFORE the FLOOD: Neolithic coastal settlements and responses to environmental dynamics: A pioneering world lost beneath the Mediterranean Sea. "By studying how ancient humans adapted to changing and dynamic environments, and their introduction of new technologies and social interactions, we can gain valuable insight into cultural innovation and adaptation of maritime societies," says Dr. Friesem. The prestigious Grant provides support to outstanding researchers in the early stages of their careers.

Prof. Roni Strier (School of Social Work) has been tapped by the Ministry of Welfare to lead a new training program for social services professionals in 'mixed cities'. The initiative aims to develop approaches and best practices for addressing inequality, conflict and cultural diversity for social services professionals in 'mixed cities'. Prof. Roni Strier founded the Haifa Partnership Program for Poverty Eradication (2005) and University of Haifa's Flagship Program for the Struggle against Exclusion and Advancement of Solidarity (2011). Prof. Strier has published extensively on the study of poverty and social exclusion in the context of Israel's national, religious, cultural and gender diversity.

Dr. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov of the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, inspects an ash layer at the Bronze Age site of Çeşme-Bağlararası, Turkey in 2015.| Credit: Vasıf Şahoğlu, Ankara University

Skeletons of a young man and a dog who were killed by a tsunami triggered by the eruption of Santorini's Thera volcano 3,600 years ago were recently uncovered at Çeşme-Bağlararası in modern-day Turkey. According to the research team, co-led by Dr. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov (Head, Dr. Moses Strauss Department of Marine Geosciences) and Dr. Vasıf Şahoğlu from Ankara University (Turkey), the area was rocked by at least four different tsunamis following the eruption of Thera. "This is the first time that victims of the Thera eruption have been discovered," says Dr. Goodman-Tchernov. "As we analyze the volcanic ash layers at the site using advanced archaeological and sediment analysis methods, we hope to gain a better understanding of what happened to the area after the explosion." The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Credit: Getty Images

University of Haifa is leading an international observational campaign to map out the vicinity of black holes to better understand how they amass material and grow over cosmic time. “We will examine the supermassive black hole in the MRK 279 galaxy, which is several hundred million of light-years away from Earth and growing fast," explains lead researcher Prof. Doron Chelouche (Department of Physics and the Haifa Center for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics). The study is being conducted in collaboration with Princeton University, University of Göttingen, Ruhr-University Bochum, and Tel Aviv University, and will make use of the world-renowned Hubble Telescope. 

Microscopic residue shows evidence of fermentation in ancient grains. | Credit: Tel Tsaf research team

Prof. Danny Rosenberg (School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures) recently led an archaeological expedition in the Middle Jordan Valley that uncovered cereal grains preserved in ancient pottery dating back 7,200 years. "Studied under a microscope, the starch showed evidence of fermentation," explains Prof. Rosenberg, "which indicates it was used in alcohol production." Previous investigations by the team at the site found a significant accumulation of agricultural produce, – especially cereals – in large quantities. “Our research aims to better understand the role of alcohol in ancient societies. This is the earliest indication of social drinking in the Chalcolithic period to date, possibly associated with ceremonies and feasts."