Rector Gur Alroey and Prof. Irit Akirav, Dean of the Graduate Studies Authority and Head of the School of Graduate Studies, hosted this year's Bloom Graduate School fellows at a 'Coffee with the Dean' kickoff meeting. During the meeting, the Rector welcomed the scholarship recipients from Israel and abroad who were selected based on their research excellence and thanking Prof. Akirav for her leadership.

Prof. Akirav presented an overview of the Bloom School's new Fellows Enrichment Program and invited the fellows to participate in the program's diverse and thought-provoking learning opportunities. The Bloom fellows were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and presented their research, which covered a wide range of topics.

Thanks to the generous support of the Bloom family, the Bloom Graduate School opened its doors this year.

Tu B'Shevat (New Year for the Trees) has become a day of tree planting in Israel. In honor of the special day, the Climate and Environmental Sustainability Center organized planting activities at various locations on the Mt. Carmel Campus. 

University of Haifa also celebrated Herta Amir's 90th birthday. In addition to being an honorary life member of the Board of Governors, Herta is a UofH honorary doctorate recipient, and a dear friend and longtime supporter of the University. President Ron Robin planted an olive tree as a tribute to her lifetime achievements and generosity.
Best Wishes and Happy Birthday!

Scholarship recipients.

Over a dozen students were awarded academic excellence and need-based scholarships by governor Ronit Tadmor on behalf of the Hecht Foundation. Founded by Dr. Reuven Hecht in 1970, the Foundation established the Herzl Institute for the Study of Zionism in 1974, the Hecht Museum on campus in 1984, and provided support for the School of the Arts. The event was coordinated by the Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa.

Israeli politics and public life are currently undergoing tumultuous times. In its proposed judicial reform, the government seeks to weaken the Israeli judiciary – an esteemed institution and cornerstone of Israeli democracy. As part of its efforts to secure freedom of research, teaching, and speech in Israel, the University has taken a number of measures to deflect initiatives that threaten democracy in this country. Earlier last month, President Ron Robin and Rector Gur Alroey signed an official petition by all leaders of Israeli research universities calling for a balanced discussion on the reform. As part of a formal statement, the Senate of the University urged the coalition government to suspend the Knesset vote until a public discussion is held on this important issue. University of Haifa became the first university to offer students and faculty the opportunity to partake in demonstrations.

University of Haifa welcomed Ambassador Prof. Gideon Behar, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Sustainability at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Behar arrived to the Mt. Carmel Campus for meetings with Rector Gur Alroey, Prof. Ofer Arazy, Director of Innovation and Sustainability, and Prof. Shlomit Paz (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies), Head of the Climate and Environmental Sustainability Hub.

University of Haifa recently welcomed members of the US Social Impact Israel – a grassroots initiative promoting Israeli start-ups and organizations creating significant social impact. The delegation met with President Ron Robin and VP and Dean of Research, Prof. Mouna Maroun, and students from the Leaders of the Future program. Delegation member Jeff Robbins, a US attorney specializing in the First Amendment and a longtime columnist for the Boston Herald, expressed his impressions of the University of Haifa visit in an article "Bulwark: University of Haifa Helps Israel Hold the Line". The delegation was organized and hosted in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

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The rainforests are a complex ecosystem that plays a vital role in the maintenance of the environment. A key feature of the rainforests is the high level of species diversity found in the trees, a characteristic that contributes to the proper functioning of the ecosystem. A study led by Dr. Edwin Lebrija-Trejos (Department of Biology and Environment-Oranim Campus) and researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama explored the negative impact of declining rainfall and soil moisture with the survival of saplings and the diversity of trees in the rainforests of central Panama. "In order to maintain and preserve species diversity in the tropical rainforest, it is important that the appropriate moisture conditions exist to allow the trees’ natural enemies to flourish,” explains Dr. Lebrija-Trejos. The study was published in Nature. | READ MORE

Getting diagnosed and receiving effective treatment for bipolar disorder is crucial, as it can negatively impact education, work status, family relationships, and even lead to suicide. Dr. Shani Stern (Sagol Department of Neurobiology), in collaboration with researchers from the Weizmann Institute and Dalhousie University, is leading a research initiative that is using information theory-derived features to restore brain cells that may indicate patients' responses to psychiatric drugs. The study was published in the scientific journal Bipolar Disorders. The research was presented for the first time at a scientific conference organized by Teva Pharmaceutical showcasing the company's scientific collaborations with academia and the community. This conference featured presentations by leading Israeli scientists in the fields ranging from neuroscience to immunotherapy.

According to a team of Israeli scientists, people with autism are not indifferent to pain – a theory based on a tendency of people with autism to self-harm, and a characteristic of current diagnostic criteria of autism. The researchers hope that the findings will help medical professionals and caregivers improve treatment of people with autism, who do not always express the experience of pain in the usual way. Prof. Irit Weissman-Fogel (Department of Physical Therapy) and Prof. Eynat Gal (Department of Occupational Therapy) collaborated with scientists from Tel Aviv University, Technion and Rambam Healthcare Campus on the study recently published in the prestigious scientific journal PAIN. | READ MORE 

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New research from the University of Haifa suggests that an innovative eight-week intervention program combining mindfulness techniques, self-monitoring, and motivation exercises could help people suffering from maladaptive dreaming. Maladaptive daydreaming, first coined by Prof. Eli Somer (School of Social Work) in 2002, is a compulsive condition which has been found to impair social, family, and employment functions affecting approximately 2% of the population. "Since maladaptive daydreaming has not yet been officially recognized as a mental health condition, physicians and therapists are often unaware of it, leaving sufferers without an accurate diagnosis and treatment," explains Prof. Somer. "We hope that the promising study results will raise awareness of this phenomenon among professionals and lead to more appropriate treatment." The findings of the study were published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. | READ MORE

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