Current Fellows

Alon Saguy was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research project titled “Spike sorting of Neuropixel probe signals via contrastive learning”. In his research, Alon will examine electrical signals recorded in the brains of mammals and humans using Neuropixel probes. Alon will develop novel signal processing methods to track the neural activity across multiple brain regions in single neuron resolution and decode brain function.

During his PhD, under the supervision of Professor Yoav Shechtman, Alon focused on the challenge of tracking the dynamics of sub-cellular structures in super-resolution. Recently, he developed a groundbreaking method to visualize live-cell dynamics with several orders of magnitude better spatial and temporal resolution than the standard imaging methods.

Alon’s prominent publications include:

A. Saguy, O. Alalouf, N. Opatovski, S. Jang, M. Heilemann, Y. Shechtman. “DBlink: Dynamic localization microscopy in super spatiotemporal resolution via deep learning”. Nature Methods 20 (12), 1939-1948 (2023)

A. Saguy, T. N. Baldering, L. E. Weiss, E. Nehme, C. Karathanasis, M. S. Dietz, Mike Heilemann, Yoav Shechtman. “Automated analysis of fluorescence kinetics in single molecule localization microscopy data reveals protein stoichimetry”. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 125 (22), 5716-5721 (2021)

D. Allen, L. E. Weiss, A. Saguy, M. Rossenberg, O. Lancu, O. Matalon, C. Lee, K. Beider, A. Nagler, Y. Shechtman, A. Hendel. “High-throughput imaging of CRISPR and recombinant adeno-associated virus induced DNA damage response in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells”. The CRISPR Journal 5 (1), 80-94 (2022)

Dr. Amir Burshtein received a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to theoretically investigate nonequilibrium dynamics in quantum many-body systems through the viewpoint of experiments in superconducting circuits.

Amir received a B.Sc. in physics and electrical engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He then completed an M.Sc. degree in physics and continued to his Ph.D. studies at Tel Aviv University, both under the supervision of Professor Moshe Goldstein. Amir is a theorist in the field of many-body quantum systems, aiming to understand how microscopic interacting particles conspire to form macroscopic collective phases that are mediated by the laws of quantum mechanics. Amir utilizes superconducting electrical circuits – the leading technology in the race for quantum computation – as a playground for the implementation and direct investigation of paradigmatic many-body models. The extraordinary, “unnatural” effects observed in superconducting circuits, such as the spontaneous high probability decay of single photons, turn out to be potent diagnostic tools that unveil unique perspectives on fundamental aspects of interacting quantum systems, including quantum tunneling, phase transitions, and decoherence. His theoretical works are directly related to concrete experimental setups yet also bear consequences across a wide range of topics.

Selected publications:

A. Burshtein, R. Kuzmin, V. E. Manucharyan, and M. Goldstein, “Photon-Instanton Collider Implemented by a Superconducting Circuit”, Physical Review Letters 126, 137701 (2021)

A. Burshtein and M. Goldstein, “Inelastic Decay from Integrability”, Physical Review X Quantum 5, 020323 (2024)

R. Kuzmin, N. Mehta, N. Grabon, R. A. Mencia, A. Burshtein, M. Goldstein, and V. E. Manucharyan, “Observation of the Schmid–Bulgadaev dissipative quantum phase transition”, Nature Physics 21, 132-136 (2025)

Avia Liberman is an economist committed to advancing peacebuilding and economic development through evidence-based policymaking. He graduated with distinction from the Hebrew University’s PPE Honors Program and received multiple academic awards. As a student, Avia founded Itutim, Israel’s first academic journal dedicated to philosophy, politics, and economics, and served as a team leader in the “Social Economists” Fellowship.

Avia was awarded the Fulbright fellowship to pursue a master’s in public policy at Yale University’s Jackson School.

Prior to receiving the fellowship, Avia worked as a researcher at the Tachlith Institute, where he identified market failures and structural imbalances in the state budget and developed policy reforms in collaboration with senior decision-makers. At the Israeli Ministry of Finance, he served in the chief economist’s division on the economics and national security team. He also interned with the OECD’s economics department, contributing to the 2025 economic survey of Israel, and held roles as both a teaching and research assistant in the Hebrew University’s economics department. His academic research has focused on nationalism and post-conflict development.
 

Dr. Aviya Fraenkel was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue her research project titled "The Literary Palaces of Ancient Sumerian Rulers ‒ Unity of Idea and Form". Her project will explore the structural and poetic characteristics of the royal praise hymns of the kings of the Sumerian dynasty, and the political ideology they serve, focusing on Kings Shulgi and Ur-Namma, the founders of the Third Dynasty of Ur (Ur III).

Aviya received a BA in biblical studies and archaeology, an MA in biblical studies and Semitic languages and a PhD in biblical studies and Assyriology from Bar-Ilan University. Her PhD was devoted to editing the Sumerian composition 'Šulgi C', a self-laudatory royal hymn from the 21st century BCE, which she is preparing for publication.

Her recent presentations:

“From the Cattle Pen to the Horned Starry Sky ‒ Everyday Life of a Royal Metaphor”, in: ““Kings Born to Be Wild”: Current Research on Sumerian Royal Panegyrics” (workshop), the 70th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, (11.07.25, University of Prague).

“The Literary Palaces of Šulgi ‒ Unity of Idea and Form”, in: The 26th Annual Conference of the Israel Society for Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, (10.02.2025, University of Haifa).

“Mu BÀD.AN.KI ba-hul ‘The year Dēr was destroyed’: Šulgi’s 21^st regnal year”, in the 69th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, (12.07.24, University of Helsinki).

Awad graduated from Achva Academic College with a B.A. in multidisciplinary studies in the humanities and social sciences, along with a teaching certificate in English. He currently teaches 3rd and 4th grades at Abu Obeida Elementary School in Rahat.

As a member of the Bedouin community in the Negev, Awad is committed to using his skills in education to empower and support his community. He finds deep meaning in helping students overcome language barriers and discover the joy of learning. Despite the challenges, he is constantly inspired by his students’ growth and enthusiasm.

Beyond the classroom, Awad volunteers by leading spoken English sessions for young people seeking to improve their communication skills for work, travel, and personal growth. His dedication to education and community advancement has shaped his journey as both a teacher and a mentor.

In 2025, Awad will serve as a Fulbright foreign language teaching assistant, where he looks forward to sharing the Arabic language and culture while promoting cross-cultural understanding.

Barak was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research project titled “Wearable Medical Systems as a Source of Personalized Closed-Loop Therapies for Chronic Diseases". The research aims to explore selective conversions of chemical and biological recognition events into useful electrical signals, with the objective of developing flexible and stretchable bioelectronic devices for non-invasive on-body sensing and drug delivery. This research direction holds tremendous promise for revolutionizing healthcare in the future, offering personalized disease management and enhanced preventive care.

Barak completed his Ph.D. in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Under the supervision of Professor Gilad Yossifon. His Ph.D. research focused on studying micro/nano-fluidics and involved both fundamental investigations of electrokinetic transport processes within the nano and micro scales, as well as application-oriented studies aimed at developing novel tools and devices.

Barak was awarded several scholarships during his studies, including the Gutwirth and the Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute Scholarships, in addition to awards for his research contributions.

Among his publications:

"Designing with Iontronic Logic Gates─ From a Single Polyelectrolyte Diode to an Integrated Ionic Circuit." ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2023, 15, 19, 23361–23370

"Microvalve-Based Tunability of Electrically Driven Ion Transport through a Microfluidic System with an Ion-Exchange Membrane." Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 16, 6514–6522

"Tunable nanochannels connected in series for dynamic control of multiple concentration-polarization layers and preconcentrated molecule plugs." Nano Lett. 2020, 20, 12, 8524–8533

Ben Molina is an Israeli animator, curator, and cultural organizer. He holds a Bachelor of Design  in visual communication from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, graduating Cum Laude. Before receiving the Fulbright award, Ben served as director of the Animation Guild Israel. He currently serves as artistic director of the ANIMIX Festival, Israel’s leading animation and comics festival. He teaches animation at Shenkar College and Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts and has served as a film evaluator for the Gesher, Makor, and Rabinovich Film Funds.

Ben’s work focuses on connecting artistic expression with community building and cultural exchange. His upcoming Master of Fine Arts (MFA) studies in computer arts at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York will focus on strengthening the global presence of Israeli animation and exploring new visual storytelling forms.

He has curated international screenings, produced animated shorts, and initiated collaborations between Israeli and international creators – including the first animation event in Rahat, aimed at bridging cultural divides through art. His film Half a Saba was screened at numerous festivals and received several awards worldwide. His work has been exhibited at the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, the Edmond de Rothschild Center, and venues across Israel.

Deborah Fischer’s interdisciplinary art practice integrates research-based installations within marginalized communities and periphery sites. She holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design  where she graduated Cum laude.  Via her work with communities and sites, she aims to serve as a medium for their local, intertwined narratives while reflecting her own understanding of it. During her MFA at RISD, she aspires to continue developing an art form dependent on place, giving voice to marginalized communities and generating a skewed version of reality based on the local perspective. She hopes to be part of a proactive force that fosters this art form, where the blend between the political and the fantastical is captured in a new provisional space.

Einat was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue her research project titled “Early Bias in Inter-Wealth Peer Context: A Pioneering Inquiry into Young Children’s Attribution of Intentions.” This project will be carried out in the Social and Moral Development Laboratory, led by Professor Melanie Killen.

Einat graduated with honors, receiving her BA and MA degrees in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at the University of Haifa. Einat's doctoral research, supervised by Professor Yair Ziv and Professor Maya Benish-Weisman, focuses on the role of personal values in early childhood and its implications for the social and academic adjustment of kindergarten children.

Throughout her studies, Einat earned numerous distinctions and scholarships, notably including the Azrieli Graduate Studies Fellowship Award (2020-2024), the Levtzion Scholarship Award (2019-2022), and the President Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students (2017-2022).

Einat’s recent publications include:

Elizarov, E., Czik, A., & Ziv, Y. (2024). Kindergarteners' academic engagement: A dual pathway model including social information processing, social behavior in class, and teacher-child relationships quality. European Journal of Psychology of Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00803-y

Elizarov, E., Benish-Weisman, M., & Ziv, Y. (2023). Teacher–child relational conflict and maladaptive social behaviors: The moderating role of children’s values. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 233, 105689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105689

Elizarov, E., Konshina, T., Benish-Weisman, M., Lee, T. K., Van Ryzin, M., Vos, R. S., & Schwartz, S. J. (2023). Family functioning, well-being, and mental health among new immigrant families. Journal of Family Psychology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/fam0001092

Dr. Eli Itkin was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue his research titled "War and Its Effects on Local Populations in the Iron Age Southern Levant." The research aims to examine the impact of war on local communities in the southern Levant during the Iron Age, focusing on how conflict shaped settlement patterns, social structures, and regional dynamics.

Eli’s doctoral research, supervised by Professor Alexander Fantalkin and Professor Eliezer D. Oren, explores the complex interplay between imperial control and local resilience in southern Philistia during the 8th to 6th centuries BCE. Focusing on the southern Coastal Plain and western Negev, Eli’s work examines this region as a strategic frontier situated between the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires and Egypt. His research highlights how local communities responded to shifting imperial powers and navigated changing geopolitical conditions.

Recent Publications:

Fantalkin, A., Itkin, E., Chesnut, O., Mazis, M., Lorenzon, M., Bouzaglou, L., Eshel, T. And Sharvit. J. 2024.  Iron Age Remains from Ashdod-Yam: An Interim Report (2013–2019). Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 12(3): 250–297.

Itkin, E. 2022. Post-Destruction “Squatter” Phases in the Iron Age IIB-C Southern Levant. Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research 388(1): 51–72. [Received the Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies and Archaeology Award for an Outstanding Publication, Tel Aviv University]

Itkin, E. 2020. Ḥorvat Tov: A Late Iron Age Fortress in the Northeastern Negev. Tel Aviv 47(1): 65–88.

Fadi Maklada will pursue an LL.M. at UCLA School of Law as a Fulbright fellow. He earned his LL.B.  (summa cum laude) and LL.M. from the University of Haifa. During his studies, he served as a teaching and research assistant in various fields and was deputy editor of the Mishpat U-Mimshal law journal.

Before entering the legal profession, Fadi served as a cyber officer in the technological 8200 unit, of the Israeli Intelligence Corps. He later worked as a litigation attorney at Arnon, Tadmor-Levy, where he handled commercial, administrative, and regulatory cases.

Fadi has a strong academic and professional interest in the intersection of law and technology, particularly in the regulation of artificial intelligence and algorithmic decision-making. He has also been involved in numerous public interest projects promoting minority rights in Israel through legal and policy initiatives.

His article on administrative release, co-authored with Prof. Oren Gazal-Ayal, was cited by the Israeli Supreme Court: Oren Gazal-Ayal and Fadi Marzouk Maklada, “Administrative Release in Israel – When Prison Capacity Determines Imprisonment Terms,” 47 Iyuney Mishpat 57–123 (2023).

Giselle is a senior executive at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, where she has held various leadership roles in the fields of conservation, environmental education, and public engagement. Over the course of her career, she has made significant contributions to nature conservation in Israel, including wetland habitat restoration, the development of nature reserves, and the protection of biodiversity and open landscapes.

In recognition of her achievements, she received a prestigious international award from the Ramsar Convention for her leadership in integrating practical fieldwork with scientific and educational approaches to wetland management.

In her current role as head of community relations, she has led the development of a strategic model for engaging communities in environmental planning, development, and conservation efforts. Her work focuses on fostering constructive dialogue between public authorities and local stakeholders, aiming to build trust, enhance cooperation, and integrate community perspectives into conservation strategies.

As a Fulbright Humphrey fellow, Giselle seeks to explore international models of participatory environmental governance and community-based conservation. Her goal is to refine and expand the organizational framework she developed, strengthen professional knowledge exchange, and promote long-term institutional change that positions communities as active partners in the enduring conservation of nature, landscapes, and heritage.

Dr. Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen is a senior lecturer of public international law at Ariel University, and chair and founder of Ariel University Center for the Research and Study of Genocide (AUCRSG). Recently, she was nominated as the academic advisor on genocide, crimes against humanity and the Holocaust for the Israeli delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Hilly specializes in various fields of international law, including international criminal law, genocide and law, international human rights law and international humanitarian law. She also researches the integration of legal and social aspects of genocide, addressing contemporary cases of genocide.

At Liberty University, Hilly will be teaching two courses in her areas of expertise and develop her current research on the integration of peace education and peacebuilding within the atrocity prevention agenda in the UN. Hilly lectures on her scholarly work at academic conferences and for practitioners. She authored numerous articles and published several books covering a wide range of topics in international humanitarian law and in genocide studies.

 Her latest publications are:

"Mutual Legal Assistance and Double Criminality: Bolstering the Struggle Against Impunity Outside the ICC Framework," Journal of International Criminal Justice (2025): 1-20.

"The Forcible Transfer of Children from Ukraine as Genocide: Awakening the Dormant Prohibition of the Genocide Convention," 32 The International Journal of Children's Rights (2024): 78-118.

Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen, Nir Boms, Sareta Ashraph, eds., 2020, The Syrian War: Between Justice and Political Reality, (Cambridge University Press).

Hind Zubeidat is a Bedouin educator with a B.Ed. degree and teaching certificate in English Language Teaching from the Academic Arab College for Education in Israel. She has four years’ experience teaching English as a foreign language to students from elementary to high school levels in Israel. Hind currently works at a language institute in Bosmat Tivon, where she prepares students for the Bagrut exams. Alongside her teaching, she is conducting research on how integrating culture into the EFL classroom can impact students’ engagement in speaking English.

In 2025, as part of the FLTA fellowship program, Hind will be traveling to the United States to teach Arabic. Believing in the power of language to connect people, Hind sees language learning to foster understanding and build bridges between cultures. She has participated in several international virtual exchange programs, including the Quadrilateral Teacher Training Telecollaboration Project, a collaborative initiative involving educators from Germany, Israel, Turkey, and Brazil in 2025, and the Game Changers in Education program in 2022-2023. These experiences helped her grow as a teacher and strengthened her belief in the power of intercultural learning.

Dr. Inbar Fischer was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue her research project titled “Bioengineered System for Disease Mechanisms and Personalized Medicine”. In her research, Inbar will develop a microfluidic organ-on-a-chip platform that integrates healthy and diseased human 3D organ models within a single interconnected system. This platform will enable the identification of the tissue of origin and underlying mechanisms of complex diseases by modeling early disease progression and cross-tissue interactions. As a proof of concept, she will focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), aiming to pinpoint the disease’s origin and identify effective therapeutic strategies.

During her PhD at Tel Aviv University, under the supervision of Professor Boaz Barak, Inbar investigated the biological mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, combining molecular neuroscience with bioengineering approaches. Her work bridges basic research and translational applications, with a focus on developing innovative tools for studying and treating brain disorders.

Fischer, I. Shohat, S., L Bardoogo, Y., Nayak, R., et al. "Shank3 mutation impairs glutamate signaling and myelination in ASD mouse model and human iPSC-derived OPCs". Science Advances, 2024.

Liran, M*., Fischer, I.* (equal contribution), Elboim, M., Rahamim, N., et al. "Long-term excessive alcohol consumption enhances myelination in the mouse nucleus accumbens". Journal of Neuroscience, 2025.

Fischer, I., Shohat, S., Levy, G., Bar, E., et al. "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Alleviates Social Behavior Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation in a Mouse Model for Autism Spectrum Disorders". International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022.

Israel Gabay was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research entitled "Theoretical and experimental investigation of the coupling of hydromechanical and electrophysiological processes in mediating long-distance signals in crops." In his research, Israel aims to enhance our understanding of the inner communication system in plants and to leverage this understanding to guide crop improvement and plant bioengineering.

Israel completed his bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) in mechanical engineering at the Technion and pursued a Ph.D. in the same faculty under the supervision of Professor Moran Bercovici and Professor Amir Gat. During his graduate studies, Israel studied the dynamics of liquid films. His findings include fundamental and technological implications, ranging from the creation of smooth microstructures to the development of giant space telescopes made of liquid. Israel has received several awards for his research and teaching activities and is an alumnus of two prestigious Ph.D. fellowships, ISEF and Azrieli.

Israel’s publications include:

• Gabay I., Bacheva V., Illsar D., Bercovici M., Ramos A., and Gat A., "The non-self-adjoint thin film problem: dynamics of fixed-volume pinned films" Journal of fluid mechanics (2023).
• Gabay I., Paratore F., Boyko E., Ramos A., Gat A., and Bercovici M., "Shaping liquid films by dielectrophoresis" Flow 1 (2021).
• Luria O., Elgarisi M., Frumkin V., Razin A., Ericson J., Gommed K., Widerker D., Gabay I., Belikov R., Bookbinder J., Balaban E., Bercovici M., “Fluidic Shaping and in-situ Measurement of Liquid Lenses in Microgravity”, npj microgravity (2023).

Dr. Jhonatan Tavori was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue his research on edge-cloud management under worst-case attack scenarios.

Jhonatan pursued his PhD, titled “Network Operation Under Malicious Behavior”, under the supervision of Professor Hanoch Levy at Tel Aviv University (TAU). Jhonatan explored various problems, including characterizing worst-case attacks on cloud networks, optimizing the control of viral spreading, investigating financial vulnerabilities in microservices architectures, and designing edge computing that processes real-time traffic and data.

For his PhD studies, Jhonatan was awarded The Blavatnik Prize for Outstanding Israeli Doctoral Graduates in Computer Science.

Jhonatan holds a B.Sc. in computer science (Summa Cum Laude) from the Open University of Israel, and an M.Sc. in computer science (Magna Cum Lauded) from TAU. He was selected as the valedictorian in both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. During his graduate studies, Jhonatan was awarded several distinctions, including the EU NGI Enrichers fellowship, TAU ‘100 list’ for teaching, an innovation scholarship for smart transportation research, the Deutsch Prize for PhD students, excellence academic achievements prize and stipend, and the school’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant award.

Among Jhonatan’s publications:

J. Tavori and H. Levy. Tornadoes In the Cloud: Worst-Case Attacks on Distributed Resources Systems. IEEE INFOCOM 2021.

J. Tavori and H. Levy. Resilience of Networks to Spreading Computer Viruses: Optimal Strategies for Anti-Virus Deployment. IEEE/IFIP NOMS 2023.

J. Tavori and H. Levy. How to Attack and Congest Delay-Sensitive Applications on the Cloud. IEEE INFOCOM 2023.

Keren is a prominent Israeli screenwriter, director, and showrunner, born in Jerusalem in 1971. She is the creator of the award-winning drama Yellow Peppers, which was adapted by the BBC as The A Word and subsequently remade in multiple countries. Margalit holds a BA in humanities with a focus on literature from the Open University of Israel and is also a graduate of the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School in Jerusalem. She is known for her sensitive, character-driven storytelling that often explores emotional and social complexities. Her additional credits include Sleeping Bears, The Deer (a historical drama centered on Eliezer Ben-Yehuda), and she was part of the original writing team of the acclaimed series In Treatment (BeTipul). Her works have been featured in international festivals and academic programs around the world.

Keren was awarded the International Writing Program fellowship at Iowa University to take part in the writing residency program.

Kohava holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biotechnology and food engineering from the Technion - Institute of Technology in Haifa.
She has pursued her interest in biotechnology by working for General Electric HealthCare company in the regulation of molecular imaging products for the past two years, where she gained hands-on experience with regulatory submissions and cross-functional collaboration. She hopes to continue developing patient-centered medical devices that enhance well-being and transform lives after the completion of her master’s in biomedical innovation and development at Georgia Tech.

Lev is a graduate of the three-year program at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio, Tel Aviv, a B.Ed. in theater directing and teaching from the Kibbutzim College, and an MFA graduate from Tel Aviv University. He is a graduate of the Mandel Foundation Regional Leadership Program.

Lev focuses on creating works dealing with geographic and social periphery with the aspiration for accurate representation. His work focuses on underrepresented communities, narratives and characters. He aims to strengthen the periphery as a base for diverse and local creative work. His films have been screened and awarded at festivals worldwide.

Lev was awarded the Fulbright fellowship to pursue his MFA degree with a focus on dramatic writing for the stage and screen at NYU.

Maayan was awarded the Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue her research project titled ‟Cultural Variability and Cultural Dynamics in the Upper Paleolithic Period of the Near East (~40 30 ky BP): Synchronic and Diachronic Insights Based on the Comparative Study of Flint Technologies from the Zagros and the Southern Levant”. This project tests social interactions between prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups from different regions of the Near East, reconstructing the evolutional and dispersal patterns of ancient societies.

Maayan received her BA in archaeology from Ben-Gurion University in the Negev (BGU) and her MA with a specialization in the study of ancient lithic industries from the University of Haifa.

Her PhD research, conducted at BGU, focused on the study and cultural characterization of hunter-gatherer groups that inhabited the Levant ca. 40–30 kya based on case studies from Israel and the comparative study of archaeological collections from key sites in the region and in west Europe.

Recent publications:

Shemer, M., et al., 2023. Early Upper Paleolithic cultural variability in the Southern Levant: New evidence from Nahal Rahaf 2 Rockshelter, Judean Desert, Israel. Journal of Human Evolution 178, 10334 [awarded the MHR Award for Excellent Publication in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Ben-Gurion University]. 

 Shemer, M., et al., 2024. Cultural dynamics in the Levantine Upper Paleolithic, ca. 40–33 ky BP: Insights based on recent advances in the study of the Levantine Aurignacian, the Arkov-Divshon, and the Atlitian. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 7, 10

Nadav Yochman holds a dual Bachelor of Science in statistics and data science and in the interdisciplinary MATAR honors program from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

As a Fulbright fellow, Nadav will pursue the Jacobs Technion-Cornell dual Master of Science degrees in information systems, specializing in connective media. His academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of technology and society, with a particular focus on leveraging AI to advance social progress and drive meaningful change. He is passionate about using data-driven approaches to build tools that foster trust, promote equity, and help shape a more inclusive and responsible technological future.

Before receiving the Fulbright fellowship, he worked at Intel as an AI product analyst.

Nadia Abu Ata is a licensed clinical dietitian and certified laboratory technician issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture B. in nutrition science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is also a certified personal fitness trainer from the Wingate Institute. Nadia currently works as a medical lab technician at Maccabi Healthcare Services’s central laboratories in Rehovot, where she contributes to diagnostic accuracy through sample analysis and equipment troubleshooting in hematology.

Her multidisciplinary background includes work as a research assistant at the Weizmann Institute of Science and as an educator and translator at the Clore Science Museum, part of the Davidson Institute. Passionate about community-building, Nadia volunteers as a project manager with the Harmony Community, where she leads professional and social initiatives.

In the coming year, Nadia will pursue a Master of Public Health with an emphasis on epidemiology at Washington University in St. Louis, aiming to deepen her impact on population health.

Natalia was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue her research project titled "The Role of Clean Beauty Products in Shaping Personal and Social Perception." Her project will explore ethical consumerism in the beauty market, specifically focusing on the psychological impacts of green products on self and social perception. Incorporating experimental and marketing analysis techniques, the study aims to enhance the competitive market position of these products.

Natalia received a BA in psychology from Reichman University, an MA in social psychology, an MA in gender studies, and a PhD in marketing (consumer behavior) from Tel Aviv University. Her PhD research explores the underlying psychological mechanisms that explain the association between morality and beauty from a consumer perspective.

Her recent publications: 
Kononov, N., Ein-Gar, D., & Puntoni, S. (2024). Physical appearance improvements increase prosocial behavior. International Journal of Research in Marketing.‏
Kononov, N., & Ein‐Gar, D. (2024). Prosocial behaviour enhances evaluation of physical beauty. British Journal of Social Psychology.‏
Kononov, N., & Ein-Gar, D. (2023). Beautiful Strangers: Physical Evaluation of Strangers Is Influenced by Friendship Expectation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 01461672231180150.‏
 

Natan Tayachew graduated from the University of Haifa with an LL.B. During his studies, Natan took part in the university debate team, while also serving as spokesperson for the headquarters of The Struggle to Promote the Aliyah of Ethiopian Jews.

 Natan served as a senior advisor to the former Israeli Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Pnina Tamano-Shata, Israel's first black minister. His role entailed framing and promoting policies on behalf of the minister, including managing the agenda of the Ministerial Committee for the Advancement of Ethiopian Jews in Israel.

 

As a Fulbright Master's fellow, Natan will pursue his master’s degree in public policy at Brandeis University.   

Nermin’s project is titled " Preventing Suicide through Smartphone Applications - Examining the Effectiveness of the Integrated Care to Help At-Risk Teens (iCHART) through Mobile Sensing Indicators". He will examine the utilization of Digital Health interventions in preventing suicide thoughts and behaviors among adolescents at a high risk for suicide.

Nermin completed his PhD in the Department of Psychology at Bar-Ilan University and received the Presidential Scholarship. His PhD research focused on examining the predictive utility of the Death/Suicide- Implicit Association Test on short-term suicide risk among adolescents.

He was recently awarded the Institutional Scholarship for his post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Community Mental Health at the University of Haifa, leading innovative research aimed at enhancing imminent suicide risk identification during clinical assessment through the use of machine learning techniques and computerized screening tools.

His recent publications include:

Toukhy, N., Gvion, Y., Barzilay, S., Apter, A., Haruvi-Catalan, L., Lavidor, M., ... & Hamdan, S. (2024). Implicit or explicit self-associations with life and death? Predicting short-term self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among adolescents. Death Studies, 1-12.

Toukhy, N., Gvion, Y., Barzilay, S., Apter, A., Haruvi-Catalan, L., Bursztein-Lipsicas, C., Shilian, M., Mijiritsky, O., Benaroya-Milshtein, N., Fennig, S. & Hamdan, S. (2023). Implicit Identification with Death, Clinician Evaluation and Suicide Ideation among Adolescent Psychiatric Outpatients- The Mediating Role of Depression. Archives of Suicide Research, 1-13.

Toukhy, N., Barzilay, S., Hamdan, S., Grisaru-Hergas, D., Haruvi-Catalan, L., Levis Frenk, M., Apter, A., Benaroya-Milshtein, N., Fennig, S. & Gvion, Y. (2023). Implicit Identification with Death Detects and Predicts Short Term Suicide Risk among Adolescents discharged from the Emergency Room. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviors, 53(3),499-509.

Noa received a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research in gravitational physics.

Noa graduated cum laude with a BSc in physics-mathematics from the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, where she then pursued her PhD, titled "Semiclassical effects in black hole interiors”, under Professor Amos Ori. Her research focused on the interior of a black hole, which is the region concealed beyond the event horizon – the famous “point of no return” defining a black hole. Classical general relativity predicts that rotating black holes contain a traversable passage through an inner horizon, potentially leading to another external universe. But does this prediction still hold when considering the quantum nature of matter, or even of the vacuum? Motivated by this long-standing question, Noa performed pioneering computations that demonstrate, firmer than ever, that vacuum quantum effects induce a curvature singularity at the inner horizon. Her findings set the stage for further investigation during her fellowship.

Alongside her research, Noa is dedicated to science communication, engaging in outreach activities for various audiences.

Partial publication list:

N. Zilberman, M. Casals, A. Ori and A. C. Ottewill, “Quantum fluxes at the inner horizon of a spinning black hole”, Physical Review Letters, 129, 261102 (2022).

N. Zilberman, M. Casals, A. Ori and A. C. Ottewill, “Two-point function of a quantum scalar field in the interior region of a Kerr black hole”, Physical Review D, 106, 125011 (2022).

N. Zilberman, A. Levi and A. Ori, “Quantum fluxes at the inner horizon of a spherical charged black hole”, Physical Review Letters, 124, 171302 (2020).

Dr. Omer Hacker was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue his research project titled “Incorporating the Spirit: Tech Companies Sovereignty and the Inclusion of Religion.” In the high-tech industry, where work is expected to be a realm for self-realization and employees are encouraged to “bring their whole self” to the workplace, the research asks - what is the place of religion in the new relationship? Which religious activities are legitimized or even supported by the workplace? Which activities are pushed out and why? The research will be based on fieldwork in the New York City tech industry.

This project is a development of Omer’s doctoral research, which focused on the concept of time in the global high-tech industry, and in particular how changes in working hours affect the time systems of religious tech workers. The PhD research was based on ethnography in a global high-tech corporation, and interviews with observant Jewish and Muslim tech workers in Toronto and Tel Aviv.

Omer’s publications include:

Hacker, Omer. “Time With No Time: Coordinating the Tech Workplace.” Current Anthropology (Forthcoming).

Chen, Lior, Omer Hacker, and Nurit Stadler. Sacred Places in the Holy Land – An Ethnographic Perspective. Ra’anana: The Open University of Israel.

Omer Maliniak was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research on the changing musical syntax and form in eighteenth-century music, from the Baroque stylistic period to the Classical one.

Omer earned his Ph.D. in musicology at Bar-Ilan University under the supervision of Professor Yoel Greenberg, researching the formal evolution of concerto first movements in the eighteenth century from a diachronic perspective and using qualitative measures, unlike the traditional synchronic and qualitative approaches in the field of musical research. The article that stemmed from this research, Maliniak, Omer, and Yoel Greenberg, "Follow the Solo: The Formal Evolution of the Concerto in the Eighteenth-Century," Music Theory Spectrum 44/2 (2022): 231-259 was selected by the Society of Music Theory for the Outstanding Publication Award.

Aside from his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in music, Omer also holds a B.A. in psychology and has a background in cognitive science research.

Alongside his research work, Omer is an educator, teaching in multiple high school music programs, also developing learning materials in several projects on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Education.

Dr. Omri Cohen was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue his project titled “Towards a Theory of Urban Populism”. Addressing two separate disciplines, populism and urban studies, this project will empirically explore urban populism on three levels: 1) populism of the city—how is a “local people” constructed and mobilized against “local elites”? 2) populism in the city—what role does the city play as a site of national populism? 3) populism and the city—how is the city influenced by and reacts to populism on the national level? Additionally, the project will involve conceptual development and normative analysis to complement the empirical findings.

Previously, Cohen completed a bachelor's degree and master’s degree in English literature from the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University, respectively. Before turning to political science, he published research on education and empathy in minority literature.

Cohen completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor Dani Filc and Dr. Noam Tirosh. His work covers issues of populist theory, democratization, urban political theory, and digital political communication.

Key publications from his PhD include:

Cohen, O. (2025). Can urban populism democratize the city? The Tel Aviv-Jaffa 2008 municipal elections and their aftermath, Cities. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105524

Cohen, O. (2025). Practices of transformative populism: An illustrative study of the Bernie Sanders presidential runs. Political Studies Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/14789299251326781

Oren graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and theater studies with a specialization in the management of cultural institutions. He has worked as a director of institutions and projects in the fields of art and culture, actor, musician, choreographer, and owner of a digital startup for managing processes in manufacturing companies.

Oren was awarded the Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a master’s in arts management at Carnegie Mellon University.

Oren believes that professional and ground-breaking management of cultural institutions allows different voices in society to be heard and the different arts to become relevant. Studying in the USA will allow him to acquire  new management methods that encourage inclusion and connection between the center and the periphery.

When he returns Oren hopes to allow creators from all spectrums to find a home in cultural institutions, express their unique voice, while connecting to their ancient heritage, toward progress and peace.

Orr was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue a research project, titled: “Hydrodynamic instabilities in aerial firefighting” at Brown University. The project goal is to study the fluid mechanics principles governing the complex dynamics of fire-retarding liquids after their release from aircraft, seeking to improve the efficiency of aerial firefighting techniques.

Under the joint supervision of Dr. Yuval Dagan and Professor Eran Sher, Orr pursued his PhD in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Orr’s research focused on modeling the dynamics of liquid-vapor phase change under extreme thermodynamic conditions, e.g., absolute negative pressures and near-critical temperatures. Alongside his Ph.D. research, Orr explored the nonlinear behavior of phase-changing droplets within vortical flows, which may serve as a simplified model for complex turbulent droplet-laden flows.

Orr's recent publications include:

Avni, O. & Dagan, Y. Droplet dynamics in Burgers vortices. I. Mass transport. Physical Review Fluids 8, 083604 (2023).

Avni, O. & Dagan, Y. Droplet dynamics in Burgers vortices. II. Heat transfer. Physical Review Fluids 8, 083605 (2023).

Avni, O., Dagan, Y., Bar-Kohany, T. & Sher, E. Bubble dynamics under negative pressures: A missing link? Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 46, 102162 (2023).

Orr was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue a research project, titled: “Hydrodynamic instabilities in aerial firefighting” at Brown University. The project goal is to study the fluid mechanics principles governing the complex dynamics of fire-retarding liquids after their release from aircraft, seeking to improve the efficiency of aerial firefighting techniques.

Under the joint supervision of Dr. Yuval Dagan and Professor Eran Sher, Orr pursued his PhD in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Orr’s research focused on modeling the dynamics of liquid-vapor phase change under extreme thermodynamic conditions, e.g., absolute negative pressures and near-critical temperatures. Alongside his Ph.D. research, Orr explored the nonlinear behavior of phase-changing droplets within vortical flows, which may serve as a simplified model for complex turbulent droplet-laden flows.

Orr's recent publications include:

Avni, O. & Dagan, Y. Droplet dynamics in Burgers vortices. I. Mass transport. Physical Review Fluids 8, 083604 (2023).

Avni, O. & Dagan, Y. Droplet dynamics in Burgers vortices. II. Heat transfer. Physical Review Fluids 8, 083605 (2023).

Avni, O., Dagan, Y., Bar-Kohany, T. & Sher, E. Bubble dynamics under negative pressures: A missing link? Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 46, 102162 (2023).

Osher was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research project titled "The Future of Robotics: Learning Multimodal Policies for Human-Level Dexterity". In the proposed project, Osher seeks to develop a learning framework that enables robots to perform complex manipulation tasks with a level of dexterity and adaptability comparable to human capabilities.

Osher received his B.Sc. (cum laude) and M.Sc. degrees in mechanical engineering from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in 2019 and 2020, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, focusing on learning manipulation skills with adaptive robotic hands. Throughout his studies, Osher was recognized with several awards, including the Nehemia Levtzion Scholarship, the KLA scholarship, and the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research Award.

Osher’s recent publications include:

O. Azulay et al., "AllSight: A Low-Cost and High-Resolution Round Tactile Sensor With Zero-Shot Learning Capability," in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 483-490, Jan. 2024

O. Azulay, M. Monastirsky and A. Sintov, "Haptic-Based and  SE(3) -Aware Object Insertion Using Compliant Hands," in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 208-215, Jan. 2023

O. Azulay, I. Ben-David and A. Sintov, "Learning Haptic-Based Object Pose Estimation for In-Hand Manipulation Control With Underactuated Robotic Hands," in IEEE Transactions on Haptics, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 73-85, 1 Jan.-March 2023

Dr. Ran Abuhasira was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital and in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research applies proteomics to identify protein signatures that reflect genetic, environmental, and metabolic pathways involved in the onset and progression of gout. By uncovering these markers, he aims to enhance risk prediction, improve disease prognosis, and advance personalized strategies for the prevention and management of gout and related metabolic-inflammatory conditions.

Ran is a senior physician in an internal medicine department and head of the Clinical Research Center at Soroka University Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel. He holds an MD/PhD from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he graduated summa cum laude. His PhD in epidemiology, supervised by Professor Victor Novack, focused on the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis in older adults. He completed his internship at Assuta Ashdod Hospital and his residency in internal medicine at Rabin Medical Center.

Selected Publications:

Abuhasira R, Haviv YS, Leiba M, Leiba A, Ryvo L, Novack V. Cannabis Is Associated with Blood Pressure Reduction in Older Adults – A 24-Hours Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Study. Eur J Intern Med. 2021 Apr; 86:79–85.

Abuhasira R, Anstey M, Novack V, Bose S, Talmor D, Fuchs L. Intensive care unit capacity and mortality in older adults: a three nations retrospective observational cohort study. Ann Intensive Care. 2022 Mar 4;12(1):20.

Abuhasira R, Burrack N, Turjeman A, Patt YS, Leibovici L, Grossman A. Comparative Analysis of First-Line Antihypertensive Treatment Classes. Am J Med. 2025 Mar;138(3):449–457.e7.

Rana Badarni was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to pursue a Master of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, where she aims to specialize in forensic social work, trauma, and family welfare.

Rana is a social worker with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During her studies, she received the Rothschild Ambassadors’ scholarship for academic excellence and social leadership.

Following her degree, she served, through the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, as a juvenile probation officer in East Jerusalem and, for the past decade, as a senior probation officer in the Adult Probation Service in Tel Aviv. In recognition of her dedication and contributions, she was honored as the Distinguished Probation Officer for the Tel Aviv District in 2019.Rana's professional work and academic aspirations are reducing risk to individuals and society through the rehabilitation and reintegration of perpetrators into the community.

Razan Medleg holds a bachelor’s degree in social work (M.S.W) from Ruppin Academic Center. As a Fulbright foreign language teaching assistant, Razan aims to promote not only Arabic language proficiency but also meaningful cross-cultural connections that encourage respect, curiosity, and empathy. 

Razan is a dedicated social worker with a strong commitment to community empowerment, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue. She has worked with individuals from a wide range of cultural and social backgrounds. Her experience includes supporting at-risk youth as both a mentor and educator, as well as working extensively with children on the autism spectrum. In her role, she not only provided individual support but also trained and guided professional teams to implement inclusive and effective approaches.

Currently, Razan serves as social worker in the Department of Social Services. In parallel, she works at an after-school center for children.

Professor Roy Horovitz is an acclaimed Israeli actor, director, translator, dramaturge and scholar. He is the chair of the drama and theatre program at Bar-llan University, and a senior lecturer at the David Yellin Academic College, Jerusalem.

Roy was awarded the International Writing Program fellowship at Iowa University to take part in the writing residency program.

Horovitz has performed many roles for various theatres and represented Israel in many prestigious festivals around the world. He has been awarded "Best Actor" at the International Haifa Festival, 1997, and the "Best Director Award" for directing "Pollard's Trial" at the Cameri Theatre in Tel-Aviv. His films includes "The Body" with Antonio Banderas. Horovitz also directed a succession of critically acclaimed productions at Habima (Israel's national theatre), was the artistic director of the municipal theatre in Kiryat Shmona, the dramaturge of Beer-Sheba Theatre and a visiting professor at the American University in Washington DC and the University of Texas in Austin.

His Book, " A World of Innocents - The Dramatic Afterlife of the Bible in Yaakov Shabtai's Plays" which was published in 2021, gained rave reviews and won the prestigious "Scientific Excellence Award" in Israel.

Sapir was awarded a Fulbright-ISEF Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue her research project titled "Electrochemical RAM for analog in-memory neural network accelerators".

She completed her B.Sc. in electrical engineering from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and continued in the joint M.Sc. and Ph.D. track under the supervision of Professor Nir Tessler.

Sapir’s research focused on organic electronic devices based on electronic-ionic conduction. During her studies, Sapir and her supervisor presented, for the first time, the effect of ionic reactions on the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells, as well as the role of counterions in organic electrochemical transistors.

She received several awards, including the Ariane de Rothschild Women’s Doctoral Scholarship for outstanding female Ph.D. students, and the Yablonovitch Research Award for excellence in micro/nanoelectronics, photonics, and electromagnetism.

Sapir’s publications include:

• S. Bitton and N. Tessler, Perovskite ionics – elucidating degradation mechanisms in perovskite solar cells via device modelling and iodine chemistry. Energy & Environmental Science, 2023. 16(6): p. 2621-2628.
• S. Bitton and N. Tessler, Unveiling the Impact of the Electrolyte's Counter Ions on Organic Electrochemical Transistor Performance. Advanced Electronic Materials, 2024. p. 2300766.
• S. Bitton and N. Tessler, Electron/hole blocking layers as ionic blocking layers in perovskite solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2021. 9(6): p. 1888-1894.

Sapir was awarded an FLTA Fulbright fellowship to serve as a Hebrew language assistant at Colgate University.

Sapir holds a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from the Open University of Israel, where she cultivated a strong interest in political philosophy and conflict resolution.
 Alongside her academic pursuits, she has built a career as a linguistic instructor, grounded in extensive training in Semitic languages – both Hebrew and Arabic, the latter of which she has used as a translator and researcher. Her admiration for language, as both a cultural and communicative bridge, guided her work teaching Hebrew to new immigrants in Jerusalem.

 For the past three years, she has worked as an English instructor, preparing university-bound students for academic English requirements. Currently, Sapir is expanding her expertise through advanced studies in anthropology, economics, and pedagogy, with a continued commitment to developing accessible, relevant English instruction for Israeli adult learners.

Dr. Shirly Orr was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue her research project, “The effect of the (dis)trust mindset on the construction of meaning and attribution of truth”. In this project, Orr plans to empirically investigate the relationship between “truth” and “meaning”, focusing on how “trust” modulates that relationship. Her aim is to shed light on the dynamic process of constructing meaning under different goals and mindsets.

Orr earned her BA in Hebrew and Semitic languages from Bar-Ilan University and an MA in Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland. She completed both her MA thesis and PhD dissertation in linguistics at Tel Aviv University. Her doctoral dissertation, “Predicating Truth: An Empirical Investigation”, explored the concept of truth by studying its use in natural interaction (e.g., the use of “true” in discourse) and its connection to other concepts (e.g., the relationship between truth and agreement). Her work—then and now—seeks to offer a different perspective on truth, one grounded in empirical inquiry and shaped by an interactional usage-based approach.

Orr, S., Ariel, M., & Shetreet, E. (2024). Scales and inferences. Language and Cognition 16(4), 1899–1924. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2024.36

Orr, S., & Ariel, M. (2021). Predicating Truth: An empirically based analysis. Journal of Pragmatics, 185, 131–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.09.005

Orr, S., Ariel, M., & Peleg, O. (2017). The case of literally true propositions with false implicatures. In I. Chiluwa (Ed.), Deception and Deceptive Communication: Motivations, Recognition Techniques and Behavioral Control (pp. 67–107). Nova Science Publishers.

Tamer received his B.A in government, diplomacy and strategy from Reichman University.

After graduating from his BA program, he started working as a content analyst at Cyberwell, which is the world’s first live database of online antisemitism.

Tamer was awarded the Fulbright fellowship to pursue an MBA program at Brandeis University.

Tomer was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research project titled “Tri & Bi Metallic Anticancer Prodrugs that Combine Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy”. He received his B.Sc. in Pharmacy and M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the IDR excellence program[ES1]  and is the recipient of several awards including Clore Foundation Scholarship for outstanding PhD student, Aharon and Ephraim Katzir Grant from the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Kaye Innovation Award.

Tomer’s PhD research, under the supervision of Professor Dan Gibson, focused on bio-inorganic chemistry aiming to develop novel oral platinum-based metal complexes for cancer treatment with improved anticancer efficacy and minimal side effects.

In his postdoctoral studies, he aims to further develop the field of metals in medicine by combining several metal complexes to a single prodrug that have the ability of shrinking primary tumors as well as induction of the adaptive immune system that can drastically suppress metastatic neoplasm to allow the long-sought goal of creating a cancer vaccine. Tomer’s recent publications include:

• Oral Anticancer Heterobimetallic PtIV-AuI Complexes Show High In Vivo Activity and Low Toxicity. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition (2023)

• Are Pt(IV) prodrugs that release Combretastatin A4 true multi-action prodrugs? Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2021)

• Expanding the Arsenal of Pt-IV Anticancer Agents: Multi-action Pt-IV Anticancer Agents with Bioactive Ligands Possessing a Hydroxy Functional Group. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition (2019)

Tzur received his LL.B concentrating in business and B.A in  history concentrating in global post world wars trends.

In 2015, Tzur established the organization representing the families of Israel’s hostages in Gaza and leading the public campaign for Israel’s hostages return home. In 2016, Tzur established the Bystander Israel, an NGO focusing on bystander impact in the context of public sexual harassment.

Tzur is currently an associate at Herzog Fox & Neeman specializing in corporate and commercial transactions.  He was awarded the Fulbright fellowship to pursue his MPP at the  Kennedy School at Harvard University.

Tzvi was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his research project titled "Mysticism, Psychology, and Science: Early Modern Kabbalah and the Proto-Scientific Discourse on Psychology during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries".

Tzvi completed a BA in education at Herzog College and a MA in the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University, both summa cum laude. He pursued his PhD dissertation in the Department of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Garb. As a doctoral student he received an award from the Hebrew University, Mandel School Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students. During this time, he was awarded the Jewish Memorial Foundation Doctoral Grant and The Sir Sigmund and Lady Hazel Sternberg Prizes for Interfaith Understanding. Tzvi also organized and directed a Ph.D. student’s deliberation group and taught a BA course in the Department of Jewish Thought.

Tzvi’s publications include:

2023.  Anti-Catholicism in Jewish Garb: Criticism of the Catholic Church in the 'Seven Days of Truth' – the Italian Composition of Rabbi Moshe David Valle, Zion [Hebrew]

2022.  `“Repulse The Crooked” – Why Did R. Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto (Ramchal) Compose Mesilat Yesharim?` Daat: A Journal of Jewish Philosophy & Kabbalah (forthcoming in Volume 93) [Hebrew]

2021.   ` “The Secret of That Herb”: Mystical Smoking from Italian Sabbateanism to Hasidism`, Modern Judaism - A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience, Vol. 41, No. 3, (2021), pp. 317–338

Yael Dekel-Shafrir is the head of the Special Affairs Unit at the Attorney General's Office in Israel and an incoming student in the mid-career Master of Public Administration Program at the Harvard Kennedy School Based in Israel, Yael has dedicated her career to advancing democratic values and the rule of law.

As a legal professional, Yael addresses critical constitutional challenges, safeguarding democratic institutions within complex societal and political changes.

As a Fulbright fellow Yael will pursue a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University. Previously she served as director of the Department of Economic Law, leading significant governmental legislation and policy initiatives, and as a member of the Administrative Enforcement Committee of the Israel Securities Authority. Her exceptional contributions, including her leadership in shaping the Arrangements Law, earned her the Ministry of Justice Excellence Award in 2022.

Earlier in her career, Yael prosecuted economic crimes at the State Attorney's Office. She holds an LLM (magna cum laude) from Bar-Ilan University and an LLB from Tel Aviv University.

Yara Jaber is a recent graduate of biomedical engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. In parallel to her scientific studies, she has maintained a strong interest in language, culture, and education. A native Arabic speaker, Yara is fluent in English and Hebrew and has experience exploring the intersections between language, identity, and expression.

She believes in the power of language to bridge cultural gaps and foster deeper human understanding, especially in conflict-affected regions. Through the Fulbright FLTA program, Yara is excited to share her language and culture, engage in cross-cultural dialogue, and gain insights into teaching and American academic life.

Dr. Yotam Feldman was awarded a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship to pursue his research project titled “Taming Exponential Scaling in Computational Quantum Dynamics using SAT Solving and Model Checking.” The goal is to use new combinatorial optimization techniques to improve computational solutions to some of the most fundamental problems in quantum phenomena, with applications to electrochemistry and heterogenous catalysis.

Yotam did his PhD in computer science at Tel Aviv University, working with Professor Mooly Sagiv and Professor Sharon Shoham on program analysis and formal verification. His thesis (ETAPS Dissertation Award 2023) uncovered surprising theoretical connections between modern verification algorithms and machine learning theory. Yotam then switched to computational chemistry as a Schmidt Science Fellow (postdoctoral) working with Dr. Barak Hirshberg in the School of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University. There he worked primarily on algorithms for capturing quantum phenomena originating from bosonic exchange in path integral molecular dynamics simulations.

Selected publications:

Yotam M. Y. Feldman, Barak Hirshberg. “Quadratic Scaling Bosonic Path Integral Molecular Dynamics”. J. Chem. Phys. 159, 154107 (2023). J. Chem. Phys. Best Paper by an Emerging Investigator 2023.

Yotam M. Y. Feldman, Mooly Sagiv, Sharon Shoham, and James R. Wilcox. 2022. “Property-directed reachability as abstract interpretation in the monotone theory.” Proc. ACM Program. Lang. 6, POPL, (January 2022)

Yotam M. Y. Feldman, Artem Khyzha, Constantin Enea, Adam Morrison, Aleksandar Nanevski, Noam Rinetzky, and Sharon Shoham. 2020. Proving highly-concurrent traversals correct. Proc. ACM Program. Lang. 4, OOPSLA, Article 128 (November 2020)

Zohar Baranovitch graduated with honors from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in screen-based arts with a focus on documentary video and new media. Her works have been presented both nationally and internationally. She also served as assistant director to Oscar-nominated filmmaker Uri Barbash on a feature-length documentary.

As a Fulbright Fellow, Zohar will pursue a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in design and technology at Parsons School of Design in New York, where she will explore creative technologies as both material and medium for new modes of expression. She aims to create works that transcend traditional boundaries of production and exhibition, expanding possibilities for making and engaging with work by, about, and alongside individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities.

Alongside her artistic practice, Zohar is deeply engaged in community organizing. Since 2020, she has been volunteering as a project manager with the Culture of Solidarity initiative in Tel Aviv, supporting marginalized communities across the region. During the ongoing war, she coordinated the Jewish-Arab Emergency Relief Center in the Bedouin city of Rahat and in unrecognized villages in the Negev.