New centers, chairs, and funds

Donors and scientists alike were honored for the establishment of new chairs and centers at the Festive Open Session.

The Wertheimer Center for Computational Biology was marked in the presence of Jeremy Wertheimer of Boston; and the Dr. Dan Andreae Fund for an Annual Conference in Neuroscience, marked in the presence of Dan Andreae of Toronto. The Institute also marked the establishment of the Center for Translational Research, in memory of Prof. Haim Garty, who served as Vice President of the Weizmann Institute and was a member of the Department of Biological Chemistry. Prof. Garty passed away in 2014.

The new Edmund A. and Arlene Grossman Hall in the David Lopatie Conference Centre was dedicated in the presence of Edmund Grossman of New York, who spoke eloquently about his late wife Arlene. “I can think of no better place than the Weizmann Institute to unravel the mysteries of science,” he said. When he was first introduced to the Institute, one of the elements that resonated the most with him was “the idea that scientists follow their curiosity and that that makes for great science.”

At the dedication of the Laura Gurwin Flug Family Fund, which is supporting the research of Dr. Ruth Scherz-Shouval, a new scientist in the Department of Biological Chemistry, Ms. Flug talked about her late parents Joe and Rosalind Gurwin, who were strong supporters of the Weizmann Institute and staunch advocates of Israel. “I am proud to be associated with such an illustrious institution and I look forward to a long-term friendship,” said Laura Flug.

The Institute also marked the establishment of the Dr. A. Edward Friedmann Career Development Chair, whose first incumbent is Dr. Avraham (Rami) Aizenbud of the Department of Mathematics. Susan Friedmann spoke about her late father, who loved mathematics and for whom the chair is named.