Campus visits cultivate new connections

Over the past year, the Israeli Friends Association and Alumni Organization hosted several groups, offering an exclusive glimpse into the exciting activities at the Weizmann Institute.

In May 2024, around 40 ESG (environmental, social, and governance) managers from leading Israeli and multinational companies visited the Weizmann campus to learn about the Institute’s sustainability research and educational programming.

Prof. Ron Milo captivated the audience with his talk, “The Largest Census of Nature.” This was followed by a tour of the many trees on campus with Prof. Tamir Klein, an environmental science expert who developed an algorithm-based sensor for real-time measurement of carbon dioxide absorption by trees. Their visit concluded with a private preview of the new Clore Garden of Science before its official opening in the summer of 2024.

In the Clore Garden, they met Dr. Michal Stolarsky, who was teaching a group of students from the southern city of Sderot as part of a special wartime matriculation program, which hosts high schoolers from evacuated towns for a week-long study marathon to prepare for their science matriculation exams. Dr. Stolarsky’s inspiring work with the students, who have found hope and normalcy through the program amidst these turbulent times, was met with eager applause.

The first group to visit the Garden of Science back in June 2023, while it was still under construction, was WeizmannVibe, the next-generation forum of the Israeli Friends. After touring the Clore Garden with curator Amir Schorr and participating in hands-on laboratory sessions, WeizmannVibe members saw the 700-meter bat tunnel where Prof. Nachum Ulanovsky explores brain activity in bats using this unique research space.

Speaking of the next generation, Weizmann alumni had the opportunity to bring their high school-aged children for a special campus visit. The group toured the historical laboratory of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, engaged in a discussion on the future of plant research with Prof. Klein, and had a lab visit with Dr. David Polishook, who introduced them to experimental physics and telescopes.

All visitors expressed great enthusiasm, and new collaborations are already under discussion.