700 outstanding high school students from all over Israel took part in TechWomen 2022, an event to showcase studies at the Technion and present opportunities for young women to pursue academic degrees in science and engineering
Some 700 outstanding female high school students from all over Israel participated in TechWomen 2022, an event aimed at encouraging them to continue their studies of math and sciences. TechWomen events are held thanks to the generous support of the Rosalyn August Girls Empowerment Mission (GEM). Rosalyn August, who hails from the State of Florida in the United States, believes in the importance of encouraging young women to choose STEM tracks. She addressed the students from her home and told them how she grew up in an environment that emphasized everything that girls, and women can’t do.
“You don’t have to say, ‘I can’t do that because I’m not a man. You can do whatever you choose! And that’s the beauty of being a woman in today’s society,” she told the students. “You are taking a look at the Technion … In my day, there weren’t women aerospace engineers. Now things are different. You have my support, I back you. I want you to take the opportunity; if you’re right for the Technion, and the Technion is right for you, go girl! It’s the best! And you be whatever you want to be!”
Professor Adi Salzberg, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, told the participants: “You are the future of Israel. It is important for me to tell you that women have no limits, save those imposed by society’s tradition, habits, and prejudices. The Technion works to increase the number of women among undergraduate and graduate students, as well as among faculty. Better gender representation in the Technion will lead to improved gender representation in high-tech and in other industry branches, which in turn would have an impact on Israeli society at large. Studying here can pave your way to a career that’s interesting, satisfying, and rewarding, whether you chose the academic world or the industry.”
The event was hosted by astrophysicist Dr. Efrat Sabach, who completed three degrees in the Technion Faculty of Physics. “I was always very curious as a child; I wanted to study everything,” she recalled. “When I was around 12, I understood that all my curiosity converged on one marvelous subject: physics. There were ‘helpful’ people along the way who told me physics is for boys, that it will be hard for me, and so on. Those are words that can make one lose heart, but luckily, I didn’t. I stuck by my love for physics, and focused on astrophysics, a field in which I did my Ph.D. So, I tell you, if you have a dream, go for it. Believe in yourselves, ignore background noises, and don’t be afraid of challenges.”
Assistant Professor Arielle Fischer from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering spoke of her love for physics and mathematics, which led her to develop rehabilitation technologies that help people post-major trauma to recover correct movement patterns. Dr. Fischer grew up in the U.S., made Aliyah, travelled to study in MIT, Stanford University, and EPFL, then returned to Israel and joined Technion faculty in 2020. Her laboratory combines motion biomechanics, wearable technologies, biology research, and artificial intelligence to improve care for muscle and bone issues.
Graduate student Vivian Darsa-Maidantchik from the Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, told of her journey from Brazil to the Technion, and of the research she conducts under the instruction of Professor Hossam Haick. She is developing sensors for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. Her system will transmit patient information to the doctors’ smartphones in real time. Vivian finished high school in Rio, and came to Israel with Bnei Akiva. She has since married and is a mother to four-month-old twins.
High school student Shiraz Daviv from Makif Gimel high school in Ashdod, who came to the Technion for the TechWomen event, summed up the day by saying, “The lectures were interesting and enlightening, and gave me many things to think about with regard to my future. They gave me a new perspective on academic studies.”
The High school students at the Technion
