Even among keynote speeches by Israeli and American leaders, countless presentations, and demonstrations of groundbreaking Israeli innovations on parade at last week’s AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., it’s the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology that will be remembered by many of the 20,000 people in attendance.
The most visual representation of the Technion was the LABSCAPES exhibition displayed in the AIPAC Village for the duration of the conference.
The most visual representation of the Technion was the LABSCAPES exhibition displayed in the AIPAC Village for the duration of the conference. Created and curated by Anat Har-Gil, an artistically gifted member of the Technion’s Computing and Information Systems Department, the exhibition featured unforgettable images taken with microscopes used in the fields of chemistry, physics, life sciences, engineering, and medicine that at first glance evoke thoughts of spectacular natural vistas. In reality, the images show the majesty of crystals, bacteria, human cells, and other entities invisible to the naked eye are revealed through the power of the modern microscope.
Also wowing the AIPAC crowds was Technion alumna Orly Rapaport (B.Sc. Computer Science) presented her startup, “myFavorEats” for consideration to a “Shark Tank”-like panel. According to Rapaport, the company’s founder and CEO, myFavorEats uses Artificial Intelligence to mimic a Chef’s intuitive thinking and a nutritionist’s wisdom, enabling users to instantly personalize their recipes to their dietary needs and adapt them to their digital kitchen appliances. myFavorEats is part of the Technion Drive Accelerator.
Gilad Hizkiyahu (B.Sc., Aerospace Engineering), who is the Co-CEO at Singer Instruments and Control Ltd., gave a fascinating presentation about how defense innovation is not just keeping Israel safe; it is also being utilized for applications in medical technologies that benefit the world.
Finally, in a private reception with Technion supporters, another graduate of the Technion, Eliad Peretz (B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering) shared about his position was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University and a researcher for new space missions, he leads the development of materials and technologies that will enable the creation of more advanced detectors used for space exploration.