Eli Grunblatt and Gilad Barach Receive Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

Yeshiva College juniors Gilad Barach and Eli Grunblatt have been awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a highly competitive grant that supports undergraduates who intend to pursue careers in science, math or engineering.

Gilad Barach and Eli Grunblatt of Yeshiva College have been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship.

“Our track record of recipients of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater scholarship for scientific research clearly indicates the excellence of the science education at Yeshiva College, which can be favorably compared with undergraduate college experiences at larger research universities,” said Yeshiva College Dean Barry Eichler. “The quality of our student body and that of our science faculty’s commitment to mentor undergraduates in the sciences is truly impressive.”

Only 271 college sophomores and juniors across the country are selected for the scholarship Read the rest of this entry…

Teaching in Local Public Schools, Yeshiva University Students Make Science Fun

Some of the best and brightest college students in the nation teach science in Washington Heights public schools.

For free.

Each week, Yeshiva University (YU) students volunteer in three Washington Heights public schools, teaching the beauty and magic of science, technology, math and engineering to children.

Now START! (Students Teachers And Researchers Teach) is expanding—both internationally and nationally. Read the rest of this entry…

Graduate Profile: Michal Auerbach, Yeshiva University High School for Girls

A common spirit runs throughout Yeshiva University: the mandate to matter.

Students of all ages and backgrounds come here to pursue a range of professional and personal dreams, from scientific research and medicine to law, Jewish education or public policy. Our students seek to harness their unique talents and YU education to make a lasting impact on the world around them. This spring, when they graduate from YU, these new alumni will hit the ground running.

In the weeks leading up to Commencement, YU News will feature one remarkable graduate from each school, reflecting, in their own words, on their time here, their passions and their dreams for the future.

Meet the Class of 2013.

YU High School for Girls senior Michal Auerbach hopes to pursue a career in fertility science.

Name: Michal Auerbach

School: Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central)

Hometown: West Hempstead, New York

Passion: Fertility science Read the rest of this entry…

Funding Will Involve Students in Research to Solve Real World Problems

Five professors at Yeshiva University’s undergraduate colleges helped secure nearly $2.4 million in shared scientific grants this summer.

Dr. Anatoly Frenkel

The grants range in focus from breast cancer research to alternative fuel solutions and will provide undergraduates with more opportunities than ever to engage in firsthand scientific study, hear from experts in the field and collaborate with other universities.

“One of the missions of the University is not only to educate our students in the great achievements of science and culture but also to show them how this knowledge is generated and evolves every day,” said Dr. Gabriel Cwilich, chair of YU’s division of natural sciences and mathematics. “The way to do that is to have a strong faculty, very much engaged in research, at the forefront of their disciplines so that they can teach the students both in the classroom and working beside them in the lab. Read the rest of this entry…

Ten YU Students Selected for Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Einstein

Many college students spend their summer vacations on the beach, at a camp or relaxing at home, enjoying a well-earned break from research papers and exams.

Bella Wolf, a University Undergraduate Summer Research Scholar, hopes to pursue a career in ophthalmology.

Some, like Bella Wolf of Woodmere, NY, dissect mice eyes.

“I hope to go to medical school and become an ophthalmologist, so I feel very fortunate that I have been given the opportunity to work directly with mice eyes to help determine the DNA pathways that leads to lens transparency and the ability to see clearly,” she said.

The Stern College for Women junior is one of ten Yeshiva University undergraduates participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), an advanced biomedical research program at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Read the rest of this entry…

Anatoly Frenkel and Team Secure Department of Energy  Grant to Help Develop New Energy Sources

Dr. Anatoly Frenkel, professor of physics at Yeshiva University, is part of a team of physicists who have secured  a three-year grant for nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study how sub-microscopic manmade nanoclusters can be used to create more efficient energy sources.

Frenkel and his colleagues will help the Department of Energy create more efficient fuel and new forms of energy,

Frenkel’s team, which includes Ralph Nuzzo (University of Illinois), John Rehr (U. Washington) and Judith Yang (University of Pittsburgh), will receive a total of $1.92 million over the next three years for a grant to study: “Reactivity & Structural Dynamics of Supported Metal Nanoclusters using Electron Microscopy, In-Situ X-Ray Spectroscopy, Electronic Structure Theories, & Molecular Dynamics Simulations.” Read the rest of this entry…

Exclusive Summer Science Program Pairs Talented YU Students with Bar-Ilan Faculty

Select undergraduate science majors from Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women will arrive in Israel on June 17, 2012, to participate in the second Summer Science Research Internship program, a joint initiative with Bar-Ilan University (BIU) that will enable nearly 30 students to gain hands-on experience in emerging scientific fields while being mentored by Israel’s top scientists.

During the seven-week research experience, the students will be placed in intensive internships with top BIU faculty members, including those from the Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials and the Gonda Brain Research Center, and will work in the University’s state-of-the-art research laboratories. Read the rest of this entry…

Daniel Hershkowitz, Minister of Science and Technology, Shares Insight with Students

The Yeshiva University community enjoyed the opportunity to converse with and learn from Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Daniel Hershkowitz in a jam-packed evening on April 30.

Minister Hershkowitz and President Joel

Throughout the afternoon and evening, Hershkowitz met with students, faculty and administrators in a variety of settings to learn about the unique educational model of YU and share some of his insights.

“It is my first time at Yeshiva University and I am very glad to be here,” said Hershkowitz. “It would be wonderful if we had a similar kind of institution in Israel.”

Upon his arrival to the Wilf Campus, Hershkowitz was greeted by President Richard M. Joel and proceeded to meet with Yeshiva College Dean Barry Eichler and a number of senior faculty members to discuss common issues of interest regarding university life and current research underway at YU.

“As the day progressed, it was clear that YU had made a new friend with whom we could cooperate in our close relationship with the State of Israel as academics devoted to our teaching and research, and in the continued quest for strengthening Jewish life here and abroad,” said Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, vice provost for undergraduate education, who took part in a number of meetings with the minister throughout the evening.

At 8 pm, Hershkowitz delivered a short address in Furst Hall introducing an event sponsored by the Neuroscience Society, Medical Ethics Society, Yeshiva College Biology Majors Board, the Yeshiva College Philosophy Club, the Honors Program and the Stern College for Women Neuroscience Club.

The minister described the fast paced rate of technological change wrought by advancements in computer technology. To illustrate this, he offered as an anecdote a common occurrence that he encountered as a graduate student: when he discovered a citation for a journal article not held by his library, he would have to send away for it, often to another country. “If I was lucky,” he said, “I would receive the article in a month. Now with computer databases, I can retrieve an article in seconds.”

Minister Hershkowitz met with Provost Lowengrub (left) and members of the YU faculty.

According to Hershkowitz, this improvement has led to an explosion of new research and journal publications, allowing people to delve deeper into sub-specialties of specific disciplines than ever before. With people so hyper-specialized, Israel now encourages more interdisciplinary collaboration in the sciences in order to maximize its scholars output and creativity. This is why Israel is currently focusing the attention of its research centers on the four interdisciplinary fields of neuroscience, marine biology, nanotechnology and computer technology. “When different fields come together, we can do amazing things,” said the minister.

In closing, the minister offered a parable from the Book of Exodus to describe the compatibility of scientific inquiry and Jewish culture that he was pleased to encounter at YU.

“We were delighted to have Minister Hershkowitz address the Neuroscience Society,” said Neuroscience Society President Daniel First. “Neuroscience is one of the hottest fields of scientific research today, and it was fascinating to hear how Israel is playing a prominent role in its advancement.”

Minister Hershkowitz earned a doctorate in mathematics from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 1982. He has served as the rabbi for the Ahuza community near the northern Israeli city of Haifa. In early 2009, he won a seat in the Knesset as the Chairman of the Habayit Hayehudi party, a national religious party, and was shortly thereafter named Minister of Science and Technology.

With Faculty Support, Helen Unger Discovers Her Passion for Cancer Research at Stern; Wins Prestigious Award

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Helen Unger watched her mother battle cancer and initially decided to join the fight by becoming a doctor.

Helen Unger chose Yeshiva University for its many research opportunities and supportive Torah environment.

Eager to roll up her sleeves and get to work, she graduated high school early and enrolled in pre-med studies at Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program—a plan Unger formed in ninth grade.

“I recognized that my situation in public school wasn’t ideal for me,” said Unger. She had recently become religious on her own and struggled to lead an Orthodox lifestyle in a secular world. Unger was anxious to launch her career in cutting-edge science and medicine, but she also longed to expand her understanding of religious Judaism and be part of an environment where its intricacies would be built into daily life.

“I knew I wanted to go to a college where being Jewish wasn’t something I just did on the side,” Unger said. When a little bit of research told her that YU had a high graduate and medical school acceptance rate, she knew she’d found the right place. “I knew that Stern would allow me to focus on excelling in Jewish studies and learning as well as the sciences.’ ”

As a freshman, Unger found her envisioned career path had evolved. Excited by the amount of research opportunities available to undergraduates on campus, she had started work in the breast cancer research laboratory of Dr. Marina Holz, assistant professor of biology. “In Dr. Holz’s laboratory, we work to identify therapeutic targets against which new cancer treatments can be developed,” said Unger. Holz’s problem-solving approach to cancer research fascinated her.

Unger and Holz, right, are working to identify therapeutic targets against which new cancer treatments can be developed.

“I fell in love with research,” Unger said. “I love how it allows scientists to innovate and design new and more effective therapies for disease without the pressure of following clinical protocols. I also like the fact that my work could develop therapies that will help a multitude of patients, not just one at a time.”

As a junior majoring in cellular and molecular biology, Unger was encouraged by Holz to apply for the Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Award for Undergraduate Students. She was recently selected as a winner and is the first YU student to be chosen. The two-year award, given to a handful of students across North America, is intended to inspire young science students to enter the field of cancer research. It provides them with unique educational opportunities in the development of their careers in science and a $1,500 stipend to attend the next two American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meetings, where Unger will have the chance to meet and hear from leading researchers and potentially present her research with Holz.

“I’m looking forward to the award putting me in touch with people who are higher up in the cancer research realm,” Unger said. “It provides me with good contacts and a lot of exposure to what’s going on in research around the world. I’m also excited to represent YU and Orthodox Jewry at the conferences and to show them what we’re all about.”

Unger with Anna Sedletcaia, a postdoctoral fellow in Holz's lab, who assists undergraduates with their research projects.

In addition, Unger recently co-authored an article with Holz and other students which has been published in the January 30, 2012 online edition of Oncogene, a high-impact research journal.

“Helen is a very successful student researcher who has contributed a lot to our work,” Holz said. She added that Unger’s award was an indicator not only of her personal achievement, but the caliber of the science students and faculty at Stern in general.

“Many of our faculty have active research programs which allow us to involve undergrads in our work,” said Holz. “We have real, relevant, nationally-acclaimed, nationally-funded programs and the latest biological and molecular techniques to employ in our labs. The fact Helen won this prestigious national award is a sign that we’re on the same level as any other major research university.” She added: “Helen is the first to win, but more will follow her.”

For Unger, relationships with faculty like Holz were enriching both academically and personally. “Dr. Holz has been a wonderful mentor,” she said. “The professors at Stern are there for you from everything, from your big questions about molecular biology to what kind of shoes you should wear to a conference. It’s like a little family.”

Unger also felt the warm, supportive atmosphere at Stern encouraged students to compete with themselves to do their best, rather than forcing rivalries with other students. “Stern is a small school and that means each student in my biology class is a person, not a number,” she said. “We all want to see each other succeed and get into top graduate schools and I think that’s the best environment for learning.”

Unger credits the warm, supportive atmosphere at Stern for bringing out the best in students.

Holz emphasized Stern’s collaborative approach to science. “When students do research here, they really have a home base,” she said. “They have a lab to come to between classes where they can hang out and get to know professors as they do research together, which allows them to form a personal mentorship with the faculty that leads to more career advancement opportunities and a better-rounded science education.”

This summer Unger will participate in the Sloan-Kettering Summer Undergraduate Research Program, an extremely selective program that gives students opportunities for hands-on research experience in cutting-edge biomedical research laboratories. Next, she hopes to pursue a doctorate at a New York City school—and possibly teach as well.

“I’d love to educate the next generation of scientists,” said Unger. “Biology is the study of life and there are so many things people don’t understand. I’d love to be a role model that could help students with that process.”

Alumnus’ Gift Helps Students Give Back to Community

When Norman Bickoff ’71YC, of Clifton, NJ, attended his 40th college reunion last year in May, hosted by Yeshiva University’s Office of Alumni Affairs, alumni were asked to consider giving back to their alma mater and make a donation.

Bickoff, who regards the Jewish responsibility of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, among his greatest values, reached out to YU to discuss a gift that incorporated that value.

Alan Secter, director of institutional Advancement for Yeshiva College, told him about Project Start (Students, Teachers, and Researchers Teach) Science!, which sends students at Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women to public schools in Washington Heights to conduct fun and interactive science experiments with students. Bickoff knew right away that this was a program that he wanted to support, and just recently made a formal gift. Read full article at News and Views at YU…