College of Engineering News Room

USF Engineering professors take part in faculty fellowship program in Israel

 

Chemical engineering professors, Norma Alcantar and Ryan Toomey to take part in academic exchange exploring Israel's history, politics, culture, and economy.

Twenty-three professors from universities and colleges across the U.S. will soon experience a once-in-a-lifetime and insightful journey as they prepare to depart on Jewish National Fund's 2018 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel.

Participants will take part on the trip May 26 –June 7, 2018, traveling throughout Israel, meeting Israeli professors from their respective disciplines and with the same, or similar, research interests, all with the goal of developing collaborations, research projects, co-authoring articles, and establishing exchange programs between faculty and students.  Also joining the program as participants are Professor Ryan Toomey, Hon. Mark Eveloff, and Sally Rideout.

The tour, which more than 200 have already taken part in, is a fully-paid intensive program to Israel for full-time U.S.-based academics from a recognized university/learning institution. Jewish National Fund also runs the annual Caravan for Democracy Student leadership Mission to Israel, of which 68 students recently took part, the Winter Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel, and a host of other trips and missions.

This past winter 17 professors from universities and colleges across the nation took part in the inaugural Winter Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel. Several shared their thoughts on the recent trip:
• "I have newfound appreciation for the greeting, Shalom," said Professor Jeremi London of Arizona State University.
• Karen Guerrero, a professor at Arizona State University remarked, "Israelis are on a mission to show the world that they want peace. Human journeys of people of all walks of life had the same goal: peace. All teachers should see that."
• "I appreciate the role of Israel in dealing with the greatest challenges of our era: fundamentalism, human rights, and the environment. Israel's fate will be our fate," shared Mary O'Keeffe of Providence College.
During the trip, the participants will meet Israelis from all walks of life and will hear from a variety of speakers. They will also be exposed to contemporary Israeli society, culture, historical sites, the people and the way of life in Israel.

Participating U.S.-based schools for the 2018 trip include: Professor Norma Alcantar, Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida; Professor Darren Allen, Law and Interdisciplinary Studies, Lynn University;
Professor Volker Benkert, Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Arizona State University; Professor Barbara
Bryne, Clinical Veterinary Microbiology, University of California/Davis; Professor Tyrell Carr, Biological & Physical
Sciences, Saint Augustine's University; Professor Dervis Demirocak, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M/Kingsville; Professor Dannette Eveloff, Nursing, Creighton University; Professor Javier Gonzalez-Sanchez, Computer Science, Arizona State University; Professor Xia Jing, Social and Public Health, Ohio University; Professor Magdeline Laba, Soil & Crop Sciences, Cornell University; Professor Amalia Leifeste, Historic Preservation, Clemson University; Professor Kevin Lombard, Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University; Professor Arvinder Loomba, Global Innovation & Leadership, San Jose State University; Professor Jit Muthuswamy, Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University; Professor Alexandra Noel, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University; Professor Rong Pan, Industrial Engineering, Arizona State University; Professor Edoardo Persichetti, Mathematical Sciences, Florida Atlantic University; Professor Vanja Petricevic, Political Science and Public Administration, Florida Gulf Coast University; Professor Sandra Rideout-Hanzak, Animal, Rangeland & Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M/Kingsville; Professor Brandon Ross, Civil Engineering, Clemson University; Professor Marina Souza, Public Health, The College of New Jersey; Professor Natalia Wilson, Science of Health Care Delivery, Arizona State University, and Professor Jie Zheng, Physiology & Membrane Biology, University of California/Davis.

The Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel is a competitive academic fellowship that invites full-time university and college faculty members to apply to participate in a two-week fellowship in Israel. The program links scholars from diverse disciplines with their Israeli counterparts at major institutions for the purpose of initiating exchanges and collaborations.

The academics meet with professionals and experts involved in government, industry, education, media, and other sectors to understand the many facets of Israel's evolving national and international policies. Those who take part will gain a deeper awareness of Israel as a 'start-up nation,' its success in water innovation, and how the country addresses regional and global challenges.

Learn more about the universities and professors taking part in the 2018 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program.