The ESTH office attended the graduation ceremony for the 35th International Masters of Public Health Class at Hebrew University. A truly international program, four Americans; Gabriella Lawrence, Julia Resnick, Namita Rokkam, and Rebecca Cowen were in the graduating class of 15 which hailed from 11 different countries. During the ceremony, speakers implored the graduates to return to their respective countries in order to improve health security. These epidemiological experts have the tall task of improving living conditions by way of helping combat AIDS, Malaria, TB, and future influenza outbreaks. The keynote speaker, Dan Englehard, spoke of the global need to bridge the gap between policy makers and primary care practitioners. Several of the Americans plan to stay in Israel to pursue research or other job opportunities.
Nautilus Explores Israeli Seabed
The exploration vessel Nautilus, managed by University of Rhode Island Professor Robert Ballard, arrived in Haifa September 2 for a two week survey of Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The Nautilus is equipped with two submersible remote operated vehicles for undersea exploration; Argos and Hercules can dive to 4000 feet and can take samples of rocks, marine life, and seabed cores with robotic arms and tools, while feeding live video images of what it sees to the control room on the ship. This permits a number of scientists to participate for days at a time without the imitations of human diving apparatus. At a briefing onboard the ship attended by the Embassy ESTH Officer and Cultural Affairs Officer, URI Director of the Oceanography School Dwight Coleman described the surveys the Nautilus intended to perform off the coast of Haifa and Ashkelon, exploring geologic anomalies as well as sea life. During the survey, groups of Israeli school children will visit the mission room, designated the “Inner space” room, and learn about the Nautilus’ exploration in real time. The University of Haifa Charney School of Marine sciences, which is hosting the visit, will open a parallel mission room on campus, receiving the same live video feed through the internet. Besides the scientific objectives of the research, the team also expects to locate the remains of a German U-boat (U-372) sunk near Palmachim during World War II. Ballard is renown for his discovery of the Titanic and retrieval of its artifacts, which pioneered the technologies now used in oceanography and underwater archaeology.
April 21st, 2010
During a three-day visit to Israel from April 19-21, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Otero met with the leaders of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Environment Ministry, and Water Authority to consult about regional water issues. While the Foreign Ministry perceives Israel’s water relations with neighboring states as fairly smooth, the Israel Water Authority has a more nuanced view, as they deal on a daily basis with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its water needs.
Otero’s delegation met Uri Shani, Director of the Israel Water Authority, who was joined by Nadav Cohen, diplomatic advisor on water issues from MFA. Shani began by noting that the region’s population increased by 25 million in the last half century. This in addition to overestimates of the annual recharge capacity of regional aquifers and watersheds (estimates of 4 billion cubic meters now reduced to 1.1 billion) resulted in the present water shortage. Addressing both supply and demand sides of the equation is essential. In 2010 desalination will supply 50 percent more freshwater to Israel than the national carrier from Lake Kinneret, and by 2014 will supply 80 percent more.
Abraham Tenne, Chief of Desalination Division for the IWA, led U/S Otero on a tour of the new Hadera Desalination facility. Opened in December 2009, it is the largest reverse osmosis membrane desalination facility in the world, producing 127 million cubic meters of fresh water per year. Using 70 bars of pressure, seawater is pumped through membrane filters that permit only water molecules to pass, leaving the mineral salts behind in a concentrated brine. The high cost of the energy needed for this process is brought down through recapture of the highly pressurized water’s energy at the end of the cycle. This lowers desal water price to 55-60 cents per cubic meter, which is higher than natural sources but reasonable and, most importantly, available.
Secretary Otero (left) with ESTH Officer Paul Rohrlich (Center) at Hadera Desalination Plant
“Sister Institution” Agreement Signed between the Sheba Medical Center and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
On February 1, 2010 two of the world’s leading oncology research and treatment centers, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, signed a pioneering “Sister Institution Relationship” agreement for broad-scale cooperation in training, treatment and research.
The agreement was signed by Sheba CEO Prof. Ze’ev Rotstein, John Mendelsohn, M. D., the President of MD Anderson, and Raymond N. DuBois, Ph.D., the Provost of MD Anderson. DuBois visited Israel as the head of the MD Anderson delegation for the ceremonial signing agreement. Environment, Science & Health officer Paul Rohrlich attended the signing on behalf of the U.S. Embassy.
This pioneering agreement is of significant importance for the development of oncology treatment and research in Israel and the U.S. The agreement includes cooperation in professional education and training, clinical services, science research collaboration, quality assurance programs, faculty exchange visits, nursing and other technical support and staff training.
Key to the agreement is collaboration in translational research: exchange of technologies and establishment of joint translational research efforts to improve cancer patient care. Researchers and clinicians will have access to the large clinical cohorts and tissue banks available at both institutions. In addition, Sheba patients will be included in clinical trials conducted by MD Anderson; Israel is a favored venue for clinical trials because its public healthcare system and small size facilitate patient tracking. Sheba researchers, in turn, will include their Texan counterparts in conducting clinical trials of novel therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostic tools developed in Israel.
NASA Chief Visits Israel; Joint Agreement Signed
caption: NASA Assistant Administrator Michael O’Brien, Minister of Science and Technology Daniel Hershkovitz, and Ministry DG Menachem Greenblum watch as NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Israel Space Agency Director General Zvi Kaplan sign the NASA Lunar Science Institute cooperation agreement.
On January 27 a joint agreement was signed making Israel a member of the NASA Lunar Science Institute. The agreement, signed by visiting Administrator of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Charles F. Bolden and Zvi Kaplan, Director of the Israel Space Agency, will enhance cooperation between the two agencies. The Lunar Science Institute is a network of university and government researchers focusing on the moon, both as a subject of research and as the site for performing further investigations in astronomy, biology, chemistry and other sciences. The Institute has also set up international partnerships with Canada, the UK, and Korea. Science and Technology Minister Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz also participated in the signing ceremony, and observed that Israel is a "power in the field of science, and there are quite a few technologies in which we lead the world. The U.S. is very interested in integrating Israeli know-how and technology into their projects, and there is great importance and value in our cooperation."
Bolden was in Israel to attend the Fifth International Ilan Ramon Conference, held at the Fischer Institute for Strategic Research in Herzliya. The conference is held annually in memory of Israel Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon, the Israeli astronaut who died in the space shuttle Columbia accident in February 2003. In his keynote address opening the Conference, Bolden described NASA's work in civil aviation, planetary science, Earth science, and astrophysics. The overarching objective of NASA remains international cooperation, he stressed, and the agency is always searching for opportunities for collaboration on research and space exploration. Bolden also noted the importance NASA assigns to education, as stimulating student interest in science encourages future engineers and researchers, ultimately advancing technology and innovation.
Ambassador participates at opening Tracy’s Kids Art Exhibition (November 11)
Ambassador James B. Cunningham gave welcoming remarks at the Tracy’s Kids International Art Exchange Exhibit. The exhibit consists of 207 drawings from pediatric hematology-oncology patients at cancer centers from America and the Middle East. The art therapy program was coordinated by the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC) which includes Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority as members, and is funded by the National Cancer Institute of the US. The Egyptian and Jordanian ambassadors to Israel attended, as did doctors and health care workers from the Palestinian Authority and Israel. The program was organized by ESTH Paul Rohrlich with a small grant from PD Tel Aviv.
ESTH visits the Israel Cancer Association
September 29: Embassy ESTH office visited the Israel Cancer Association (ICA) headquarters in Givatayim. In addition to housing the administrative and technical offices of this non-governmental organization, the facility also contains meeting rooms for training and support groups and a hostel for cancer patients in need of outpatient treatment but who live too far from a hospital with an oncology center to make a frequent commute.
ICA organized more than 1,000 activities in 2008 alone and expects a similar total at the completion of 2009. The ICA’s efforts in breast cancer awareness, quality assurance of mammography machines, and its mobile mammography unit have helped make Israeli women 68% compliant overall with recommended mammography screening based on individual risk group. ICA also recently won an international award for its public service announcement warning of the dangers of hookah (nargila) smoking. The programs for cancer patient assistance and quality of life support are too numerous to mention, but include hospice, financial assistance, tutors for school-age children, family therapy, and post-illness support. ICA also awards grants for science research on cancer; ICA research funding amounts to five to six times the annual sum available for cancer research from the Israeli government. The ICA’s annual budget of approximately US $15 million is funded entirely by small donations generated, in large part, by schoolchildren participating in a yearly door-to-door campaign for the organization. http://www.cancer.org.il/english/
The 34th graduating class of the International Master of Public Health Program.
September 14: ESTH and American Corner Jerusalem attended the graduation ceremony of the thirty-fourth class of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine International Master of Public Health Program. Almost 30 students from around the globe spent a year working together in a demanding curriculum aimed at developing skills in community-oriented primary care, health care administration and reform, research methods, environmental and occupational health, family planning, nutrition, and epidemiology. Their overflowing enthusiasm for the program and their profession will bring direct benefits to thousands of people as they return to government service, an NGO, a hospital, or other workplace in their home country. Since the program was established in 1971, nearly 700 students from a total of 85 countries have obtained their masters degrees through this program. Drawing on available donor support, students from developing and transition regions are accepted into the program with a scholarship that covers virtually all expenses associated with studying and living in Israel. For more information about the program, please visit the website: http://publichealth.huji.ac.il/eng/
Environment 2020 conference in Tel Aviv March 30: Ambassador James B. Cunningham addressed the 800 attendees of the third annual Environment 2020 conference held March 30 in Tel Aviv Port. The Ambassador underscored the US commitment to reaching a strong post-2012 international agreement at the climate change summit to be held in Copenhagen this December, and noted the potential for innovations in the environmental sector to help lay the foundation for economic recovery. The one-day conference covered environmental policy and regulations, both in Israel and globally, and gathered government, business, academic and environmental group leaders. Other speakers included Ambassador Liselotte Kjaersgaard Plesner of Denmark, Ambassador Ramiro Cibrian Uzal of the European Union delegation, and Ophir Pines-Paz, Member of the Israeli Knesset, each voicing support for international efforts to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment while maintaining global economic growth. Remarks by
Ambassador James B. Cunningham
Environment 2020 Conference
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tel Aviv, Israel
Astronaut Reisman, President Shimon Peres, and Rona Ramon at Beit Hanasi (President’s House)
January 25-February 1: A week of activities surrounding the 4th Annual Ilan Ramon Space Science Conference began with a visit by the Ramon Family, a visiting NASA delegation, and representatives from the Israel Space Agency and the US Embassy to Israeli President Shimon Peres’ residence and concluded with a graveside ceremony in honor of Ilan Ramon. Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut, who died with his crewmates in the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. Full Text
From left to right: Noah Miller, Dan Perry, Gil Agmon, Minister of Environmental Protection Gideon Ezra, Ambassador Cunningham.
December 18: Ambassador Cunningham, along with Israeli Environment Minister Gideon Ezra, presented the Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants at a ceremony held at Delek Motors outside Tel Aviv.
They were assisted by Ford Israel Marketing and Sales Manager Noah Miller, SHELI Foundation representative Dan Perry, and CEO of Delek Motors Gil Agmon. The ceremony marks the 9th year that Ford has awarded conservation grants in Israel, having donated over $1.5 M to 125 organizations and individuals in the previous 8 years. This year the total funding for 23 projects reached $100,000, the largest sum to date and $33,500 more than last year’s total. ESTH Officer Paul Rohrlich attended the event and was very pleased with the expansion of the program, stating, “This underscores the importance of grassroots organizations in addressing environmental concerns. It is heartening to see increased support for these organizations, which can play such an important role in reversing damage to the environment.” The fully independent awards committee was composed of experts in the fields of nature, environment, conservation, academia, education, history, and the arts. Beneficiaries included community groups and individuals voluntarily engaging in ongoing projects for conserving the environment who have demonstrated dedication to execute planned programs and services. The awarded grants included proposed work in educating children about sustainability, building shelters for wild animals, planting public gardens, conserving water, and preserving historic and natural sites.
Thank you for your gracious introduction and warm welcome.
It is a great pleasure to join you here today at Tel Aviv University.
I have always enjoyed my visits to schools and universities – both in the United States and around the world – because they provide me with opportunities to speak directly with the leaders of tomorrow. Full Text
Rieger Scholarships Awarded
September 25: The Embassy's ESTH Officer attended and spoke at the awarding of 26 scholarships from the Rieger Foundation of Santa Barbara, California, at Tel Aviv University on September 25. The Rieger scholarships are awarded annually to graduate students in Israel who are pursuing research in the sciences that will contribute to improving the environment. This year's winners included students from Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, Ben Gurion University, Bar Ilan University, the Weizmann Institute, and the Technion, and contributes US$5,000 to each student's education. Research topics ranged from lifeforms in marine biology to particulates in air pollution, and included one scholar studying the chemical and biological consequences from mixing water from the Red Sea into water from the Dead Sea -- a subject of great interest given proposed projects to refill the shrinking Dead Sea. This was the tenth year that the Rieger scholarship has been awarded; it was founded by Norbert Rieger, a German-born pediatric psychiatrist who lost his family in the Holocaust and resettled in California.
Geography for Sustainable Development
Israeli participants in Tunisia stand beside Ambassador Robert F. Godec, American Ambassador to Tunisia
From August 11-15th, a group of select science and math teachers from Israel attended a workshop for professional development titled “Geography for Sustainable Development” in Tunisia sponsored by the OES Bureau and run by My Community, Our Earth (MyCOE). They learned how to use GPS and GIS to address environmental and sustainable development issues and how to integrate these lessons into their curricula.
Video Conference on Environmental Education to commemorate Earth Day 2008
Deborah A. Sliter, guest speaker at the video conference on environmental education
On April 15, The Environment, Science and Technology and Health Office in cooperation with Public affairs Office, American Embassy in Tel Aviv hosted five Israeli panelists and a diverse local audience of environmental educators for an online dialogue on environmental education with guest speaker Deborah A. Sliter, Vice President Programs, National Environmental Education Foundation, Washington, D.C. The video conference was timed to coincide with the National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) the week before Earth Day (April 22) 2008.
The theme this year is Carbon footprints. Ms Sliter mentioned that NEEF had launched the Zerofootprint carbon calculator to encourage school students to measure their own carbon footprints and develop ways develop to develop creative ways to reduce the carbon footprint. She showed how America has many ways to encourage environmental awareness, such as National Public Lands Day (last Saturday in September) or developing a program to help television/radio meteorologists promote environmental issues relating to climate and weather, and training doctors to help identify environnmental factors affecting human health matters. She concluded by strongly recommending that the panelists and audience read "The Last Child in the Woods", by Richard Louv, which is about the growing separation between youth and nature.
Deborah A. Sliter has over 20 years of experience in public and private partnerships and program design and development. She has served for nine years as the Vice President for Programs at the National Environmental Education Foundation developing innovative environmental education programs for adult professionals in the areas of business, health care, meteorology and natural resource management. She also served as the Executive Director of Renew America, a national non-profit environmental organization; and Development Director of Citizen Action.
The National Environmental Education Foundation was created by Public Law #101-619, the National Environmental Education Act of 1990. It is a private 501(C) (3) non-profit organization established to promote and support education and training as necessary tools to further environmental protection and sustainable, environmentally sound development. It provides the common ground upon which leaders from business and industry, all levels of government, public interest groups, and others can work cooperatively to expand the reach of environmental education and training programs beyond the traditional classroom. The Foundation supports a grant program that promotes innovative environmental education and training programs; it also develops partnerships with government and other organizations to administer projects that promote the development of an environmentally literate public.
Electronic Resources
The website www.america.gov offers extensive information sources on environment, science and technology, and health-related topics. The American Center library in Jerusalem and the American Corners in Beersheva, Yafo and Karmiel offer Internet access to library and Corner patrons.
Science Attache visits GLOBE Schools in the North of Israel
Standing by a 5-ton granite sculpture representing glogal warming: From left to right - Farid Hamdan, National Coordinator in Israel GLOBE Program; Rhonda Brown, Assistant to Science Attache; Paul Rohrlich, Science Attache; Suleman Khatib, Principal, Albi
April 10: The Science Attache was guest of honor at two GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) schools in the North of Israel, an elementary Druze school in Yanuh Village, and Ibn Rushid Education House in Makr Village.
The meetings were organized by Farid Hamdan, National GLOBE Coordinator in Israel, Ministry of Education.
GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. GLOBE's vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the Earth system working in close partnership with NASA and NSF Earth System Science Projects (ESSPs) in study and research about the dynamics of Earth's environment. In Israel there are currentlty 129 participating schools.
Science Attache, Paul Rohrlich speaks at the FIRST Overdrive: 2008 FIRST Robotics Cometition in Israel
From left to right: Yael German, Mayor, Herzliya; Moshe Lichtman, President, Microsoft R&D Israel; Dean Kamen, Founder USFIRST; Paul Rohrlich, Science Attache, American Embassy, Tel Aviv; Avihu Ben-Nun, Former Head, Israeli Airforce; Efraim Cohen, former
Paul Rohrlich, the Science Attache at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv, delivered an address at the opening 2008 FIRST Robotics Competition (FIRST Overdrive), a two-day event organized by FIRST Israel, taking place on March 24 at the Yad Eliyahu Stadium, Tel Aviv.
FIRST Israel is the Israeli branch of USFIRST (“For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”). USFIRST is a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to building programs to motivate young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. It was founded in 1992 by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen to help young people discover the excitement and rewards of science and technology. The program is now in its third year in Israel. Thirty six Israeli high school teams and fifty middle schools representing the Jewish, Arab and Druze sectors participated. Each team consists of 30 school students, along with teachers and mentors from local science and technology related businesses.
