by Liran Goldshtein
The Physics Department at Technion is excited to open a new academic year and welcomes new curious and ambitious young men and women. These success-driven students are the future of scientific research in Israel and are future leaders of the high-tech industry. They come from diverse backgrounds and from all over the country (and also abroad!).
To celebrate the new Corona-plagued academic year we sent our department reporter Liran Goldshtein to interview five of our new master’s students. Here are their stories!
Zohar Gilad. "I am 30 years old and married. I am originally from Yokneam, in northern Israel. I completed a bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Ben Gurion University during my military service. After I finished my service, I decided I want to change course and focus on physics. I had to go through a year and a half of physics courses at the Technion to be able to continue to an M.Sc. in physics. Here at the Physics Department, I only had the pleasure of meeting very nice professors until now. You can clearly feel that they want you to succeed and progress, and this is of most importance during graduate studies”
“I currently research Cold Atoms in the lab of Professor Yoav Sagi. Specifically, we are trying to use this research to build a quantum computer. I believe I would like to stay in the field of Quantum Computing, but not necessarily while focusing on Cold Atoms. The field of Quantum Computing does not only stay in the theoretical research phase - it has further benefits that can be implemented into real-life applicable contributions. This is the reason I chose experimental research over theoretical research”
"I believe I would like to continue my studies towards a Ph.D., hopefully at the Technion. At some point, I would like to become an entrepreneur, maybe establish my own company, or with friends.”
Amatzia Garmi. "I live in Yodfat, approximately 30 minutes from Haifa, married with two children. My father and grandmother studied at the Technion, so for me, it is a familiar place. During my IDF service as a military pilot, I completed a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics at Ben Gurion University. After finishing my military service in 2014, I began studying Mechanical Engineering at the Technion. After a couple of semesters, I decided to shift to Physics. I had to leave the Technion due to personal circumstances and returned a year and a half ago to complete my academic obligations. I am now starting my M.Sc. in Physics”
“Currently, I do not have a specific research field I would like to focus on, and I find myself interested in many areas such as solid-state physics, fluid mechanics, and fractal chaos”
“My greatest aspiration is to complete a Ph.D.in physics and continue doing research. At the moment I work at General Electric in Haifa, and my job involves Nuclear Medicine. As time passes by I realize that some fields are only accessible for research through academia, where you can reach truly interesting places”
Josef Muallem. "I am 22 years old, originally from Eilabun village. Since childhood, I have always loved physics and everything that has to do with it, specifically astrophysics. After I finished my Sherut Leumi (National Service) I went on and completed a B.Sc. in physics and mathematics at Oranim College”
“I chose the Technion for my graduate studies because it is a world-renowned institute, both the academic level and research level, and in my opinion the best research institute in Israel. At the Technion, I recently started my M.Sc. in physics, and I plan to focus my research in the field of Astrophysics. The international aspect is important to me since after completing my M.Sc. and Ph.D. in physics at Technion I plan to do a postdoc abroad, for example in Cal-Tech”
Alaa Murrar. “I am 26 years old and my interest in physics began in high school as I realized physics seeks to resolve unexplained phenomena in nature and in the universe in general”
"I have a B.Sc. degree in physics from Birzeit University, and an M.Sc. in physics from Al-Quds University, both based in the West Bank. I chose to continue my graduate studies at the Technion since it is ranked much higher than the West Bank universities, and also ranked high when compared to other institutes around the world”
“I am very excited to join the Technion Physics Department as an M.Sc. student, where I plan to research High Energy Physics. After I complete my master’s I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in physics, and although I am not sure where my Ph.D. will take place, it will be an honor for me to continue at the Technion”
Ido Shayovitz. "I am 26 years old, originally from Kfar Saba. I received a B.Sc. in physics and mathematics from the Hebrew University. During the last year of my bachelor’s degree, I took part in a research lab researching excitons. In addition, I studied Solid State Physics on my own”
"I chose to continue my studies at the Technion because it is a high-level institute and because my girlfriend is studying here to become a Medical Doctor. Following her footsteps, I recently started my master’s degree in the Technion Physics Department, and for now, I haven’t decided on a preferred field yet. I am pretty much interested in everything I had the chance to explore! For example, I listened to a few lectures about Nonlinear Dynamics and found them very intriguing, so for now I am keeping an open mind”
“I get a lot of satisfaction from my studies so I am not ruling out staying in cademia, but if there will be an interesting position in some high-tech company - who knows? I want to keep my options open. At the moment I really enjoy everything academia has to offer”
Good luck to all our students!