PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2020 | OUR FIRST 50

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST 50

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BEN-GURION DAY 2019 President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz and

 Ben-Gurion Award honorees with VP for Public Affairs & Resource Development Jeff Kaye, Rector Prof. Chaim Hames and President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz  President Chamovitz and entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg lay a wreath on David Ben-Gurion’s grave on Ben-Gurion Day

entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg represented BGU in laying a wreath on David Ben-Gurion’s grave in Sde Boker on Ben-Gurion Day in December. Later that day, BGU bestowed the inaugural Ben-Gurion Award on eight distinguished individuals for their contributions to the University,​the community, and the Negev: Prof. David Faiman , founder of the Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Center and the Alexandre Yersin Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics; Prof. Shimon M. Glick , former dean and co-founder of the Faculty of Health Sciences and founder of the internal medicine department at Soroka University Medical Center; Prof. Shaul P. Ladany , operations research scientist and legendary Olympic race walker; David Merage , philanthropist and founder of the Merage Foundation; Ibrahim Nsasra , entrepreneur and philanthropist, founder of the Tamar Center to promote Bedouin education; Tal Ohana , Head of the Yeruham Local Council; Kobi Oz , famed singer-songwriter/producer and lead singer of Teapacks; and Aviva Segev , one of the founders of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Kaye College,

and Edy's House-Ma'agan to support cancer patients and their families. The 2019 Alumni Recognition Awards were also presented on Ben-Gurion Day this year to: Eyaid Ahmad , a community activist, founder of Hagar: Jewish-Arab Education for Equality and accessibility supervisor for Arab students at Sapir Academic College; Orly Ben-Hamu Lahav , plant manager at Intel’s Kiryat Gat facility; Sigal Regev Rosenberg , Director General of the Meuhedet Health Fund and first woman to hold such a position; Shira Salzer , founder of