Universities bear the great responsibility of training and honing the skills of the world’s future leaders. Amid a pivotal moment for Israel and its path forward, the Ilene & Steve Berger Technion Visting Fellows are an uplifting reminder that our future is in great hands. A cohort of students across several departments at the Technion, the Berger Visiting Fellows represent some of the brightest minds at the Technion and in Israel. During an annual trip to the United States, the Fellows connect with American Technion Society (ATS) donors and bring a bit of Israel and the Technion with them to celebrate the relationship between donor support and student success.  

I had the privilege of discussing what life is like as a Technion student with three of this year’s Visiting Berger Fellows: Iftach Chaplin, MD/PhD student in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine; Nikol Seleznev, undergraduate student in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering; and Ofek Glick, master’s student in the Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences. Their commitment to their work and drive to shape the future is a testament to the instrumental role the Technion plays in training the leaders of tomorrow. 

Michael: I know so many people in the American Technion Society greatly enjoyed learning more about each of your backgrounds and experiences at the Technion during your tour in the United States this spring. Could you give a brief introduction to your background and how you found yourself studying at the Technion for those who did not have a chance to speak with you this year? 

Iftach: I’ve had the incredible experience of growing up in two different countries – Israel and the United States – which has definitely made my experience at the Technion unique. After spending the first 12 years of my life in Israel, my family moved to Texas for my father’s job. In a way, I became partially American in the time I was there, but I always knew I wanted to return to Israel one day. After spending five years in American academia at the University of Texas pursuing my Biomedical Engineering degree, it was time for me to come back. The idea of studying in Hebrew, with an Israeli stamp of approval, made choosing the Technion for my graduate degree a no-brainer. My father and grandfather are both alumni also, so I knew that I had to continue the family tradition. That said, I often feel as if I don’t fit completely into one box given my dynamic background, but I have found that having a unique perspective only enriches my experience. 

Nikol: My journey looks quite different from most Technion students as well. I am from Ashdod in the south of Israel, and it’s not very common for students in the south to be directed to universities in the north like the Technion. I explored several universities before settling on the Technion for my undergraduate experience after my time in the army. I knew I was interested in learning more about medicine and I was exploring the possibility of becoming a doctor, and the Technion allowed a dual degree in medicine and biomedical engineering. I loved the idea of having the flexibility to change my mind and still have a prestigious academic background even if I discovered that medicine wasn’t right for me. The Technion is the only university in Israel that offers this kind of program, which made it the obvious choice for my goals. 

Ofek: While Technion students come from a wide range of backgrounds, like many of my peers, I am from the north of Israel. I grew up with the University practically in my backyard just 30 minutes away. As a child, I attended a school just as old and historic as the Technion itself, with the goal of instilling in children the skills and knowledge needed to study at the University later in life. In fact, my middle school was right across the street from the original Technion building in Haifa. As part of my advanced computer science and physics courses when I was a teenager, we would often visit campus to experience what it was like to do research in labs with Technion professors. Naturally, I joined the Technion for my undergraduate studies in 2020 and have continued here for my........

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