Ronald Coifman is the Phillips Professor of Mathematics and a
professor of computer science at Yale University. Coifman gained his PhD from the University of Geneva in 1965, and joined the Yale faculty in 1980.

He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and the US National Academy of Sciences. He is largely credited for formulating wavelet theory, the applications of which now appear in a broad range of scientific fields, including compression, signal and image processing, noise removal from images and the solving of differential equations. Coifman is a recipient of the 1996 DARPA Sustained Excellence Award, the 1996 Connecticut Science Medal, the 1999 Pioneer Award of the International Society for Industrial
and Applied Science, and the 1999 National Medal of Science. He has had strong ties with Tel Aviv University since the 1970s, as both a visiting scientist and a supporter of young TAU researchers and graduate students.

Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Yehoram Gaon embarked on his artistic career in 1957 when he joined the IDF Nahal Troupe as a singer and actor. He continued on this path in the Ha’Tarnegolim Troupe and later in the Gesher Ha’Yarkon Trio, one of the most successful vocal ensembles in Israel’s history.
In 1966, while studying television directing and acting in the United States, Gaon was called upon to return to Israel and play the role of Kazablan in the musical of the same name – an iconic role that cemented his place in Israel’s cultural annals.
Gaon has recorded 62 albums featuring hundreds of songs by Israel’s top poets and composers, and has played a key role in the revival of liturgical Ladino poetry. He also edits and hosts radio shows, appears as a television personality and performs public service and community work. He was awarded the Israel Prize in 2004 for his contribution to Israeli song, and is a Distinguished Citizen and a former City Council Member of Jerusalem.

Jörg Hacker was elected President of the Leopoldina, Germany’s National Academy of Sciences, in March 2010.

Born in Germany in 1952, Hacker studied biology at Martin Luther University, specializing in genetics and microbiology. After completing post-doctoral research at the University of Würzburg in 1986, Hacker remained there, becoming
director of the Institute for Molecular Infection Biology in 1993.
He is best known for his research on the genomics of pathogenic bacteria, and was the first to discover “pathogenicity islands,”  groups of genes in the bacterial
genome that are responsible for the ability of microorganisms to cause disease. He is a former Vice President of the German Research Foundation and former President of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin.

Hacker is a member of numerous professional societies, including the exclusive European Molecular Biology Organization, and is a former president of the European
Academy of Microbiology. He holds honorary degrees from
Umeå University, Sweden; the University of Hyderabad, India;
and the University of Pecs, Hungary. He has been a visiting
researcher at the Pasteur Institute, France, and a guest lecturer at Tel Aviv University’s Mortimer and Raymond Sackler Institute of Advanced Studies.

Maureen Lipman was born in Yorkshire, England, to a family of Jewish immigrants. After completing her studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she embarked on her stage career in 1967. Since then, she has participated in countless films, plays and television series, including serving as a member of the Royal National Theatre for a period under the artistic direction of Sir Laurence Olivier. Lipman has been both host and regular guest on radio shows, has written columns and articles published in The Guardian and other British newspapers, and is a member of the editorial board of Jewish Renaissance magazine. She has engaged in philanthropic work on behalf of Myeloma UK and a number of political organizations, and is particularly known for her contribution to the UK campaign for the democratization of Burma and her support of scholarships for Burmese students. She has received numerous accolades for her work, most notably the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Miles Nadal is the founder, chairman and CEO of MDC Partners Inc., one of the world’s largest international marketing and communications conglomerates with over 35 holdings. Other companies he has founded include First Asset Management Inc., one of Canada’s largest independent asset management firms, and Peerage Capital, a private equity firm. Nadal is an active member
of G100, a private group of chief executive officers of the world's
largest and most significant companies. He is active in many
organizations within the Toronto Jewish community, and is a major benefactor of health, education and child welfare causes. Nadal has received dozens of awards for his contributions to society, among them the Human Relations Award (2001) and the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto Harold Lederman Award for Outstanding Community Service and Philanthropic Leadership (2007).

Nadal is frequently invited to give guest lectures on entrepreneurship at universities throughout North America, and
was recently keynote speaker at a Harvard Business School
event. His recent commitment to supporting technological R&D
at Tel Aviv University will enable speedier translation of  scientific discoveries into life-improving products.

Miki Nevo is the founder and director of Ma’ase–The Center for Young Volunteers in Israel’s Periphery. Born in Tel Aviv, Nevo gained undergraduate degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in mathematics, computer science and biology, and then attended the Mandel School for Educational Leadership in Jerusalem. He served as principal of the Misgav High School in the Galilee for six years, before becoming active in a range of educational projects in the north of Israel that opened his eyes to the widespread socio-economic hardship of the local residents. This spurred him to establish Ma’ase as a means of creating a sense of solidarity among the various groups that make up Israeli society based on a shared value of volunteerism. Ma’ase enables young Israelis from all backgrounds to work for a year within the community, study a variety of fields and develop their leadership skills. The organization employs 80 people and coordinates the service
of 1,000 volunteers annually.

Robert Putnam is the Peter and Isabel Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he also served as Dean and Director of the Center for International Affairs, among other roles. Putnam is best known for his book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, which earned him broad recognition and popularity within the academic, public and political spheres. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the British Academy, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a former staff member of the US National Security Council and former president of the American Political Science Association. Putnam has authored 12 books and numerous academic articles that have been published in 20 languages and are cited in scientific papers around the world.

Born and raised in Israel, Saviona Rotlevy pursued legal studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was selected as a judge on the Tel Aviv and Central District
Juvenile Court in 1978 and, in 1993, was appointed to the Tel
Aviv District Court, eventually being appointed as vice president
of that institution. In 1996, she was selected to chair the Rotlevy Committee, a public commission charged with reexamining Israeli legislation on children’s rights and ensuring Israel’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Rotlevy has established various forums that give a voice to the vulnerable and disempowered, among them the
ELEM organization for at-risk youth in both Israel and the US,
and serves as president of the Israeli Center for Rights of Crime
Victims. She also founded the Israel Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges. She developed Israel’s first academic courses for child investigators and
child protection officers at Tel Aviv University’s Bob Shapell School of Social Work, and has recently been involved in the curriculum of the MA Program in Child and Youth Culture at TAU’s Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities.
Rotlevy received TAU’s Renata Adler Memorial Award for 2011
and was a 2011 Fellow of the Israel Bar Association.

Sami Sagol is one of Israel’s most prominent industrialists and philanthropists. Under his leadership, the Keter Group, which was founded by his father Joseph Sagol, has grown from a small workshop to a network of global companies and a world leader in the home improvement consumer products industry. The Group in general, and Sami personally, have garnered numerous awards for innovation, progress, social responsibility and exceptional achievements, among them Israel’s “Industry Prize” and the French Légion d'Honneur medal. In addition to his business activities, Sami, together with his wife, Tova, continue to enhance Israeli society through supporting initiatives that promote higher education, scientific excellence, coexistence and the bridging of social and economic gaps. Among these are “Mifalot,” a high-impact program that promotes youth development through sport and social education of 20,000 children, and “d-Vision,” a initiative that is nurturing excellence and developing the next generation of exceptional entrepreneurs, engineers and designers. In recent years, Sagol has focused some of his philanthropic endeavors on promoting brain research in Israel, supporting a range of major projects at Israeli universities, medical centers and corporations.

Helen Steyer grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, before pursuing her higher education in the United States, where she gained bachelor and master’s degrees in Spanish language and literature. Steyer has lived in San Francisco for the past 30 years, working as a principal translator, editor and proposal coordinator for an international civil engineering design firm. She has also served as a university lecturer and freelance interpreter. Steyer has been a Tel Aviv University Governor since 1990, although her ties with the University began in 1984, along with her late father, Stanley. Together with her brother, Thomas, Helen is an active and committed philanthropist who supports a broad range of projects in the US and Israel, including at Tel Aviv University.

Thomas Steyer grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, moving to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree in business from Adelphi University and an MBA from the City University of New York. Steyer then returned to Caracas, where he spent the next 30 years as General Manager of the family businesses, Vista CA and Inmobiliaria Toladis CA. In 1999, he relocated to Florida to run the family’s international real estate corporation. Steyer is an engaged philanthropist who, together with his sister, Helen, has adopted a hands-on approach to his involvement in a broad range of projects in the US and Israel, including at Tel Aviv University. He has been a member of the TAU Board of Governors since 1990, although his ties with the University began in 1984 together with his late father, Stanley, in whose name TAU’s School of Health Professions is dedicated.

Ruth Arnon is the Paul Ehrlich Professor of Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science and President of the Israel National Academy of Sciences and Humanities. A 2001 Israel Prize laureate in Medicine for research in the use of synthetic molecules for studying the immune system, she is a co-developer of the multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone and the founder of BiondVax Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a universal vaccine against the flu virus. Arnon gained her bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She joined the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1963, holding senior positions in the administration, including as Dean of the Faculty of Biology and as Vice President. She has been a visiting professor at numerous institutions and is the recipient of several awards including the Wolf Prize for Medicine, the Rothschild Prize in Biology and the Knight of the Legion of Honor, France.

Tarun Das is one of India's most prominent business leaders. He has dedicated his professional career to the promotion of Indian industry, culminating in his service as the head of CII, the Confederation of Indian Industry, from 1974 to 2004. Under Das's leadership CII has become the largest organization of its kind in the world. Serving in a broad range of public roles including as president of the Aspen India Institute, as member of the G20 advisory committee of the Indian government, and as joint chairman of several bilateral strategic dialogue forums, he is considered the guiding force behind efforts to integrate and promote India in the global economy. Das was awarded an honorary CBE by the Queen of England for his contribution to Indo-British relations, in addition to numerous other accolades. He holds two bachelor's degrees in economics and commerce from Calcutta University, India, and Manchester University, UK, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick, UK. Das is co- founder and co-chair of TAU's India-Israel Forum.

Yoram Kaniuk is one of Israel's leading authors and cultural figures. He has written dozens of works, including novels, novellas and books for children and youth, many of which have been translated into over 20 languages and turned into plays, films and television series. Among his most well-known works are Himmo, King of Jerusalem, Adam Resurrected, Rocking Horse, The Last Jew, Between Life and Death and 1948. Born and educated in Tel Aviv before the establishment of the State, Kaniuk served in the Palmach and fought in Israel's War of Independence. During his multifaceted career he has been a painter, a sailor and an adventurer searching for gold in Mexico and diamonds in Guatemala. He is the winner of numerous prizes including the Brenner Prize, Bialik Prize, President's Prize for Literature and the 2010 Sapir Prize for Literature.

Sir Harold Kroto, a pioneer in the field of nanotechnology, has been a professor of chemistry at Florida State University since 2004. He was knighted in 1996 and, in the same year, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with his colleagues Robert Curl and Richard Smalley, for the discovery of a new form of hollow carbon. This finding laid the foundation for new directions in nano-scale technology and materials science. In 1995 he co-founded the Vega Science Trust, a UK educational charity that produces science films for the general public. Kroto gained his bachelor's and doctorate from the University of Sheffield, UK, and joined the faculty of the University of Sussex in 1967. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (US), and a former President of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has received 29 honorary degrees.

Bruno Landesberg is one of Israel's most prominent and influential industrialists. He is the founder, General Manager and Chairman of Sano-Bruno's Enterprises Ltd., a manufacturer of cleaning products in Israel and the world. He was a pioneer in forging Israeli- Chinese commercial ties, opening a factory in Xinyang, China, in 1995. A humanist and intellectual, Landesberg has been involved in numerous philanthropic enterprises and is the recipient of many awards including the State of Israel Industry Prize; Italy's Knight of Honor Award; the Advertising Association Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Advertising; the Hugo Ramniceanu Prize in Economics of Tel Aviv University in 2007; and a Distinguished Industrialist Award from the Manufacturers Association of Israel. Landsberg is a TAU Governor and longtime University supporter.

Former judge and highly esteemed member of the Quebec Bar for more than 55 years, Donald W. Seal, QC, is senior partner in the Montreal law firm, Seidman and Seidman. Seal graduated from McGill University in 1954, was received at the Bar in 1955, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1974. During his distinguished career he has set ground-breaking precedents in jurisprudence that are taught in universities and cited in courts. He serves on the boards of numerous private and public companies, as well as community and charitable organizations. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Saratoga Electronic Solutions Inc. Seal has long been a generous supporter of the arts and education. He has been a TAU Governor and dedicated member of the Canadian Friends of TAU for over 30 years, serving on its Executive Board and as its legal advisor.

Adina Tal has led a prolific career in the arts and theater, including writing and directing for the Jerusalem Theater Group. In 1985 she established the independent "Erua Theater," whose hallmark is interactive theater with social content. She is a pioneer in developing methods for working with blind, deaf and mute actors; in 2002 she founded the "Na Laga'at" Association, the first deaf-blind theater ensemble in the world, and in 2007 she established

the "Na Laga'at" Center in Jaffa, for which she serves as President and Artistic Director. She wrote and directed the play, Light Is Heard in Zig-Zag, which brought her troupe international fame, including a Certificate of Excellence of the Massachusetts State Legislature in Boston. Other awards won by Tal include the Medal of Equality of the Ministry of Justice Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities and, together with the "Na Laga'at" Association, the Celia Trump "Chesed" Award, granted by Beit Issie Shapiro to a worthy individual or group which has made a major contribution in the sphere of developmental disabilities in Israel.

Michael Waterman is a professor of biological sciences, mathematics and computer science at the University of Southern California. A founding father of the field of bioinformatics, Waterman has made significant contributions to computational biology and to the mathematics of genome research for over 30 years. He was also the founding editor of the first journal in the field, the Journal of Computational Biology. Waterman gained his master's and doctorate in statistics from Michigan State University, and has been a visiting professor at leading institutions. He is a fellow of the American National Academy of Sciences, a foreign member of the French Academy of Science, an inaugural fellow of the International Society for Applied Mathematics and the International Society of Computational Biology, and others. He is the recipient of numerous international prizes, including the prestigious Gairdner Prize.

Philanthropist, patron of the arts and advocate for the disadvantaged, Lily Safra shared her commitment to caring for the less fortunate with her husband Edmond, banker and founder of the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation. Since 1999, she has chaired the Foundation, which supports numerous educational, scientific, social and cultural causes.

Mrs. Safra was co-founder with her husband and serves as Honorary Chairman of the International Sephardic Education Foundation (ISEF), which has granted over 16,000 scholarships to gifted Israelis from disadvantaged backgrounds since 1977. She supports medical research and has established cutting-edge patient care facilities worldwide. She is a trustee of New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Somerset House Arts Fund in London, and a member of the Chairman’s Council of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

She holds honorary degrees from universities in the US, UK and Israel, and was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by french President Jacques Chirac, among many other accolades.

The Edmond J. Safra Program for Bioinformatics

Mrs. Safra has initiated many major projects in memory of her husband, including the Edmond J. Safra Program for Bioinformatics at Tel Aviv University, established by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation in 2005. The vision of the Edmond J. Safra Program is to preserve and enhance the role of TAU as an international leader in research and education in bioinformatics. It aims to secure TAU’s future as a leading force in the development of novel drugs and biomedical technologies that will improve human health worldwide.

in recognition of his outstanding contribution for over five decades to literary and cultural life in Germany; his indomitable spirit in surviving the Warsaw Ghetto and transforming himself into one of Europe’s most prominent and celebrated literary critics; his recognized expertise in German literature; his numerous prize-winning publications, including books, anthologies, articles and essays; his role as one of Germanys most influential television personalities in the literary sphere; and in special recognition of his unique blend of erudition, critical incisiveness and popular appeal; his success in promoting high culture and a love of reading in the wider German-speaking public; his contribution to academic studies as a professor of literature; and his lifelong advocacy of freedom and humanistic values