About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
On December 21, 2020, stargazers are in for a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event: Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer together than at any time in almost 400 years, in an event known as a great conjunction. Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions happen every 20 years. But this year’s happening will be the closest the planets have come since 1623. In this video, Ilan Manulis, Director of the Weizmann Institute’s Martin S. Kraar Observatory explains the science behind this celestial event and shares how to watch it.
December 18, 2020
This virtual conversation, hosted by the American Committee, features Weizmann’s Dr. Ravid Straussman, the NIH’s Dr. Daniel Douek (Chief of the Human Immunology Section of the Vaccine Research Center), and is moderated by Dr. Alan Leishner, former CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which publishes the prestigious journal Science.
December 17, 2020
In this video discussion, renowned plant scientist Prof. Asaph Aharoni takes us on a tour of his lab before sitting down to talk about his research. He particularly focuses on using plants to improve health and tackle major problems such as hunger and malnutrition.
December 17, 2020
The Institute has been increasing diversity among its scientists, postdocs, and students, with new recruits from Germany, China, France, Austria, and Japan. This video takes us to the new Gershon Kekst International Office, which helps arrivals from overseas to be comfortable in their home away from home.
December 02, 2020
The number of women in science is still too low, which is why the Institute has multiple programs to turn the situation around. Meet three of Weizmann’s remarkable female scientists, including Prof. Adi Kimchi, who – in addition to conducting her Israel Prize-winning molecular genetics research – has developed several initiatives for women, such as how to balance family and career.
October 25, 2020
The Midwest Region hosted its tenth annual Women for Science Luncheon, this time in a virtual format. Chaired by Midwest Regional Board member Rona Wolf and Bess Ekstein, the event honored Dr. Melissa Simon of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine with the Vision & Impact Award.
In this American Committee webinar, Weizmann President Prof. Alon Chen presents the Institute’s vision for the future in the form of three flagship projects: the Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences, the Artificial Intelligence Enterprise for Scientific Discovery, and Frontiers of the Universe.
September 30, 2020
In this installment of the Institute’s Favorite Spots and Hidden Gems video series, astrophysicist Prof. Oded Aharonson takes us to the Koffler Particle Accelerator, the distinctive structure topped with the Kraar Observatory.
September 22, 2020
In this video, Prof. Yonina Eldar (Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics; Head, Biomedical Engineering & Signal Processing Center) discusses her development of novel methods for diagnosing COVID.
August 24, 2020