ARIEL UNIVERSITY
A chemistry powerhouse
Dr Mindy Levine, associate professor in Ariel University’s Department of Chemical Sciences, discusses her real-world approach to challenges, whether tackling environmental matters like wastewater purification or addressing the shortage of women in STEM-related fields
Ariel University is a great option for students interested in chemistry. Why? There’s real value placed on teaching and on personal connections with students. I think, I hope, students feel that. Professors are given the opportunity to interact with them, ask them what they want to focus on in their research and then help them develop those fabulous ideas. We’re also providing opportunities for students
to travel to conferences, present their work and interact with other researchers and faculties. When it comes to the chemical sciences,
in particular, the possibility to join a group and research whatever you’re interested in is open. Most international students who consider coming are by definition self-starting, ambitious and extremely independent. Ariel University is a really good place to be that kind of person.
You moved to Israel from the U.S. What advice would you give to students who feel nervous about moving to another country? In the chemistry department, and in all the sciences, there’s a tremendous international population. When I was the age of our graduate
students, the thought of moving abroad seemed incredibly daunting – a new culture, a different language. But here I see international students form tremendous communities: they travel together, help new students settle in, form sports leagues and have cultural and social celebrations. It’s an enormous strength of the experience.
Can you tell us about the work you do around wastewater purification? Our aim is to figure out better methods of chemical detection. I can tell you what’s in my water because I’m a chemist with access to all the instruments I need, but most people don’t have that capability. I want to develop technology for the general population that’s as easy to use and cheap as possible, so that people can see if there are lead or other chemicals in their water and be able to make informed decisions about what they consume. We know there’s a correlation between exposure to certain compounds and developing some diseases, but we can’t really get a good handle on that mechanism, how it works and how to stop it, if we can’t accurately quantify a person’s exposure.
What would you say to encourage students to specialize in a chemistry subject? A lot of major advances in science that people see and use every day are based on chemistry, including Covid-19 antigen and PCR tests; vaccines, including the newly developed Covid-19 vaccines; pregnancy tests; and new sources for clean energy, such as more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Men have a greater representation in STEM subjects than women. What work are you doing to address this issue? There’s still a significant disparity in the number of men and women who are active and successful in STEM fields. It’s critical to address this issue: the entirety of science benefits from a more inclusive pool of individuals joining the field. We need to develop programs that tell girls,
this is hard, but look how rewarding it can be. I’ve run a chemistry camp for middle school girls in the U.S. for seven years and I’m thrilled to bring similar programs to Ariel University. The idea is to give girls positive experiences and strong role models, and to directly say, if this interests you, continue. We’ll do everything we can to help you.
2022 | Israeli Academia 15
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