BGU Confers Honorary Doctoral Degree on Philanthropist Roy J. Zuckerberg
BGU Confers Honorary Doctoral Degree on Philanthropist Roy J. Zuckerberg
June 25, 2009
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, June 25, 2009 — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has awarded a prestigious honorary doctoral degree to philanthropist and business executive Roy J. Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg is currently a senior director of the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., and was previously vice chairman at the firm. He also serves on the board of directors of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc.
Zuckerberg has been a long-standing supporter of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He received the honorary degree for his contributions as a, “generous philanthropist, an enthusiastic Zionist, a concerned and influential member of the U.S. Jewish community.
“As chairman of the Board of Governors of BGU, Roy is committed to renewing the mission of the University through his strong belief in its bright future as a top-class scientific research institution.”
At BGU, he established and built the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in Sde Boker, which has made significant contributions to the advancement of water research worldwide. Zuckerberg is also actively involved in BGU as a member of the Institute’s scientific consulting committee. In the U.S., he is a board member of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
In receiving this prestigious honor, Zuckerberg said, “I feel that this University has given me more than I’ve given it. It’s a thrill, an honor and I’m full of pride. I appreciate this honor bestowed upon me and I’m very grateful to the University for what they have done for me.”
Mr. Zuckerberg serves as chair of the investment committee of the University of Massachusetts Foundation where he supports the Roy J. Zuckerberg Endowed Leadership Chair. The University of Massachusetts has honored Zuckerberg with their Distinguished Alumni Award, a Doctor of Humane Letters and the President’s Medal. Zuckerberg received a B.S. from Lowell Technological Institute (now U. Mass) in 1958.
Zuckerberg has chaired the board of trustees of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Inc. and served as a trustee of the American Red Cross in Greater New York, where he worked tirelessly to gain acceptance of Israel’s Magen David Adom into the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and was recently recognized with the chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his efforts.
Zuckerberg resides in both New York and Palm Beach, Florida.
View video (short Hebrew introduction) of Roy Zuckerberg and five other extraordinary leaders receiving BGU’s highest honor in the May ceremony: Dr. Mohammed Al-Hadid, president of the Jordan National Red Crescent Society; actress Gila Almagor; artist Dani Karavan; historian Prof. Anita Shapira; and Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Prof. Bernhard Vogel.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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