Appluig, who served as president of the Technion from 2001 to 2009, was one of Israel's most prominent chemists and a pioneer in computational chemistry and the chemistry of organosilicon compounds. During his tenure, interdisciplinary research at the Technion expanded and new research centers were established.
Research Professor Yitzhak Appluig, President of the Technion from 2001 to 2009 and a faculty member in the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, has passed away. Appluig was a world-renowned chemist, a pioneer of computational chemistry and the chemistry of organosilicon compounds, and a scientist whose contributions were evident both in basic research and in building academic infrastructure in Israel.
Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan paid tribute to him, saying that Prof. Appluig led the Technion “with his quiet and confident leadership” to new heights in research and influence on the State of Israel and beyond. He said that despite national and global crises, his years of tenure were characterized by extraordinary academic development, the establishment of new research centers, the recruitment of faculty members, and the promotion of international collaborations.
From the pioneers of computational chemistry
Appluig was ahead of his time in using computational tools based on quantum theory to predict the properties of molecules. This field, once seen as a purely theoretical aid, has over the years become a central tool in modern chemistry: it allows us to understand reaction mechanisms, predict the structures and properties of materials, and design new molecules and materials before they are even prepared in the laboratory.
Another major area of research he pursued was the chemistry of organosilicon compounds and other heavy elements in Group 14, including germanium and tin. His work combined organic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, and computational chemistry, placing him at the forefront of researchers in the world in these fields.
For his scientific contributions, Applewig has won numerous awards and honors in Israel and abroad. Among other things, he was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the European Academy, received an honorary medal from the President of Germany, an honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Berlin, the Humboldt Prize, the Japan Society for the Advancement of Science Prize, the Kiping Prize of the American Chemical Society, the Gold Medal of the Israeli Chemical Society, and the Schrödinger Medal of the World Association for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry. In 2018, he received the Haifa City Honorary Medal.
A life path that moves between war, science and teaching
Appluig was born in 1944 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, where his parents fled from Poland following the Nazi invasion. He immigrated to Israel at the age of three and grew up in Ramat Gan. In the IDF, he served in the Paratroops, and in the Yom Kippur War, he fought on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts.
Even in extraordinary circumstances, he continued his scientific career. During the months of service in Sinai, he wrote his doctoral dissertation, and after his reserve service, he went on to do postdoctoral work at Princeton University. In 1976, he joined the Technion faculty, in 1983 he was appointed professor, and in 1995 he was appointed dean of the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry.
For decades, he guided generations of students and researchers, published hundreds of articles, edited books, and was a member of scientific journal editorial boards and international committees. Alongside his research achievements, many of his colleagues and students described him as a broad-minded person, an inspiring teacher, and a scientist who took care to combine excellence with human modesty.
Presidency in a time of crisis
Appelweg took office as president of the Technion just weeks after the September 11, 2001, attacks, in the midst of a global economic crisis and before a series of difficult events in Israel: the Second Intifada, Operation Defensive Shield, an economic crisis, student and faculty strikes, and the Second Lebanon War.
Despite this background, his tenure was characterized by the expansion of interdisciplinary research, increased investment in research and infrastructure, expanded the scope of funded research, and increased support for scholarships. He worked to absorb new populations at the Technion, including ultra-Orthodox and Ethiopians, and strengthened ties with knowledge-intensive industries.
During his time, important research centers were established, including the Russell Berry Center for Nanotechnology and the Laurie Locke Center for the Integration of Engineering and Medicine. Appluig saw the integration of different fields as key to scientific and technological progress, and worked to strengthen the connection between the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, humanities, and social sciences.
The moment the Technion took to the world stage
One of the symbolic moments during his tenure occurred in 2004, when Research Professor Avraham Hershko and Research Professor Aharon Ciechanover of the Technion won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Appluig was the first Israeli university president to travel to Stockholm to attend the ceremony and celebrate the achievement with the winners.
The historic win, the first by an Israeli scientist to win the Nobel Prize, represented for him not only the excellence of the Technion, but also the direction in which science should develop: a deep integration between fields, especially between medicine, biology, chemistry and engineering. This concept was behind some of the moves he promoted as president of the Technion.
In 2009, on the occasion of his 65th birthday, a special issue of the European journal Chemistry was dedicated to Appluig. The issue also featured two Nobel Prize winners, and was dedicated to him in recognition of his great contribution to chemistry and his personality. The wording of the dedication described him not only as a leading scientist, but also as a "Mentsch" - a person.
The death of Prof. Appluig marks the departure of one of the most prominent scientists to emerge in Israel and one of the academic leaders who influenced the Technion in recent decades. His legacy is evident in chemical research, in the generations of researchers he trained, and in the institutions and collaborations he left behind.
Short FAQ
Who was Professor Yitzhak Appluig?
Research Professor Yitzhak Appluig was a world-renowned Israeli chemist, a faculty member at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, and President of the Technion from 2001 to 2009.
What was his main scientific contribution?
Appelweg was a pioneer in the use of computational methods based on quantum theory to predict the properties of molecules, and a prominent researcher of organosilicon chemistry.
What characterized his tenure as president of the Technion?
His tenure was characterized by the expansion of interdisciplinary research, the establishment of new research centers, increased investment in infrastructure and scholarships, and the strengthening of ties with industry and research institutions around the world.
What awards and honors did he receive?
Among other things, he received the Humboldt Prize, the Kiping Prize of the American Chemical Society, the Gold Medal of the Israeli Chemical Society, the Schrödinger Medal, a medal of honor from the President of Germany, and the Yakir Haifa Medal.
