Yitzhak Apeloig

Yitzhak Apeloig is a Distinguished University Professor and holds the Nahum Guzik Academic Chair at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He served as Technion's President (2001–2009), leading significant advancements in research, education, and fundraising. Previously, he was Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry (1995–1999) and has held visiting professorships globally. His research focuses on organosilicon chemistry and computational quantum chemistry, with over 200 publications and 7 edited books.

Education:

• B.A., M.Sc., Ph.D. (summa cum laude) in Chemistry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1974)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University (1974–1976)

Research Interests: Dr. Apeloig’s work bridges experimental and theoretical chemistry, emphasizing organosilicon compounds, triplet-state silylenes, and quantum mechanical modeling. His contributions include pioneering studies on stable silenes and triplet-state silicon species, advancing understanding of main-group π-bond dynamics. His computational work provides foundational insights into silicon’s reactivity compared to carbon.

Awards:

• ACS Kipping Award in Silicon Chemistry (2010)
• Wacker Silicone Award (2007)
• Order of Merit (First Degree, Germany, 2011)
• Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Award (2010, 1994)

Leadership & Grants: As Technion President, he secured $700M+ in private funding. His research group remains active despite administrative roles, collaborating internationally. He co-directs the Lise Meitner–Minerva Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry.

Labs & Teams: Leads a multidisciplinary team at the Technion, focusing on experimental synthesis and computational modeling of novel silicon-based compounds, with global collaborations.