Hagit Messer Yaron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hagit Messer Yaron
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חגית מסר-ירון | |
![]() Hagit Messer Yaron (2022)
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Born | May 13, 1953 |
Nationality | Israeli |
Alma mater | |
Occupation | electrical engineer, professor of electrical engineering, and businesswoman |
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Hagit Messer Yaron (Hebrew: חגית מסר-ירון; born May 13, 1953) is an Israeli electrical engineer and businesswoman. She is a professor of electrical engineering. She holds a special teaching position in Signal Processing at Tel Aviv University.
From 2008 to 2013, she was the President of the Open University of Israel. Hagit Messer Yaron made history as the first woman in Israel to become a full professor of electrical engineering.
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Early Life and Education
Hagit Messer Yaron grew up in Ramat HaSharon, Israel. Her mother, Tova, was a biology teacher. Her father, Oded, worked in government roles. He was a director general at the Ministry of Labor and oversaw banks at the Bank of Israel.
Hagit studied at Tel Aviv University. She earned her first degree in 1977. She then completed her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1984. After her studies, she did more research at Yale University in the United States. In 1986, she returned to Tel Aviv University to teach engineering. Hagit Messer Yaron is married and has three children.
Amazing Contributions to Science
Hagit Messer Yaron is an expert in statistical signal processing. This field helps understand information from signals. She uses it to find where things are located, improve communication, and monitor the environment.
She has written many scientific papers and holds several patents. She has also guided over 100 students in their advanced studies.
Monitoring Rainfall with Microwaves
In 2006, Hagit Messer Yaron had a brilliant idea. She suggested using signals from regular commercial microwave links to measure rainfall. These are the same links used for cell phones and internet. This made her a world leader in using everyday technology to study the environment. This method helps predict floods and understand weather patterns better.
Supporting Science and Education
Hagit Messer Yaron also cares a lot about higher education and science rules. She works on several important topics:
- Ethics in Technology: She helps make sure new technologies like smart systems are used in a fair and safe way.
- Turning Research into Products: She advises on how to take ideas from university research and turn them into useful products or businesses. She works with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on this.
- Women in Science: She strongly supports women in science and technology. She started Israel's national council for women in science and was its first leader. She also helped create a European group for women scientists.
Public Service and Leadership
Hagit Messer Yaron has held many important leadership roles over the years:
- She was the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport from 2000 to 2003.
- She led the Porter School of Environmental Studies from 2004 to 2006.
- She was the Vice President for Research and Development at Tel Aviv University from 2006 to 2008.
- She served as the President of the Open University of Israel from 2008 to 2013.
- She was the Vice Chair of the Council for Higher Education in Israel from 2013 to 2016.
- Since 2016, she has also been a co-founder of ClimaCell, a company that uses weather data.
She continues to serve on various boards and committees, helping guide scientific and educational organizations.
Awards and Recognition
Hagit Messer Yaron has received many awards for her important work:
- The IEEE Medal, 2024
- The IEEE Clementina Saduwa Award, 2020
- IEEE Life Fellow, from January 1, 2019
- The Kranzberg Chair in Signal Processing, Tel Aviv University, 2016
- Honorary Fellow of the Open University, Israel, 2016
- WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Medal, 2009, for her work on predicting floods using cell phone networks.
- Fellow of the IEEE (2001), for her contributions to understanding signals and sensor technology.
- Best Teacher Award, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 1997.
She has also given many important talks at international conferences around the world.