Brandon Ross, an associate professor of civil engineering at Clemson University, was among 23 professors from universities and colleges across the United States that attended the Jewish National Fund’s 2018 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel.
The Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel is a competitive academic fellowship that invites full-time university and college faculty members to apply to participate in an all-expenses-paid academic trip to Israel.
Brandon Ross’ research could help save buildings from becoming obsolete.
Participants traveled throughout Israel, meeting Israeli professors from their respective disciplines with the same or similar research interests, according to the Jewish National Fund. The goals included developing collaborations, co-authoring articles, and establishing exchange programs between faculty and students.
During the trip, the participants met with Israelis from all walks of life and heard from a variety of speakers, according to the Jewish National Fund. They were exposed to contemporary Israeli society, culture, historical sites, the people and the way of life in Israel.
The academics meet with professionals and experts involved in government, industry, education, media, and other sectors to understand the many facets of Israel’s evolving national and international policies. Those that took part gained a deeper awareness of Israel as a “start-up nation,” its success in water innovation, and how the country addressed regional and global challenges, according to the Jewish National Fund.
“I was honored to represent the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering and Clemson University as a member of the FF2Israel Program. Through the program I was able to make professional contacts at top Israeli universities, visit historic sites, and engage with different facets of Israeli society. I even got to ride a camel!”
Article by Paul Alongi
Clemson Engineering and Applied Sciences
