From Technology to Inclusion: A Conversation with Dr. Alexandra Saad
By being a pioneer in occupational therapy within the Israeli-Arab community and developing cutting-edge technology for assessment and accessibility, Dr. Alexandra Danial-Saad of University of Haifa’s Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences is reshaping how people with disabilities access public, cultural, and educational spaces through advanced technology. She spoke with the American Friends of the University of Haifa (AFUH) about her journey, her innovative research, and her vision for inclusive, culturally grounded education.
From San Diego to Haifa, Archaeologist Tom Levy Keeps Building Bridges
One would be hard-pressed to find a career journey quite like that of American Friends of University of Haifa (AFUH) Board of Directors member Tom Levy. It spans his early adventures as a teenage archaeology volunteer, decades of groundbreaking excavation across Israel, Jordan, India, and beyond, and now a new chapter of American-Israeli academic collaboration driven by creativity and a bold vision for Israel’s future.
Personalizing Mental Health Care: Meet Prof. Sigal Zilcha-Mano
Prof. Sigal Zilcha-Mano of University of Haifa is at the forefront of transforming mental health care by moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to psychotherapy. Her work has helped shift the field from focusing on average treatment effects to understanding the dynamic, person-specific pathways of change. In a conversation with AFUH, she shared how her research focuses on understanding why individuals respond differently to therapy and how treatments can be tailored to each person’s unique needs.
