Dr. Shimshon Gottesfeld (1941 – 2024)
Shimshon Gottesfeld was born in Haifa on March 17, 1941.
He obtained his D.Sc. in chemistry in 1970 from the Technion. In 1972. Following postdoc research, he joined the School of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University and was promoted to Associate Prof.
He focused his research on electrochemical interfaces using spectroscopic techniques. He studied fundamental and applied aspects of electrocatalysis and photoelectrochemical energy conversion processes. From 1977 to 1979, he spent an extended sabbatical at the Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ, investigating electrochromic materials. In 1984, he started another sabbatical leave at Los Alamos National Lab (LANL), stayed there, and in 1987, became a Technical Project Leader of the LANL Fuel Cell Research program.
The work of this team at LANL during the 1980s and 1990s created a world-recognized technology enabling polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). During that period, Dr. Gottesfeld also initiated and directed R&D work in ultracapacitors based on electronically conducting polymers as active materials.
Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Gottesfeld represented the US National Laboratories on the Fuel Cell Technology Steering Committee of the Partnership for the New Generation Vehicle (PNGV). In 1999, he was appointed a Laboratory Fellow at LANL and also was elected a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society. At the same time, he co-initiated the series of Gordon Research Conferences on Fuel Cells, which remain to this day the highest-level annual meeting devoted to fuel cell science and technology.
In December 2000, Dr. Gottesfeld took entrepreneurial leave from LANL to become CTO of MTI Microfuel Cells in Albany, NY. He led the development of direct methanol fuel cells at MTI for use in advanced power sources for portable electronic applications. Under his technical leadership, a novel platform that enables significant DMFC power system simplification was a central development of the DMFC technology at MTI. In 2007, Dr. Gottesfeld co-initiated a new start-up company, CellEra Technologies, where he was CTO and a board member until 2015. CellEra initiated the development of a new polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology, AMFC, based on non-Pt catalysts and inexpensive stack hardware. CellEra has brought AMFC technology to the point of a demonstrated system for backup power, with a 2 kW AMFC stack built in-house based on novel core technology and field-operated for several thousand hours. In 2012, Elbit Systems Ltd. purchased CellEra, which still constitutes Elbit's core energy group.
Dr. Gottesfeld received the 2006 Grove Medal for Fuel Cell Science and Technology, the 2008 Fuel Cell Seminar Award for achievements in the Science and Technology of Membrane Electrolyte Fuel Cells, and the 2014 George Schuit Lectureship from the University of Delaware.
In 2015, he became an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, combining teaching and research in electrocatalysis and electrochemical power sources. In May 2019, the Electrochemical Society held a special symposium on Advances and Perspectives on Modern Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells in honor of Gottesfeld.
Shimshon passed away on July 2024 and is survived by three children, Ziv, Noga, Orly, his wife, Marcia Zalbowitz, and grandchildren.
We thank Marcia Zalbowitz for Shimshon's photo.
He obtained his D.Sc. in chemistry in 1970 from the Technion. In 1972. Following postdoc research, he joined the School of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University and was promoted to Associate Prof.
He focused his research on electrochemical interfaces using spectroscopic techniques. He studied fundamental and applied aspects of electrocatalysis and photoelectrochemical energy conversion processes. From 1977 to 1979, he spent an extended sabbatical at the Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ, investigating electrochromic materials. In 1984, he started another sabbatical leave at Los Alamos National Lab (LANL), stayed there, and in 1987, became a Technical Project Leader of the LANL Fuel Cell Research program.
The work of this team at LANL during the 1980s and 1990s created a world-recognized technology enabling polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). During that period, Dr. Gottesfeld also initiated and directed R&D work in ultracapacitors based on electronically conducting polymers as active materials.
Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Gottesfeld represented the US National Laboratories on the Fuel Cell Technology Steering Committee of the Partnership for the New Generation Vehicle (PNGV). In 1999, he was appointed a Laboratory Fellow at LANL and also was elected a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society. At the same time, he co-initiated the series of Gordon Research Conferences on Fuel Cells, which remain to this day the highest-level annual meeting devoted to fuel cell science and technology.
In December 2000, Dr. Gottesfeld took entrepreneurial leave from LANL to become CTO of MTI Microfuel Cells in Albany, NY. He led the development of direct methanol fuel cells at MTI for use in advanced power sources for portable electronic applications. Under his technical leadership, a novel platform that enables significant DMFC power system simplification was a central development of the DMFC technology at MTI. In 2007, Dr. Gottesfeld co-initiated a new start-up company, CellEra Technologies, where he was CTO and a board member until 2015. CellEra initiated the development of a new polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology, AMFC, based on non-Pt catalysts and inexpensive stack hardware. CellEra has brought AMFC technology to the point of a demonstrated system for backup power, with a 2 kW AMFC stack built in-house based on novel core technology and field-operated for several thousand hours. In 2012, Elbit Systems Ltd. purchased CellEra, which still constitutes Elbit's core energy group.
Dr. Gottesfeld received the 2006 Grove Medal for Fuel Cell Science and Technology, the 2008 Fuel Cell Seminar Award for achievements in the Science and Technology of Membrane Electrolyte Fuel Cells, and the 2014 George Schuit Lectureship from the University of Delaware.
In 2015, he became an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, combining teaching and research in electrocatalysis and electrochemical power sources. In May 2019, the Electrochemical Society held a special symposium on Advances and Perspectives on Modern Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells in honor of Gottesfeld.
Shimshon passed away on July 2024 and is survived by three children, Ziv, Noga, Orly, his wife, Marcia Zalbowitz, and grandchildren.
We thank Marcia Zalbowitz for Shimshon's photo.
Prof. Judith Rishpon (1945-2023)
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Prof. Judith Rishpon from the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology at Tel-Aviv University on January 6, 2023.
Prof. Judith Rishpon (1945 – 2023) was born in Israel on September 23, 1945.
She accomplished her B.Sc. from the Hebrew University in 1969, followed by an M.Sc. in 1972 and a Ph.D. in 1978 from the
Weizmann Institute. Her early research focused on "Electrochemical Methods for Studying the Penetration of
Proteins and Peptides into Lipid Monolayers" under the guidance of Prof. I.R. Miller.
Professor Rishpon's career path led her through various research positions, including at NASA Ames Research Center in California
and the Department of Chemistry at Tel-Aviv University before joining the Department of Molecular Microbiology and
Biotechnology in 1984.
She made significant contributions to the fields of analytical chemistry and diagnostics using biosensors, collaborating with
esteemed scientists like Ehud Gazit, Amihai Freeman, Itai Benhar, and Yossi Shacham.
Her pioneering work encompassed developing advanced analytical techniques for detecting cancer cells, monitoring
enzymatic activity levels, and conducting research in various biochemical areas.
Judith's research resonated widely within the scientific community, attracting interest from researchers at institutions like the
University of Cambridge, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Tel Aviv University. She was admired for her modesty, grace, and
enduring spirit during her courageous battle against lung cancer.
Prof. Judith Rishpon is survived by her husband, Dr. Moshe Rishpon, son Amir, daughter Ayelet, and two grandchildren.
Her legacy lives on through her impactful research, dedicated teaching, and the many students she inspired to pursue careers in
biosensors and beyond.
She will be greatly missed by her students and the members of our society.
Prof. Judith Rishpon (1945 – 2023) was born in Israel on September 23, 1945.
She accomplished her B.Sc. from the Hebrew University in 1969, followed by an M.Sc. in 1972 and a Ph.D. in 1978 from the
Weizmann Institute. Her early research focused on "Electrochemical Methods for Studying the Penetration of
Proteins and Peptides into Lipid Monolayers" under the guidance of Prof. I.R. Miller.
Professor Rishpon's career path led her through various research positions, including at NASA Ames Research Center in California
and the Department of Chemistry at Tel-Aviv University before joining the Department of Molecular Microbiology and
Biotechnology in 1984.
She made significant contributions to the fields of analytical chemistry and diagnostics using biosensors, collaborating with
esteemed scientists like Ehud Gazit, Amihai Freeman, Itai Benhar, and Yossi Shacham.
Her pioneering work encompassed developing advanced analytical techniques for detecting cancer cells, monitoring
enzymatic activity levels, and conducting research in various biochemical areas.
Judith's research resonated widely within the scientific community, attracting interest from researchers at institutions like the
University of Cambridge, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Tel Aviv University. She was admired for her modesty, grace, and
enduring spirit during her courageous battle against lung cancer.
Prof. Judith Rishpon is survived by her husband, Dr. Moshe Rishpon, son Amir, daughter Ayelet, and two grandchildren.
Her legacy lives on through her impactful research, dedicated teaching, and the many students she inspired to pursue careers in
biosensors and beyond.
She will be greatly missed by her students and the members of our society.
Prof. Eliezer Gileadi (1932 – 2022)
Dear Colleagues, it with deep sadness and sorrow that we inform you of the passing away of Eliezer Gileadi, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Physical Chemistry at the School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Eliezer Gileadi was born in 1932 in Hungary and immigrated to Israel together with his family in February 1940, at the age of 8, escaping from the hands of Nazi Germany. In 1951 he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, specializing in physical chemistry. In 1963, Eliezer submitted his PhD dissertation, the research on which was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Brian E. Conway at the University of Ottawa in Canada. Later on Eliezer worked as a Senior Research Associate and a Fuel Cells team leader in John Bockris’s lab in the University of Pennsylvania, US, with six students working under his supervision and state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Since joining Tel Aviv University in 1966, he became a recognized leader in Israel and international electrochemistry communities. Eliezer Gileadi developed the combined electrosorption isotherm, which provided the first understanding of the effect of molecular size on electrode kinetics. Measuring Tafel slopes with unprecedented accuracy, he could establish the temperature dependence of the transfer coefficient, a central question in electrode kinetics. He had also demonstrated that Grothuss-type hopping conductivity could also occur with halide ions in liquid and solid bromine and iodine, showing for the first time that unusual conductivity mechanisms can involve ions other than protons. His long list of achievements also includes the theory of microelectrode assemblies, electrodeposition of active metals and alloys in non-aqueous solutions, and corrosion in non-aqueous media. He also developed new methods for studying adsorption isotherms using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in gas and liquid phases. Eliezer has published more than 200 scientific papers, books and book chapters. He has written several patents on a wide spectrum of electrochemical applications.
Eliezer Gileadi received numerous prizes for excellence and recognition, and is a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society of Electrochemistry and the International Society for Pure and Applied Electrochemistry, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a member of its Academy of Sciences and the Olin Palladium Awardee of the Electrochemical Society.” In 2014, he received the Gold Medal of the Israel Chemical Society.
Apart from research, Eliezer enjoyed teaching and interacting with fellow scientists. He has been the author of three textbooks in Physical Electrochemistry, which are being taught and used by graduate and undergraduate students.
Prof. Gileadi’s contribution to society was exceptional. In 1994 he established the Gileadi Program, which provided over 500 university research positions to first-class immigrant scientists from the former Soviet Union. That program was later extended to the Kamea Program. The highly successful Gileadi and Kamea Programs, which affected science in Israel, were highlighted in a study conducted by the Science magazine.
Eliezer was a wonderful person, always willing to listen, and give advice and help. He has been and will be forever considered “the father of the Israeli electrochemistry”.
Eliezer Gileadi will be greatly missed. May His Memory Be for a Blessing.
Eliezer Gileadi was born in 1932 in Hungary and immigrated to Israel together with his family in February 1940, at the age of 8, escaping from the hands of Nazi Germany. In 1951 he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, specializing in physical chemistry. In 1963, Eliezer submitted his PhD dissertation, the research on which was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Brian E. Conway at the University of Ottawa in Canada. Later on Eliezer worked as a Senior Research Associate and a Fuel Cells team leader in John Bockris’s lab in the University of Pennsylvania, US, with six students working under his supervision and state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Since joining Tel Aviv University in 1966, he became a recognized leader in Israel and international electrochemistry communities. Eliezer Gileadi developed the combined electrosorption isotherm, which provided the first understanding of the effect of molecular size on electrode kinetics. Measuring Tafel slopes with unprecedented accuracy, he could establish the temperature dependence of the transfer coefficient, a central question in electrode kinetics. He had also demonstrated that Grothuss-type hopping conductivity could also occur with halide ions in liquid and solid bromine and iodine, showing for the first time that unusual conductivity mechanisms can involve ions other than protons. His long list of achievements also includes the theory of microelectrode assemblies, electrodeposition of active metals and alloys in non-aqueous solutions, and corrosion in non-aqueous media. He also developed new methods for studying adsorption isotherms using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in gas and liquid phases. Eliezer has published more than 200 scientific papers, books and book chapters. He has written several patents on a wide spectrum of electrochemical applications.
Eliezer Gileadi received numerous prizes for excellence and recognition, and is a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society of Electrochemistry and the International Society for Pure and Applied Electrochemistry, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a member of its Academy of Sciences and the Olin Palladium Awardee of the Electrochemical Society.” In 2014, he received the Gold Medal of the Israel Chemical Society.
Apart from research, Eliezer enjoyed teaching and interacting with fellow scientists. He has been the author of three textbooks in Physical Electrochemistry, which are being taught and used by graduate and undergraduate students.
Prof. Gileadi’s contribution to society was exceptional. In 1994 he established the Gileadi Program, which provided over 500 university research positions to first-class immigrant scientists from the former Soviet Union. That program was later extended to the Kamea Program. The highly successful Gileadi and Kamea Programs, which affected science in Israel, were highlighted in a study conducted by the Science magazine.
Eliezer was a wonderful person, always willing to listen, and give advice and help. He has been and will be forever considered “the father of the Israeli electrochemistry”.
Eliezer Gileadi will be greatly missed. May His Memory Be for a Blessing.