In a ceremony held during the 2022 Board of Governors meeting, Tel Aviv University (TAU) awarded honorary degrees to 11 individuals and an organization, all of whom have made exceptionally positive impact on the world. The honorary degrees were awarded by the Chairwoman of TAU’s Board of Governors Dafna Meitar-Nechmad, TAU President Professor Ariel Porat, and TAU Rector Professor Mark Steif.

Jodi Kantor, New York Times journalist and author in the fields of technology in the workplace, culture, gender, and politics, received an honorary degree in recognition of her pivotal contribution to civil and cultural discourse as an investigative journalist and author; her uncompromising determination to reveal hidden truths that spur national debate, shift attitudes, shape policies, and change lives; her courageous exposé of sexual harassment that gave rise to the worldwide #MeToo movement and transformed a generation; her numerous accolades as a celebrated writer, including the Pulitzer Prize; and her commitment to social justice rooted in Jewish and universal values.

Honorary degrees were also bestowed upon Professor Katalin Karikó, developer of the mRNA-based vaccine platform for COVID-19 and other diseases; Sir Michael Victor Berry, theoretical physicist; Professor Bernd Huber, President of Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich; Professor Cornelia Bargmann, influential neurobiologist and geneticist; Eric J. Gertler, public service and business leader; James S. Gertler, philanthropist and business leader; Professor Jehuda Reinharz, path-breaking scholar of Jewish history; Professor Jurgen Renn, expert on the evolution of knowledge; and Solomon Lew, industry leader and philanthropist.

An honorary fellowship was awarded to The Iranian American Jewish Federation of New York and the George S. Wise medal awarded to Mark J. Carney, former Governor of the Banks of England and Canada.

“The honorees of this event are all driven by a deep social consciousness, whether in the areas of academia, business, civic service, or philanthropy, and their contribution is boundless,” said Meitar-Nechmad.