Pictured above left to right: BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi; Exeter College Fellow and Scientific Advisor to Prof. Carmi Prof. Raymond Dwek CBE FRS FRSC, and Yoav Gross.
BGU Geological & Environmental Sciences graduate Yoav Gross will continue his mission to effect change in Israel’s environmental policies by pursuing a Masters degree in the Environmental Change and Management programme at the University of Oxford, based at Exeter College.
Yoav grew up in Olesh, a small village near Netanya, and is married to Hadas, who just completed her degree in physiotherapy from BGU as well.
“Israel faces major problems in the field of environmental preservation; air pollution, watercontamination and extinction of endemic species are a direct outcome of Israel's approach to environmental issues. In contrast, Israel is a leader in developing water technologies in the field of purification, irrigation and sewage management. I am a man of action and I envision myself leading momentous changes in the environmental habits in Israel and hopefully worldwide. The next step in my quest for a sustainable environmental approach is to acquire an outstanding education. The MSc in Environmental Change and Management at Oxford is precisely the program I seek. I realized that I can combine my passion for environmentally-related issues with my analytical skills and leadership abilities.
“Studying at Oxford University will enable me to pursue my academic studies in the professional field to which I am committed, passionate and focused, and meet with outstanding men and women from around the world in one of the world's leading universities,” Yoav says.
Harold Paisner, the Chairman of the Ben Gurion University Foundation in the UK, which sponsors the Rivka Carmi Scholarship, expressed his “delight that Yoav Gross will be able to pursue his passion for environmental change by studying for a MSc at Exeter College, Oxford.”
26-year-old Yoav already has a long history of environmental education and activism behind him. He studied at The High School for Environmental Studies in Midreshet Ben-Gurion, volunteered at The Israel Nature and Parks Authority education centre located in Mizpe Ramon for a year of service after high school and has now just finished his degree in geological and environmental sciences at BGU. After his IDF service in the Technology Unit, he walked the Israel National Trail which winds the length of the country.
As an undergraduate, he volunteered to represent his peers in the student government, volunteered in a Neighborhood Renewal Program-'Osim Rehov' and as an online tutor for underprivileged high school students who show high motivation to major in mathematics. In addition, he also worked as a research assistant for various researchers and as a mathematics tutor for the Office of the Dean of Students.
About Exeter College
Exeter College is the fourth oldest college of the collegiate University of Oxford, founded 702 years ago. Today Exeter College has some 350 undergraduates and 200 graduate students and a Governing Body of 49 Fellows (academics). Exeter College is located in the heart of Oxford, next to the world famous Bodleian Library. The College is committed to excellence in teaching and research, and to supporting the best students. As well as tuition from leading academics, Exeter offers generous hardship support, research bursaries, graduate scholarships, a library open round the clock, and a thriving in-house careers and internship programme.
