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Reflections on my time at HU
By Stephen Lerner
I received the Persiko Family scholarship from CFHU and off I went to do my Masters in Biotechnology at the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture in Rechovot between 2011-2014. My field of study was the interface of biotechnology and agriculture. We were examining genes that play a role in water regulation. The goal was to breed crops that grow more with less water.
Every day of the MSc was memorable. It was certainly an honor to be able to take part in such a noble enterprise as trying to stave off world hunger through our research.
Since finishing my MSc in 2014, I continued at HUJI, pursuing my MBA part time while working full time. I am focusing on Finance and hope to finish in January of 2020.
But if I had to give one moment, it was certainly the time we had taken an incredibly difficult exam in Molecular Biology. A few days later we received emails with our grades. I went to town with some classmates, we all got very tipsy and then opened the emails together. I had passed, and then apparently started dancing on the tables out of happiness.
Another great moment was when I was able to present my scientific research at a really cool conference in Berlin on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.
As part of the MBA, I took an investment class where the 12 students managed an 8-million-shekel fund. I also participated in a big data competition with entrants from 168 other universities. HUJI’s team came first!! It was an honour to represent the University on such an international level and bring it some well-deserved accolades.
Currently, I am working full time at an amazing intelligence company called Cobwebs Technologies. I get to travel the world while interacting with our clients and training them on how to use our software platforms. We work with police departments and security agencies, so the work is meaningful as we help keep the world a safer place.