Chaim Sukenik
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California Institute of Technology (PhD)
Chaim Sukenik | |
|---|---|
 Sukenik (right) with former BIU President Moshe Kaveh and former U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro. | |
| Born | May 1, 1951 |
| Alma mater | Yeshiva University (BA) California Institute of Technology (PhD) |
| Known for | Self-assembled monolayers, Surface modification, Nanofabrication |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organic chemistry, Nanotechnology, Materials science |
| Institutions | Jerusalem College of Technology Bar-Ilan University Case Western Reserve University |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert G. Bergman |
Chaim Sukenik (born May 1951) is an American-Israeli chemist and academic administrator. He is a professor emeritus of chemistry at Bar-Ilan University and served as the president of the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) from 2013 to 2025.[1] Sukenik is widely recognized for his research in nanotechnology, surface chemistry, and materials science, particularly the development of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs).
Sukenik was born and raised in the United States. He attended Yeshiva University, graduating magna cum laude in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry.[2]
He completed his doctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), earning his Ph.D. in 1976 under the supervision of Robert G. Bergman. His dissertation focused on the catalysis of organic reactions and molecular orientation within crystals.[3] He subsequently held a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA working with Orville L. Chapman.[2]
Academic career
Sukenik served as a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University from 1977 to 1995, where his research focused on interfacial chemistry and synthetic organic chemistry.[2]
In 1995, Sukenik immigrated to Israel and joined the faculty of Bar-Ilan University (BIU). He held the Edward and Judy Steinberg Chair in Nanotechnology and served as the head of the Department of Chemistry and the dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences.[4] He was the founding director of the Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA).[5]
In 2013, Sukenik was elected president of the Jerusalem College of Technology. During his tenure, the college significantly expanded its engineering and health science programs, particularly for the Haredi and religious sectors in Israel.[6]
