Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Confers Honorary Doctoral Degree On Philanthropist and Los Angeles Resident Ruth Flinkman-Marandy

LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2013 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) presented Los Angeles philanthropist and real estate management executive Ruth Flinkman-Marandy with a prestigious honorary doctoral degree at the 43rd Annual Board of Governors Meeting yesterday in Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Ruth Flinkman-Marandy is a pioneering supporter of BGU’s "Nano in the Negev" initiative.  Ruth and her husband, Ben Marandy, are supporting a new Atom Chip and Quantum Optics Research and Development Facility at BGU.

At the ceremony, BGU President Rivka Carmi said that “Ruth Flinkman-Marandy is an accomplished and generous woman with dedication and allegiance to numerous noble causes, including the promotion of health, education and culture, and higher education.”  Additionally, she is receiving the doctoral degree for “her significant contribution to the promotion of research and deepening of knowledge, especially in the realms of advanced technologies and nanotechnology, and the fostering of promising young scientists at the University for the advancement of the Negev and the country as a whole.”. 

"I am deeply honored that BGU has chosen me as a recipient of the honorary doctoral degree," said Flinkman-Marandy. "I have been involved with BGU for more than 20 years and am proud of the innovative, amazing accomplishments that are taking place in the Negev that will help the world. BGU now attracts some of the best and brightest faculty and students from around the globe.”

Flinkman-Marandy is president of Flinkman Management, Inc., a successful family-owned real estate management company based in Santa Monica.

She currently serves as a national vice president of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU), and has also been the campaign chair for AABGU's Southwest Region for several years. Flinkman-Marandy was elected to BGU's Board of Governors in May of 2012. She and her husband reside in Century City.

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU)

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. With some 20,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat in Israel’s southern desert, BGU is a university with a conscience, where the highest academic standards are integrated with community involvement, committed to sustainable development of the Negev. AABGU is headquartered in Manhattan and has nine regional offices throughout the United States.  For more information, please visit http://www.aabgu.org.