The Oil Industry Established a Memorial Fund in Honor of Prof. Aryeh Litan, of Blessed Memory, in Recognition of His Significant Contributions to the Israeli Oil Industry
Prof. Litan’s family also contributed to this fund.
The award is presented annually to 2-4 graduate students who have achieved outstanding accomplishments during their studies.
Prof. Aryeh Litan was born in Poland in 1925 and received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1952.
Immediately afterward, he worked for about three years in the oil industry. The connections he built with the industry and the oil sector remained strong until his passing.
His desire for advancement brought him back to academia, and in 1959 he earned a master’s degree in food technology from the Technion. In 1962, he received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, England, and in the same year joined the faculty.
He established the analytical laboratory and taught a course on the subject, with his students attesting that he was an excellent teacher. Additionally, he founded an outstanding research group in the field of oils and led this talented team for many years. There is no doubt that he left a lasting mark on the Israeli oil industry.
Aryeh was a top-tier scientist, exacting in his standards and steadfast in his opinions, yet also a good-natured colleague, friend, and mentor, with a sharp sense of humor.
Aryeh passed away in 1978 at the age of only 53. In recognition of his contributions to the oil sector, the industry established a memorial fund in his name, which his family also supported. The fund’s proceeds are intended to encourage research and excellence in areas that were important to the late Aryeh.
The Prof. A. Litan Memorial Award was first presented in 1981.
