Dr. Michal Wolkin Vakrat
עברית

Dr. Michal Wolkin Vakrat

School of Sustainability Founded by Israel Corp. ICL

Head of MBA Climate-Tech Management Program

Research and Teaching Expertise

  • Sustainability and Environment
  • Capital Raising
  • Climate Change
  • Strategy
  • Sustainable international development
  • Innovation & Creativity
  • Corporate Responsibility
  • Dr. Michal Wolkin is the head of the MBA Climate-Tech Management program at Reichman University. Dr. Wolkin is a physicist, board member, and venture capital investor in deep tech and energy sectors. She has been at the intersection of the global tech industry and academia for over 20 years, holding key positions in international companies in Israel and the USA.
    Dr. Wolkin joined the academic faculty of Reichman University to establish the new MBA program in climate, combining technology and business, drawing from her broad understanding of the field from global perspectives as a physicist and researcher, venture capital investor, board member, and innovation leader in international corporations. Dr. Wolkin completed her Ph.D. at the University of Rochester, NY, and her postdoctoral research at Xerox PARC laboratories in Silicon Valley, where she was promoted to Member of Research Staff and established the Climate Tech center.

    key points throughout Dr. Michal Wolkin's career:
    • A world-renowned expert in innovative energy technologies, nanotechnology, and semiconductors, with an emphasis on batteries and energy storage for electric vehicles and the power grid.
    • Dr. Wolkin holds a Ph.D. and post-doctorate in physics and materials, 10 registered patents, and has published articles in scientific journals that have been widely cited, such as in Physical Review Letters (PRL) and others.
    • Dr. Wolkin advises and serves on boards of public, government, and startup companies.
    • Board member of the scientific committee of the Israel National Institute for Energy Storage, funded by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, aimed at transitioning Israel to renewable energy revolution through widespread implementation of energy storage technologies in the power grid.
    • Served on scientific committees of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and ARPA-E during her residence in the USA.
    • Served as a challenge director for NASA in the field of energy storage for space vehicles.
    • In her most recent role, she served as a director of GM Ventures - the global investment fund of General Motors in the energy sector, focusing on batteries for electric vehicles. In this role, Dr. Wolkin invested in startup companies in manufacturing, chemistry, power electronics, battery production, and AI for discovering new battery materials.
    • Dr. Wolkin was a researcher at the renowned XEROX PARC research laboratories in Silicon Valley, where she developed and managed a research institute in Climate Tech technologies, including flexible solar cells, fuel cells, and carbon capture for fuel production. The technologies were commercialized, with some becoming startups or acquired through licensing models by international companies.
    • Dr. Wolkin managed innovation and investment centers of traditional American international companies in Israel, such as GM, 3M, and Lear.
    • Board member at Tower Semiconductors.
    • Dr. Wolkin is on the advisory board of the Hebrew University's Nano Fund, where she invests in and advises early-stage startups in nanotechnology and materials.
    • Michal's research focuses on applied physics with emphasis on: Silicon Photonics for Data Centers, Silicon Nano Technology, Thermal Sensors for Personalized Drug Discovery, MEMS Devices on Flexible Substrates.
    • Dr. Michal Wolkin was included in the list of "100 Senior Executives in Israeli Tech"

  • Surface modifications of porous silicon quantum dots: From fundamentals to electro-optic applications
    M Vakrat Wolkin
    Ph. D. Thesis


    Nanoscale light modulators from silicon-liquid crystal hybrids
    MV Wolkin, S Chan, PM Fauchet
    Silicon-based and Hybrid Optoelectronics III 4293, 23-31


    Ionic Liquid Based CO2 Capturing Fuel Cell for Greenhouse Gas Reduction
    MV Wolkin, R Stumpp, K Littau
    MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) 1082, 1082-Q08-02


    Thermal Sensing
    RH Bruce, D De Bruyker, FE Torres, MV Wolkin


    Layered structures on thin substrates
    MV Wolkin, AC Arias
    US Patent 10,046,584


    Modification of visible light emission from silicon nanocrystals as a function of size, electronic structure, and surface passivation
    MV Wolkin, J Jorne, PM Fauchet, G Allan, C Delerue
    MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) 536, 185


    Jorne J Fauchet PM et al
    MV Wolkin
    Physics Review Letters 82


    Method for producing layered structures on thin substrates
    MV Wolkin, AC Arias
    US Patent 9,528,888


    Packaging of micro-optic components to meet Telcordia standards
    RR McLeod, M Wolkin, V Morozov, KA Sawyer
    Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibit, 326-327


    MEMS-based enthalpy arrays
    D De Bruyker, MV Wolkin, MI Recht, FE Torres, AG Bell, GB Anderson


    Nanocalorimeter based on thermal probes
    D De Bruyker, FE Torres, MV Wolkin, GB Anderson, EM Chow
    US Patent 8,393,785


    Passive electronic devices
    MV Wolkin, AC Arias
    US Patent 7,816,146


    Thermal sensing with bridge circuitry
    A Bell, RH Bruce, E Peeters, MV Wolkin, D De Bruyker
    US Patent 7,833,800


    Layered structures on thin substrates
    MV Wolkin, AC Arias
    US Patent 8,637,138


    Thermal sensing
    RH Bruce, D De Bruyker, FE Torres, MV Wolkin
    US Patent 7,473,030


    Correlation of photoluminescence and bandgap energies with nanocrystal sizes in porous silicon
    J Von Behren, M Wolkin-Vakrat, J Jorne, PM Fauchet
    Journal of Porous Materials 7, 81-84


    Porous Silicon Encapsulated Nematic Liquid Crystals for Electro‐Optic Applications
    MV Wolkin, S Chan, PM Fauchet
    physica status solidi (a) 182 (1), 573-578


    Producing layered structures using printing
    MV Wolkin, AC Arias
    US Patent 7,784,173


    Resistive thermal sensing
    MV Wolkin, D De Bruyker, E Peeters, A Bell
    US Patent 7,473,031


    Vanadium oxide thermal microprobes
    D De Bruyker, MV Wolkin
    US Patent 8,130,072


    Enthalpy array analysis of enzymatic and binding reactions
    MI Recht, D De Bruyker, AG Bell, MV Wolkin, E Peeters, GB Anderson
    Analytical biochemistry 377 (1), 33-39