BGU Confers Honorary Doctorate on Ellen Marcus
BGU Confers Honorary Doctorate on Ellen Marcus
May 22, 2017
Ben-Gurion University presented Austin philanthropist Ellen Marcus with a prestigious honorary doctoral degree recently during the three-day 47th Annual Board of Governors Meeting at the University.
Marcus and her family have been passionately devoted to BGU for many years. In 2005, the Marcus Family Campus was named in honor of the family’s magnanimous gift and pledged bequest to the University. The family gift nearly doubled the size of the University’s endowment, and was possibly the largest donation to any Israeli institution.
“I feel deeply honored to be granted an honorary doctorate by BGU. The success of this university, not yet 50 years old–yet already among the top research universities worldwide–inspires my passion and excitement about the future of BGU and the State of Israel. I follow in my parents’ footsteps: They believed that all Jews should support the State of Israel as a refuge for our people, should the need arise.”
Ellen Marcus receives honorary doctorate
View the brief video tribute to Ellen Marcus that was shown at the ceremony.
Ellen Marcus is a vice chair on BGU’s board of governors on which she has served since 2006. She is also a member of the national board of Americans for Ben-Gurion University, and serves as the Austin chair of Americans for Ben-Gurion University’s Greater Texas Region, headquartered in Houston.
At the ceremony, BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi conferred upon her the degree of Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa stating that, “Ellen Marcus is an exemplary individual, generous of spirit and an ardent Zionist, whose family has tied its name to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev for generations to come. She has demonstrated a profound commitment to the University and her faith in its bright future and pivotal role in the development of the Negev and the State of Israel.”
Now retired, Marcus was among the first master’s level genetic counselors and the first to open a private practice in genetic counseling. With experience in marketing her practice, she switched to marketing communications fulltime, practicing for 15 years in the healthcare, financial and petroleum-exploration industries.
In addition to her involvement with BGU, she volunteers at the Austin Humane Society animal shelter and with Austin Lost and Found Pets. Marcus sits on several committees at Austin’s Dell Jewish Community Association, including the Israel Task Force. She is also involved with her synagogue, Temple Beth Shalom.
Ellen Marcus received an M.S. in human genetics from Sarah Lawrence College and a B.A. in the biological sciences from Goucher College. She has been married to Harvey Malyn since 2006.
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