Dany Leviatan (b. 1942) — Biography & Facts

Dany Leviatan began his trajectory in mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, completing his undergraduate and master's degrees before finishing his doctorate in 1966. A participant in the Academic Atuda program, he served as a mathematician within the Israel Air Force during the period of his doctoral studies, grounding his early career in practical application.

Early Career and Research

Following his doctoral work, Leviatan expanded his academic reach through the Fulbright Scholarship Program, holding a position as a visiting professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign between 1967 and 1970. His research output from this period includes collaborative efforts, such as the 1969 study on generalized Szász operators for approximation in finite intervals co-authored with Amnon Jakimovski.

THE FREE TEST

How high is yours?

Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.

Take the IQ test →

Leadership at Tel Aviv University

Leviatan joined Tel Aviv University as an associate professor in 1972. His administrative contributions were significant, beginning with his role as head of the Department of Mathematics from 1972 to 1974. He subsequently served as the dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences between 1976 and 1980 and took leadership of the newly established School of Mathematics in 1982.

University Administration

On 16 August 2005, Leviatan assumed the role of rector at Tel Aviv University, a position he maintained until 2010. During his tenure, he also served briefly as acting president of the institution in July 2009 following the resignation of Zvi Galil. Throughout his career, he has continued to publish, including 2013 research on the stability and accuracy of least squares approximations.

Fast facts

Born: 21 February 1942, Jerusalem
Citizenship: Israel
Doctorate awarded: 1966
Institutional affiliation: Tel Aviv University
Rector of Tel Aviv University: 2005–2010
Research fields: Mathematics, Logic and Foundations

Questions readers ask

What administrative roles did Dany Leviatan hold at Tel Aviv University?

He served as head of the Department of Mathematics, dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences, head of the School of Mathematics, rector, and acting president.