… The last paper in this issue, by Shern-Tov and Segev, describes a novel

serniclassical approach for the study of radiationless transitions in large molecules,

During the preparation of this issue, one of the contributors, Bilha Segv, passed

away. Bilha had insisted on participating in the Ein-Gedi conference, despite her illness,

and I vividly remember the enthusiasm in her eyes during her talk. This was typical of

Bilha; science played a major role throughout her life. Bilha was loved by all her students

and colleagues and was always willing to spend time explaining any intricate scientific

issue. She is survived by her husband and a son and daughter. I am sure that her loss will

be felt by all of us for a long time.

I feel that it is appropriate to add to this special issue a short scientific biography of

Professor Bilha Segev. compiled by her colleagues in the Chemistry Department of Ben-

Gurion University of the Negev.

Professor Bilha Segev died in Haifa, Israel on March 17, 2005 of complications

arising from her battle with cancer. BiIha was born in Haifa on May 7, 1963, and grew up

there. She received her B.Sc. degree in 1988, summa cum laude; her M.Sc. degree in

1992, working with Prof. Moshe Moshe on "Approximation Methods in Quantum Field

Theories"; and her Ph.D. in 1996, working with Prof. Michael Marinov on "Classically

Forbidden Processes in Quantum Theory", all from the Technion-Israel Institute of

Technology. Bilha was awarded a Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Fulbright

Postdoctoral Fellowship, and from 1996 to 1998 she was a research associate at the

Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics (ITAMP) at Harvard University,

where she was awarded the prestigious lTAMP Fellowship. At ITAMP she collaborated

with Jack Wells, Robin Cote, Mark Raizen, and Eric Heller, working on such varied

topics as electron-positron pair production in heavy ion collisions, evanescent-wave

atomic mirrors, energy transfer processes between Born-Oppenheimer surfaces in molecules.

and superluminal light propagation and quantum noise.

Bilha joined the faculty of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in 1998. She was

awarded the prestigious Alon Foundation Fellowship for outstanding young faculty in

Israel, and, in 2002, the Toronto Prize for excellence in research. Bilha's main research

interests were in theoretical and mathematical physics and chemistry. In particular, she

worked on the following topics: quantum and QED effects in atomic and molecular

optics; time dependence in quantum scattering processes; formulation of the principle of

causality in the quantum regime: tunneling, phase-space dynamics in the Wigner representation;

applications of the above to quantum gates of cold atoms in optical lattices;

non-perturbative effects in quantum electrodynamics; radiationless transitions in

polyatomic rnolecules; and application of analytical techniques to physical and chemical

systems.

Bilha was a gifted teacher and lecturer, receiving several Ben-Gurion University

awards for her teaching excellence. Her ability to anticipate potential sources of confusion,

and explain these clearly to her students and colleagues was phenomenal. Her

lectures at scientific meetings were universally lauded. At Ben-Gurion University she

taught courses in Introduction to Spectroscopy, Quantum Mechanics of Atoms and

Molecules, and Quantum Chemistry I and II. Her students venerated her.

Bilha was universally loved by her students and colleagues, Her smile was contagious,

and her wisdom was inspirational. We lost a very dear colleague, a colleague who

shared her enthusiasm for science and for life with us. Bilha Segev will be sorely missed,

Yehuda Zeiri

Department of Chemistry, NRCN, Be'er Sheva, Israel, and

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er

Sheva, Israel