Vice President for International Affairs and Third Mission, Prof. Rivka Tuval-Mashiach

Among her roles at the university, she served as head of the Clinical Program and director of the Community Service Clinic, Chair of the Gender Studies Program, and Academic Director of the International School. In 2024, following the "Iron Swords" war, she co-established the University Resilience Center, which she currently oversees. Since 2024, she serves as the Vice President for International Affairs and the Third Mission. 

Prof. Tuval-Mashiach's research areas include understanding resilience resources, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth following terrorism and war, identity challenges and identity reconstruction in coping with trauma, gender aspects in dealing with trauma, as well as research and development of interventions and treatment processes, and the experience of therapists, patients, and the therapeutic relationship. Her work focuses on the importance of constructing trauma narratives and the power of testimony in trauma healing. She is a world-renowned expert in narrative and qualitative text analysis. 

Given her expertise in trauma and treatment of terror and stress victims, she was invited to join NATAL (Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center), where she serves as Chair of the organization’s Steering Committee. Additionally, she serves as a consultant and expert for international crisis, disaster, and trauma interventions, and she has been invited to speak at the UN on various occasions about developing resilience, the role of community in supporting trauma survivors, and psychological responses of individuals and communities following trauma. 

Prof. Tuval-Mashiach leads a large research laboratory studying resilience, trauma, and identity, where she supervises many doctoral and master’s students. Over the years, she has supervised more than 35 doctoral students and more than 45 master’s students. She has published over 100 articles and chapters and co-authored two books. She has received competitive research grants and excellence awards throughout her career, including the Schuff Fellowship for Academic Excellence (Postdoctoral Fellowship) and the Brandeis University Research Scholar Fellowship. In 2020, she won the KATAN (“small”) award given to outstanding female researchers who combine social impact with their work.