"When I meet our graduates in professional or academic conferences or holding key roles of leading companies in Israel and abroad, I know that we have realized the vision we had set out to achieve when establishing the department": Those were the emotional words of Prof. Hanna Dodiuk, the head of the Plastics Engineering Department, one of the participants of the festive event marking 20 years to the establishment of the department.

Approx. 300 guests from Israel and worldwide - including graduates, students, past and present staff members, researchers and academic and industry leaders -  took part in the conference, reminisced, listened to stories and got to know the prominent players In this field, who all came to see and be seen.

During the event, 2 new comprehensive books, edited by Dodiuk, were launched - one regarding thermoset polymers, and the other dedicated to the scientific and technological innovations in the field of adhesives and pasting.

Prof. Sam Kenig who moderated the event emphasized in his introductory remarks the contribution of the late David Pernick, who passed away a month before the event, "David Pernick was a man of vision, who supported the Department from its inception, a man of generosity and modesty and a personal friend. He will be missed by his Family and Shenkar".

Prof. Kenig - the founder of the Plastics Engineering Department, highlighted the milestones of the Department: Starting from the first meeting with Shenkar's former President Prof. Amotz Weinberg, through the 1994 agreement between the Society of Plastics and Rubber Manufacturers and Shenkar, for the establishment of the Department and contributing equipment and funding.

The Council for Higher Education accredited the Department with the B.Tech. Degree in 1997,a B.Sc. degree in 2004 and finally a M.Sc. degree in 2009.

The program has been supported by the Pernick Fund. Finally, after 20 years for Prof. Kenig the "Dream came true" and he emphasized the contribution of hundreds of the Department graduates that were granted the Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degrees toward the  growth and advancement of the Plastics and Polymers industry in Israel.

The establishment of the "Sagol Polymer Laboratories" in 2002 was the turning point and the basis for a joint Ph.D. degree in Plastics Engineering between U.Mass. Lowell and Shenkar.

"Shenkar has always welcomed our department", said Dodiuk and added that "the multi-disciplinary nature of the college and the strong connection to the design and art studies are the basis for the scientific and technological development in our field."

Shenkar's president, Prof. Yuli Tamir, congratulated the attendants and said that "the impressive achievements of the Plastics Engineering Department are a constant source of pride to us all."

The industrialist and businessman Zvika Yemini, serving as the chairman of the board of trustees, added that "The department's graduates are integrated in the top of the industry and the academy and are responsible for extraordinary success."

Prof Abdelal, provost of the UMAS university in Massachusetts, who was awarded the title of "honorary colleague" of Shenkar during his visit, talked about the bond between the two institutions and the joint Masters and Doctorate program.

He emphasized that "The students we encounter are evidence to the quality of Shenkar' department. They are highly skilled and obtain significant achievements". Prof. Stephen McCarthy - Head of the UMAS' Department for Master's Degree in Plastics added that "The cooperation with Shenkar is welcomed and fruitful and we intend to promote and extend it as much as possible."