Moran and Michal Segoli were married on July 10, 2003 (see pictures)

Here are some pictures of our new family..

We met Michal's parents, Avraham and Yael, for supper at Sde Boker in Moran and Michal's caravan on the campus.  We had a very pleasant evening and enjoyed meeting our new family.

In April 2004, Michal and Moran both presented papers at a symposium at the Institute for Desert Research. Moran's presentation was titled "Predation of the desert isopod as a control factor in the wadi"; Michal spoke on "What a male has to suffer - costs of mating in a widow spider."

In May 2004, Michal, Moran and Maayan finally moved to new student accommodation. As befits a Desert Research Institute, the apartments are airy and designed not to need cooling in summer or heating in winter. We were there on a hot Hamsin day, and can vouch for the coolness of the apartment in spite of the oppresive heat outside.

June 2004:  Both Moran and Michal will be continuing at Ben Gurion University, studying for their doctorates

Moran will be studying the biodiversity of plants and different animal groups as part of a large long term research project , spanning the length of the country (from the Negev to Har-Meron). More specifically he is going to study the mechanism through which plants (trees and shrubs) affect biodiversity of other groups. For example a shrub can provide: shade, moisture, nutrients etc. and each of these factors may influence the biodiversity of small plants and animals around it. Moran will try to isolate these factors and to determine which one has a higher importance.

Michal is going to study the behavior of a parasitic wasp. This wasp lay her eggs inside the egg of a moth. The young of the wasp develop inside the moth larva consuming it from inside until it dies. At this stage the adult wasps emerge from the moth's body. A female wasp can lay a few eggs inside the host in which case brothers and sisters from the same mother wasp (or young of different mothers) compete for resources inside the host. Michal is going to study the outcome of this competition.

Michal has been awarded a prestigious Kreitman Foundation Fellowship for her doctoral studies. As far as we know, Michal is the first student of the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies to be awarded this prize.

"All Kreitman Foundation Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis among candidates from throughout Israel and abroad. The program is  intended for candidates of proven achievement and exceptional promise. There is a close connection between the Kreitman Foundation Fellowships and the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies. The Doctoral Fellowships are awarded only to those admitted to graduate study by the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Study.
Kreitman Foundation Doctoral Fellows are provided with the means to devote their energies to study, research and professional development. It is expected that they will become part of the University community. They are also offered the opportunity to participate in the Society of Kreitman Fellows and are provided membership in the Kreitman Fellows Common Room."

July 2004
Moran and Michal spent their first wedding anniversary thousands of miles apart. Michal was in Finland attending the 10th International Behavioral Ecology Congress. She presented a poster titled Males Do Have Limits: Constraints On Mating In A Widow Spider.