School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Zvi Galil’s acceptance of the presidency of Tel Aviv University was greeted with mixed emotions from the Columbia community.
The departing dean captured the hearts of both faculty and students. In an e-mail sent out last week, Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger congratulated Dean Galil on his appointment and expressed his appreciation for Galil’s contributions to the university.
In announcing his departure for Tel Aviv University at the end of what will be his 25th year with Columbia, Galil called his career at Columbia “the best job in the world.” Bollinger referred to this comment in his e-mail, saying, “Those who have had the pleasure of working with him know that it is the best job in the world because Zvi Galil has it.”
As for students — a blog petition devoted to “saving Zvi” has been launched, with the subtitle “Because we love Zvi more than Tel Aviv does.” Some selected comments:

-Dear Dean Zvi, Physics 1602 is the reason I left SEAS. You are why I wish I didn’t.
-You are the greatest administrator at this University, without question. I spoke to you first when I was a pre-frosh and I was wondering around at some Faculty House function. You were incredibly enthusiastic, nearly impossible to understand, but affable above anyone else.
-Dear Dean Galil,
When I first heard of the sad news that you are returned to Tel Aviv University, my heart fell to the bottom of my brown insides. I felt as if someone stole my soul and laughed at me as he ran away with it.
However, the amount of hard work and dedication you put into the Fu Foundation will never go unnoticed. Doing this while your wife is a quarter-way across the world in Israel and still keeping sane is quite an accomplishment.
At least, before you go, let’s all go out for a few more drinks and toast to your greatness. Cheers, mate.
PS: At least we have a cardboard cutout to hug when we tear up!
-stay man

On Facebook, students have created a new group called “I love Dean Zvi Galil.”