Dr. Dany Simon is an associate curator of Mantodea, Blattodea and Neuroptera at the Steinhardt Museum. He retired (2016) from the Department of zoology, Tel Aviv University, and Seminar HaKibutzim College of Education, where he taught zoology and entomology for many years. He became interested in animals and especially in insects at an early age, when he wandered the rich coastal nature areas few of which remain. He later studied teaching nature and science at David Yellin College in Jerusalem and continued his academic studies at Tel Aviv University. He received his PhD from the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences in 1989. His main interests are biology and ecology of Neuroptera, especially Myrmeleontidae, and Isoptera (termites), formerly considered a separate order and now part of Blattodea.

Over the years he took part in the study of many groups of Israeli insects and arachnids and in the discovery of several new species. He has authored and edited several textbooks for elementary and junior high school, as well as popular science books. In his educational work he specialized in outdoor education, equipping his students with the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate outdoor education activities in their education programs. Dany has been training many generations of students and science teachers in various settings. Many of his students became teachers and researchers in the areas of life sciences throughout the country.