Michael Arad is an Israeli-American architect best known for designing the National September 11 Memorial in New York City. His design, which features two large reflecting pools set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers, honors the victims of the September 11 attacks. Arad was born in 1970 in Tel Aviv, Israel, and later moved to the United States. He studied architecture at Cornell University and has received several awards for his work, including the Rome Prize in Architecture. His designs often emphasize themes of memory and reflection.