Bio
Professor Alon Tal’s career has been a balance between academia and public interest advocacy. Between 2021–2022 he was a member of Knesset, Israel’s parliament, where he served as chair of the subcommittee for environmental and climate impact on health. Presently he has an appointment as professor in the Department of Public Policy at Tel Aviv University. Tal has held faculty posts at Stanford, Ben Gurion, Hebrew, Michigan State, Otago and Harvard Universities. He has also founded several Israeli environmental organizations including Adam Teva V’Din, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense, and the Arava Institute. He has served as deputy chair of Keren Kayemeth L’Yisrael, where for many years he oversaw national forestry policy in Israel and is currently co-chair of Zafuf, the Israel Forum for Population, Environment and Society. He plays fiddle and mandolin in the Arava Riders, a leading Israeli bluegrass band.
Research Interests
- Climate Tech Innovation
- Water Management
- Demography
- Climate Change
- Forestry
- Desertification
- Renewable Energy
- Transboundary Environmental Cooperation
Stanford University Affiliations
Academic Degrees
- ScD in Environmental Health Policy, Harvard University School of Public Health, 1989
- LIB in Law, Hebrew University, 1985
- BA in Political Science and Economics, University of North Carolina, 1980
Academic Appointments
- Professor and Chairperson; Tel Aviv University, Department of Public Policy; 2016–present
- Visiting Professor; Otago University School of Law; 1999, 2009, 2011, 2016
- Visiting Professor, Stanford University, 2011–12, 2013–14
- Associate Professor, Ben Gurion University, 2004–06
- Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard University, School Of Public Health, 1989–97
- Adjunct Lecturer; Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Law, 1990–2003
Awards and Honors
- Selected as number 1 bi-partisan Israeli legislator, based on range of cooperative initiatives, 2022
- Selected as one of top 5 “Most Diligent Israeli Legislators”, the Shakuf Initiative, 2021
- Selected as 1 of 5 environmental heroes in Israel, ICE News, 2020
- Arava Award for Contribution to Regional Cooperation and the Environment, 2019
- Im Tirtzu Prize by Young Judaea for Outstanding International Leadership, 2017
- Haiken Prize, Best Original Israeli Book on Geostrategic Topics (The Land is Full), 2016
- Kennedy Leigh Fellowship (declined), Oxford University, 2011
- Best article in the field of international water management, International Journal of River Basin Management Competition, 2011
- Life Achievement Award for Contribution to Environmental Protection in honor of Israel’s Sixtieth Independence Anniversary, Israel Ministry of Environment, 2008
- Haim Shiva Award for Outstanding Academic Research, Ben Gurion Fund, 2006
- Charles Bronfman Humanitarian Award for Young Leadership, 2006
- Jewish National Fund (KKL) Lewis Award for Forestry Research, 1999
- Henry Ford European Conservation Award, 1997
- Willensky Award for Outstanding Research among Graduate Students in Health Policy, Harvard University, 1989
- Four Time Fellowship Recipient, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Network for Environmental Management, 1987–89
Service to the Profession
- Co-Chair, Zafuf, the Forum for Population, Environment & Society