Yoram Kapulnik

Prof. Yoram Kapulnik is the Executive Director of the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) as of August 1, 2017. He is the former Director General of the Volcani Center in Israel (2011-2016) and prior to this position, he served as the head of numerous Institutes within the Volcani Center.

Born and raised in Israel, Prof. Kapulnik received his PhD in Soil Microbiology from the Hebrew University, and as a Fulbright Fellow, completed his post-doctoral work at the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Kapulnik worked for more than 25 years as a Professor of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology at the Volcani Center, Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. His early work focused on the study of plant-microorganism interactions in the plant’s roots, and their impact on crop productivity. Later, he concentrated on identification and utilization of natural products produced by numerous plants species and their health benefits to humans.  Prof. Kapulnik holds 14 patents, trained more than 65 graduate and post-graduate students in his lab, and has published more than 170 articles in his field in international scientific journals.

Prof. Kapulnik has served on numerous national and international research evaluation panels, chaired the Board of the Israeli Gene Bank, the national “Food Security” commission and the national committee group to develop curriculum frameworks for agricultural education in Israel. He also represented Israel in numerous international conferences in Israel and abroad.

Education and Training

1975-1978                   B.Sc. in Agriculture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,                                       Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot, Israel.

1978-1980                   M.Sc. Botany and Plant Pathology, Hebrew University, Rehovot

1980-1984                   Ph.D. Microbiology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty                               of Agriculture, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology.

1984-1986                   Postdoctoral position at the University of California, Davis,                                            Department of Agronomy and Range Science

1991-1992                   Sabbatical leave at the Center for Agricultural Molecular Biology,                                         Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, with Prof. I. Raskin.

1994-1995                   “Business Management of Hi-Tech Companies”, executives’                                          education course, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.

1995-1996                   Sabbatical leave at Phytotech, Inc. Monmouth J. New Jersey, USA,                               with Dr. B. Ensley.

1999                            Leadership and Management Training Course for senior scientists,                                        the Volcani Center, Bet Dagan.

2004-2006                   Leadership and management program for senior governmental                                      officials, Institute for Leadership and Governance, JDC Israel.

2016                            Sabbatical leave at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, with Prof.                                  I. Raskin (5 months)

 

Positions Held and Academic duties

1980-1983                   Research Associate and Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Microbiology                                    and Plant Pathology, The Hebrew Univ., Faculty of Agriculture.

Instructor in Microbiology, Dept. of Microbiology and Plant
Pathology, The Hebrew Univ., Faculty of Agriculture.

1986-1987                   Crop Physiologist, Department of Agronomy and Range Science,
University of California, Davis, USA.

1987-2017                   Research Scientist at the ARO, the Volcani Center, Institute of Field
and Garden Crops.

1995-1996                   Director of Research in a start-up company (during Sabbatical                               leave), Phytotech, Inc. Monmouth J. New Jersey, USA.

1997                            Promoted to Senior Scientist level A + (equivalent to full Prof.).

1998-2001                   Department head, Agronomy and Natural Resources, Institute of                                                Field and Garden Crops, ARO

2001-2004                   Director, Institute of Field and Garden Crops, ARO.

2003-2007                   Chairman of the board, Israel Plant Gene Bank.

2005-2007                   Director, Institute of Plant Sciences, ARO.

2011–2016                  Head, the Volcani Center, ARO.

2011–2015                  Chairman, ARO Strategic Committee; to determine the direction,                                              scope and long-term development plan.

2011–2016                  Chairman, the Tenure and Promotion Evaluation Committee, ARO.

2012                            Chairman, the National Food Security committee – “Preparing for                                         2050”; Nominated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural                                           Development, Israel

2011–2016                  Member of the Board, US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research                                                 and Development Fund (BARD)

2013                            Chairman of the Board, BARD US-Israel Binational Agricultural                                               Research and Development Fund (BARD)

2013                            Board member of the national vegetables production commission

2014–2017                  Head of the Tenure and Promotion Evaluation Committee for                                                 researchers of the Ministry of Health.

Scientific and Agricultural committees

1986                            Member, Organizing Committee of Finland-Israel Plant Microbe
International Workshop, Jerusalem.

1989-1991                   Member, Israeli Committee for the review of research proposals to                                      BARD (US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development                               Fund)

1989-1995                   Member of the steering committee for research on The Nation                                                 Organic Agriculture program, ARO.

1990-1991                   Member, Organizing Committee of the First International Symbiosis                                  Congress held in Jerusalem, November 1991

1990-1991                   Member of the steering committee for research on use of saline water                              in agriculture, ARO.

1990-1992                   Member of the Academic Committee of the ARO.

1992-2001                   Member, advisory committee for intellectual property and breeder’s
rights, ARO.

1993-1995                   Member, Israeli Committee for the review of research proposals to BARD                                         (US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund)

1993-1994                   Member of Inter-Ministerial special committee, appointed by the

General Director of the Ministry of Science for “MANOF” program to                                    evaluate and follow-up research activity in periphery research centers.

1995-1996                   Member of the National Environmental Protection Committee for                                                 defining objectives and proposals for the Ministry of Science.

1997-2016                   Member of the ARO special committee for the usage of scientific                                           intellectual properties.

1997-2007                   Member of the National Committee for Transgenic Plants and                                            Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).

1999-2002                   Member of the Technical Advisory committee (TAC) of the US-                                            Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund                                              (BARD).

1999–2005                  Management committee, COST Action 838 Managing arbuscular                                      mycorrhizal fungi for improving soil quality and health in agriculture.

2000-2002                   Member of the Fulbright post-doc scholarship committee (US-Israel                         Educational Development Foundation)

2002–2007                  Member, ARO Strategic Committee; to determine the direction, scope                             and long-term development plan.

2007- 2011                  Vice chairmen and management committee member of COST Action                                  870, European Commission.

2009                            Member of the ISF cell biology evaluation committee

2009-2010                   Member, evaluation committee, COST programs.

2010-2012                   Chairmen of the Global warming panel for the evaluation of research                                     proposals, Israel Ministry of Agriculture.

2013–2016                  Management committee, COST Action 1206, European Commission.

2014-date                    Board of Directors, Groundwork BioAg Ltd., Moshav Mazor, Israel

2014-date                    Head, curriculum Framework committee for agricultural education in                                 high schools, Israeli Ministry of Education