Profile

Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban

Arie Zaban was born in Israel in 1961. He served in the Israel Air Force, completing the pilot’s course with honors and serving as a Phantom pilot in the early 1980s. He earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry (summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in Electrochemistry (with highest distinction) at Bar-Ilan University (1987-1995). After a 2 year postdoctoral stint at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Denver, CO), Prof. Zaban returned to Bar-Ilan to pursue his academic career, rising swiftly from senior lecturer to full professor.

He served as a founding director of the University’s Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials for seven years, and was elected to the position of Bar-Ilan’s Vice President of Research in 2014. During the 62nd Bar-Ilan Board of Trustees Spring Session, held in 2017, Arie Zaban was unanimously elected to be BIU’s eighth president, assuming office in October 2017.

Research and Awards

Prof. Zaban has published hundreds of articles in leading international scientific journals and has garnered numerous awards for his scientific achievements. His research, mainly in the field of energy, led to the establishment of four start-up companies implementing eight of the patents he developed. He has been awarded several prizes and fellowships such as the ICS Prize for Outstanding Young Scientist, the Michael Landau Research Prize in Renewable Energy, the IVS Research Excellence Prize and the Israel Chemical Society Prize of Excellence.

His research interests are in the fields of materials science for sustainable world, with a focus on renewable energy resources. Recent achievements concentrate on: development of experimental Material-by-Design, all-oxide photovoltaics hybrid (organic-inorganic) solar cells: design, fabrication, mechanisms and applications, high conductivity transparent electrodes for optoelectronics, and high energy density metal-air batteries.

Prof. Zaban and his wife, Racheli, have four children and one grandchild.