Tom Oliver

Tom Oliver is a Professor in Ecology and Research Dean for Environment at the University of Reading.  He regularly advises the UK government and the European Environment Agency on environmental topics. Tom is a frequent contributor to broadcast media, including BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Channel 4 and ITV News, and the mainstream press  such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Hindu Times, New Scientist, Guardian, The Times, Independent and Telegraph.  In addition he regularly gives talks on environmental science to general audiences.

Tom has published more than 100 scientific papers in world-leading interdisciplinary journals and won two first-place prizes for essays communicating science to a broader audience. He won the Marsh Award for Entomology in 2014 for outstanding contributions to Entomology. He currently lives in Wallingford, UK with his wife and two children. His first book The Self Delusion was published in January 2020.

For contact details and more information about Tom’s research see here

Tom has just recently completed a 2.5 year secondment to UK government (Defra) to lead the design of their new Systems Research Programme and he is currently seconded with the Government Office for Science and Technology

“High quality science is central to everything this department does, as our recent investment in a Systems Research Programme reinforces.” Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary at Defra. Tom’s Invited article for Cabinet Office systems thinking team here

Selected popular articles:

Interview on BBC World Service on global policy progress in tackling biodiversity loss and climate change. Listen here

Euronews interview on interlinked environmental, economic and health crises:

Channel 4 News interview on global biodiversity loss:

BBC News interview on UK drought impacts on ecosystems

A snippet from Royal Geographical Society event  ‘How can we tackle the climate and biodiversity crises?’ 12th June 2023