Talaska is an emeritus professor and served as associate chair of the department from 2013 to 2017. He also served as director of the Division of Environmental and Industrial Hygiene and the Biological Monitoring Component Program. A certified industrial hygienist, he has been a member of the World Trade Center Health Program's Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee since 2011 and has served on numerous additional advisory committees and expert panels on environmental and occupational health, hazardous substances and biological monitoring in the U.S. and internationally.

He replaces Shuk-Mei Ho, PhD, who recently became vice chancellor for research at the University of Arkansas.