Biography

Dr. Hélène R. Dickel received her A.B. in mathematics from
Mount Holyoke College in 1959 and her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of
Michigan in 1964. She is currently an Emerita Research Professor of Astronomy
at the University of Illinois and an Adjunct Professor in the Physics and
Astronomy Department of the University of New Mexico. She co-discovered the first formaldehyde
maser in 1979 and is a pioneer in radio molecular spectroscopy using radio
aperture synthesis techniques, including making some of the first images of
molecular distributions with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope in the
Netherlands, the Very Large Array of Radio Telescopes of the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the millimeter array of the Berkeley-
Illinois-Maryland Association for which she was the BIMA Scheduler
from 1994 through 1998.
Prof. Dickel is the author of over 100 publications. Recent research includes
radiative transfer modeling of star-forming regions.

She and her astronomer
husband, John, were "Faculty Friends" to the undergraduates living in the
Snyder residence hall at the University of Illinois since 1994 (and with the
FF program since 1989). For twenty years they hosted "January term" student
interns in astronomy from Mt. Holyoke, Wheaton, Oberlin, and Carroll Colleges.
Interests outside of astronomy include ice dance (became a USFSA silver ice
dancer in 2002), cross-country skiing (when there is snow!), canoeing, hiking,
and church choir. They retired to Albuquerque, NM in June 2005.

Prof. Dickel has held Visiting positions at the Division of Radiophysics in
Sydney, Australia (1970-71), Sterrewacht te Leiden, the Netherlands (1977-79),
Earth and Space Sciences Division of the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico
(1985-86) and more recently at the Australia Telescope National Facility in
Sydney, Australia (1992-93). While on sabbatical during 1999-2000 at the
Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy in Dwingeloo, Prof. Dickel
held a Visiting Professor appointment (1 day/week) at the Astronomical Institute
of the University of Amsterdam. She retired in 2001 and is now an Emerita Research
Professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois and became an Adjunct
Professor at the University of New Mexico in 2005 where she is working on their
Long Wavelength Array project.

She is a member of a number of professional societies
including the International Scientific Radio Union, Phi Beta Kappa,
Sigma Xi, and Association for Women in Science. She was chair of the
Nominating
Committee of the American Astronomical Society in 1992. She has been a
member
of the scientific organizing committee of Commission 40 on Radio
Astronomy of
the International Astronomical Union.
Prof. Dickel was President of the IAU Comission 5 Working Group [on
Astronomical]
Designations from 1997 - 2003. Dr. Dickel was a Tour Speaker for the
American Chemical Society (1986-2008)and a Shapley Visiting Lecturer for
the American Astronomical Society (1982-2007. She still gives
occasional lectures to the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Xi,
among other groups.

Specializations

• My primary interest is in the physical conditions and evolution of dense cores of giant molecular clouds from which massive stars form and in the subsequent interactions of these newly-formed stars and attendant HII regions on the remaining molecular gas. Molecular emission from these regions is studied via radio observations coupled with a non-LTE, multi-level radiative transfer code. I am currently involved at U. NM in the development of the Long Wavelength Array.

Research Description

See specializations/Research Interests above.

Education

• AB Mt. Holyoke College 1959; PhD University of Michigan 1964

Grants

• Co-Principal Investigator of BIMA NSF grants (1991-2001) Principal Investigator of NSF grants (1972-1980,1991-94) Principal Investigator of U. of I. Research Board Grant (summer 1981) Principal Collaborator on NATO Research Grant (1980-83) Principal Investigator of International NSF Grant (1985-86) Principal Investigator of AAS Small Research Grant (1982-85,1990)

Webpages

• Long Wavelength Array Project