Icko Iben, Jr. (1931-) | University of Illinois Archives

Icko Iben Jr. (1931- ) was appointed as a professor of astronomy and physics, and as head of the astronomy department at the University of Illinois in 1972. He remained head of the astronomy department until 1984 and retired in 1999 as distinguished professor emeritus. Every year, the University of Illinois astronomy department conducts the Icko Iben Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series during which an astronomer talks to the general public in a forum about developments in the field.

Icko Iben Jr. was born June 27, 1931 to Icko Iben, who was a newspaper librarian and business archivist at the University of Illinois. Iben Jr. received his bachelor's degree in physics from Harvard (1953), and his master’s (1954) and Ph.D. (1958) in physics from the University of Illinois; his Ph.D. thesis was on Higher order effects in beta decay. Iben Jr. worked as associate professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1968-1972) before moving to the University of Illinois. His research focused on how the products of nuclear reactions within stars’ interiors are mixed to the surface, theoretical star models, stellar evolution theory, the production of planetary nebulae, red giant heavy metal convection, and modelling of asymptomatic branch thermal pulses. Icko Iben Jr. remained active after retirement, authoring the two-volume work Stellar Evolution Physics (2012-2013).

Icko Iben Jr.’s awards and honors include George Darwin lecturer for the Royal Astronomical Society (1984), Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (1984), John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow (1985-1986), election to the National Academy of Sciences (1985), the University Scholar Award from the University of Illinois (1985-1988), US and USSR Academies of Science Exchange Scholar (1985), Senior Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University (1986), McMillin Lecturer at Ohio State University, visiting Eminent Scholar at the University Center in Georgia, the Henry Norris Russel Lecturer for the American Astronomical Society (1989), and the Eddington Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society for “single investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics” (1990).

Iben was a member of the Advisory Panel of Astronomy Section for the National Science Foundation (1972-1975); Councilor for the American Astronomical Society (1975-1977); Vice President of the American Delegation of the International Astronomical Union (1975-1977); part of the Visiting Committee for the Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo, and Sac Peak National Centers (1979-1982); and part of the Telescope Allocation Committee for the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (1982-1989).

More can be found on Icko Iben Sr. in the Icko Iben Papers, 1920-1973 [35/3/25].

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