Overview

Joseph J. Helble was named the 15th president of Lehigh University in 2021. Prior to becoming Dartmouth's provost in 2018, he served for 13 years as Thayer's dean. Helble earned his BS in chemical engineering from Lehigh and his PhD in chemical engineering from MIT. From 1987–1995, he worked as a research scientist at Physical Sciences, Inc., and in 1993 also served as a fellow with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He then joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut as professor of both chemical and environmental engineering and served first as Graduate Program Chair and then as Chemical Engineering Department Head. Before joining Thayer, Helble was named the 2004–2005 Roger Revelle Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), allowing him to spend that academic year addressing technology and environmental policy initiatives in the US Senate. Helble has served on numerous EPA Science Advisory Board panels and on the editorial boards of Environmental Engineering Science and Fuel Processing Technology. He is presently chair of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Engineering Deans’ Public Policy Committee. Helble is a recipient of a young faculty Career Award from NSF, an outstanding young faculty award from the University of Connecticut School of Engineering, and the Barnard Award from AAAS. He is the author of over 100 publications in the areas of air pollution, aerosols, nanoscale ceramics, and air quality, and holds three US patents related to nanoscalepowder production. In 2014, Helble, along with three Thayer colleagues, was a recipient of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education for the design and implementation of Dartmouth’s Engineering Entrepreneurship Program.

Research Interests

Environmental impacts of fossil energy utilization with emphasis on mercury; particulate matter; air pollution control; CO2 capture; combustion-derived pollution

Education

• BS, Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University 1982
• PhD, Chemical Engineering, MIT 1987

Awards

• Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, 2014
• Environmental Leadership Faculty Award, University of Connecticut, 2005
• Roger Revelle Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2004 - 2005)
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China, honorary Advisor Professor, 2004
• Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, elected 2004
• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 1998
• Barnard Award, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1994

Professional Activities

• American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Chemistry National Meetings Program Chair, 2007
• Editorial Board, Environmental Engineering Science, 2004 -
• Editorial Board, Fuel Processing Technology (Elsevier Science Publishers) 2002 -
• University of Vermont, College of Engineering and Mathematics Board of Advisors, member 2005 -
• Brown University, College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering Advisory Board, member 2005 -
• EPA Science Advisory Board, reviews of "Air Toxics Research Strategy" and "EPA Draft Report on the Environment 2003," 2003-2005
• Conference Organizer and Program Chair, Engineering Foundation Conference on Nanoparticles and Nanostructures by Vapor Phase Synthesis, Barga Italy, 2002

Selected Publications

• Zeng, T., Helble, J.J., Bool, L.E., and Sarofim, A.F., Iron Transformations During Combustion of Pittsburgh #8 Coal, Fuel 88, 566-572 (2009).
• Smith, C.A., Krishnakumar, B., and Helble, J.J., Homogeneous and heterogeneous mercury oxidation in a bench-scale flame-based flow reactor, Proc. AWMA Annual Meeting (2009).
• Garabedian, R., and Helble, J.J., Modeling Coalescence in Multiple Particle Systems, J. Aerosol Science 39, 71-81 (2008).
• Krishnakumar, B., and Helble, J.J., Understanding Mercury Transformations in Coal-Fired Power Plants: Evaluation of Homogeneous Hg Oxidation Mechanisms, Env. Sci. Tech. 41(22), 7870-7875 (2007).
• Mamani-Paco, R., and Helble, J.J., Size, and Time of the Day Influences on the Morphology Distributions of Atmospheric Fine Particles at the Baltimore Supersite, Atmos. Environment 41, 8021-8029 (2007).
• Schladt, M., Filburn, T., and Helble, J.J., Supported Amine Sorbents Under Temperature Swing Absorption for CO2 and Moisture Capture, Indus. Eng. Chem. Res. 46 (5), 1590 -1597 (2007).

Videos

News

Rebooting Research, Phase One
May 22, 2020

College Leaders Discuss Dartmouth's Future in a Changing World
Jun 24, 2019

Construction to Begin on West End Expansion at Start of New Year
Dec 20, 2018

Joseph Helble on Dartmouth, Running, and Becoming Provost
Oct 25, 2018

Joseph Helble Named Dartmouth's Next Provost
May 17, 2018

Dartmouth Launches Capital Campaign
Apr 27, 2018

Integrating Engineering, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship
Mar 29, 2018

Dartmouth's Helble Named to Prestigious Science Society
Nov 20, 2017

Joseph Helble Reappointed to Fourth Term as Thayer Dean
Jul 03, 2017

Losing international engineering students: bad for universities, bad for the economy
Jun 09, 2017

Record-setting Philanthropic Support for Thayer School
Sep 02, 2016

Dartmouth Makes History by Graduating a Majority-Female Engineering Class
Jun 16, 2016

Thayer, Geisel Deans Plan for the Future
Mar 16, 2016

Dartmouth Part of National Engineering Education Initiative Announced at White House Today
Mar 23, 2015

NAE Presents Nation's Top Prize for Engineering Education to Dartmouth
May 14, 2014

Dartmouth Engineering Dean Named to N.H. STEM Task Force
Apr 22, 2014

Dartmouth Hosts Three Mile Island Symposium
Mar 25, 2014

Dartmouth Engineering Faculty Awarded National Prize for Educational Innovation
Jan 06, 2014

President Hanlon Announces Expansion of Engineering at Dartmouth
Nov 05, 2013

'The Core of Civilization': Inauguration Panel Reflects on the Liberal Arts
Sep 20, 2013

NSF's Partnerships for Innovations connects engineering PhDs with small business
Sep 21, 2011

Dartmouth's Engineering School Completes Largest-Ever Fundraising Campaign
Mar 07, 2011

Joseph J. Helble to lead nation's oldest professional School of Engineering
Mar 06, 2011

Committee named to lead search for Dartmouth's 17th President
Mar 06, 2011

NCI Awards $12.8 Million to Dartmouth Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
Mar 06, 2011

Dartmouth Engineering Student Battles Fake Drug Trade in Africa
Mar 04, 2011

Clare Boothe Luce Graduate Fellowships
Mar 04, 2011

Queneau Chair Celebratory Lecture
Mar 04, 2011

Innovation Boot-Camp for Engineering PhDs
Mar 04, 2011

2010 Formula Hybrid: The Results
Mar 04, 2011

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