Service de Chimie Quantique et Photophysique
(Atomes, Molécules et Atmosphères)
Laboratoire Européen Associé – European Associated Laboratory
[Me (??k)]
Michel Herman

Curriculum Vitæ (pdf)

  • Born, July 28, 1951, Brussels
  • Belgian
  • Widower
  • Two children: Joanne (born 1979) and Leslie (born 1982)

Diplomas ("Université Libre de Bruxelles", ULB)

  • "Agrégé de l'enseignement supérieur" (Habilitation thesis) (1985)
  • "Docteur en Sciences" (PhD) (1977)
  • "Agrégé de l'enseignement secondaire supérieur" (1973)

Career

  • Research Associate of the National Research Council of Canada – Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Ottawa (1977-1978)
  • Fellow (up to top position of Research Director) of the "Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique" - Brussels (1979-1997)
  • Full professeur at ULB (1997- )

Major Awards

  • Francqui chair holder (Belgian title) at the "Universiteit Antwerpen" (2008)
  • Visiting Lecturer of the Chemistry Research Promotion Center, Taiwan (2005)
  • "Directeur de Recherches honoraire" of the "Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique" (1998)
  • Invited Professor at the "Università degli Studi" of Bologna (1996)
  • Fellow of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences (1993)
  • Invited Professor at the "Université de Paris-Sud" (1989-1990)
  • Award Louis D’OR from the "Société Royale des Sciences de Liège" (1986)
  • Award STAS from the "Académie des Sciences" of Belgium (1977)

Main Academic Responsabilities

  • Co-director of the "Laboratoire de Chimie Quantique et Photophysique" at ULB (2003 - )
  • Member of the "Comité National de Chimie" (from the « Académie des Sciences de Belgique" (2003- )
  • President founder of the thematic doctoral school "METAMORPHOSE" of the "Communauté française de Belgique" (2006 - 2009)
  • Internal person in charge of the international evaluation procedure (audit) for teaching activities at the Department of Chemistry at ULB (2003)
  • Person in charge of the "Bologna" harmonisation procedure (teaching program) at the Department of Chemistry at ULB (2002-2004)
  • Head of the Department of Chemistry at ULB (1993 and 1994)

Main Scientific Activities

Publications

  • 190 peer reviewed publications in international scientific journals including 42 over the period 2007-2011 among which 5 are on personal invitation, 2 are cover papers, 2 were selected by the editors (J. Chem. Phys. and Mol. Phys.) as presenting groundbreaking results and 1 is a Frontiers paper (Chem. Phys. Letters)

Scientific Expertise

Field : Molecular chemical physics

  • Fundamental high resolution spectroscopy
  • Experimental based activities (ultra sensitive lasers detection, Fourier transform spectrometers and supersonic expansions)
  • Theoretical activities (Vibration-rotation Hamiltonians)

Highlights (long range investments)

  • Unravelling intramolecular complexity at high vibrational excitation, with acetylene as a prototypical target
  • Investigating hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides by coupling Fourier transform and supersonic jet techniques, now including a femto/opo laser as absorption source and high finesse cavity absorption
  • Ultra sensitive cavity ring down laser investigation of van der Waals species in the overtone spectral range

Research projects towards the application of these fields to atmospheric sciences, astrophysics and dynamics

Various

  1. Supervisor of 20 PhD theses, including 11 theses since 2000 (with 4 students now with academic positions in France or Belgium) and 3 running PhD theses, and supervisor of several master theses
  2. Member of 36 PhD and Habilitation theses committees abroad (20 since 2000)
  3. Organisation of international scientific events (executive and scientific committes)
  4. 11 Invited plenary talks at international meetings (since 2000)
  5. Seminars abroad
  6. Regular participation to international meetings
  7. Active international collaboration
  8. Principal investigator of Belgian and international research contracts
  9. Head of the ULB research group "High Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy (HiReS)"

Languages

  • French : mother tongue
  • English : fluent
  • Dutch : good knowledge

Address

Laboratoire de Chimie quantique et Photophysique (http://www.ulb.ac.be/cpm),
Université libre de Bruxelles, CP160/09
50 Avenue Roosevelt, B-1050 Belgium
Phone: +32(0)26502417
Fax: +32(0)26504232
E-mail: mherman@ulb.ac.be