St Edmund’s College notes with appreciation that Richard Edwin Hills (1945–2022), former Fellow of the College, has been recognised with the publication of an obituary in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Professor Hills, elected a Fellow of St Edmund’s College in 1993, was a leading figure in the development of millimetre and submillimetre astronomy, contributing to its growth from an experimental field into a central area of observational astrophysics. His work combined scientific insight with exceptional technical expertise, particularly in the design and delivery of advanced instrumentation.

Alongside his academic achievements, he was remembered as a valued member of the College community, known for his warmth, generosity, and enthusiasm for sharing knowledge with students, researchers, and Fellows.

The full Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry, written by Simon Mitton, Life Fellow of St Edmund’s College, can be found on the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | Faculty of History website.

About the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB)

The Oxford DNB, first published in 2004, is the modern, authoritative edition of the DNB. It contains over 60,000 biographies of individuals who shaped British history, from ancient times to the 21st century, written by 13,000 specialist authors from 52 countries. The ODNB also includes more than 500 thematic essays and 11,500 portrait likenesses, researched in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, London.

The ODNB is available online via subscription, either individually or through libraries, and is continuously updated with new biographies and revisions based on recent scholarship. Monthly updates include biographies of recently deceased individuals and thematic collections, ensuring the resource remains current.