[2] Rieke is the Principal Investigator on the near-infrared camera (NIRCam) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The presence of the Dow Chemical Company headquarters in Midland made science a topic of importance for kids throughout the school system.

[3] After receiving her degrees from MIT, Rieke became a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona in 1976, and has remained there ever since, now as Regents' Professor of Astronomy and formerly as Associate Department Head for the Steward Observatory.

She was then the deputy-Principal Investigator on the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

[9] In 2023, she received a NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal for her contribution to the field of astronomy and her key roles in the development of cutting-edge instruments for the James Webb Space Telescope.