A Flushing, New York, native, Dickman was born on 16 February 1950, and received his bachelor's of science degree in horticulture from the University of Hawaii in 1979.
[1][2] He completed his studies with a master's of science and doctorate in plant pathology, both from UH.
[1][3] He moved to Texas A&M University in 2006, accepting the Christine Richardson Professorship in agriculture.
[1][3] Between 2012 and 2017, Dickman served as editor-in-chief of the journal Molecular Plant Pathology .
[5] The American Phytopathological Society honored Dickman with the 2017 Noel T. Keen Award for Research Excellence in Molecular Plant Pathology.