Mark C. Harvey Ph.D.

Education and Training

• Bachelor of Science in Physics, Cum Laude Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia, May 1992
• Master of Science in Physics Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, May 1995
• Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Nuclear Physics Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, May 2001

Biography

Dr. Mark C. Harvey received a B.S. degree in physics from Virginia State University (Petersburg, VA). He completed his graduate studies in physics at Hampton University (Hampton, VA), earning his M.S. in physics and Ph.D. in experimental nuclear physics. His doctoral research in medium energy nuclear physics was conducted at the National Institute for Nuclear and High Energy Physics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Harvey joined the PHENIX collaboration at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY) as a postdoctoral research assistant, contributing to investigations in relativistic heavy ion collision physics. He later taught introductory physics courses at Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) before resuming research as a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). A nuclear physicist specializing in health physics, Dr. Harvey has received federally funded grants from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, he secured a contract from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Radioactive Materials Division, to support his work in environmental radiation assessment, which leverages advanced statistical modeling and data-intensive techniques to analyze complex environmental datasets. His research spans radiation dose assessment in environmental and medical health physics, high-energy nuclear physics, radiation biology, and atmospheric science. He applies computational methods, radiation detection technologies, and Monte Carlo simulations to investigate both fundamental and applied problems in nuclear science. Dr. Harvey has mentored underrepresented STEM students in projects involving computational modeling and stray radiation measurements at facilities such as the National Synchrotron Light Source II and the McGovern School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He is a professor of physics and has served as both the director and primary instructor of the health physics program at Texas Southern University. Dr. Harvey approaches nuclear science with a commitment to advancing both fundamental understanding as well as practical applications that promote public health and environmental stewardship. He emphasizes inclusive pedagogy to prepare a diverse cohort of students to engage meaningfully in scientific inquiry and innovation.

Research Interests

• Medical health physics & environmental health physics
• Gamma radiation dose rate and spectroscopy measurement
• Radiation biology
• Atmospheric science: PM2.5, NOₓ, O₃, SO₂, and air quality trends in Houston
• J/psi particle production in ultra-peripheral collisions
• Radionuclide production and nuclear astrophysics

Funding

Principal Investigator, Secondary Neutron Exposures in Pediatric Proton Radiotherapy, National Institutes of Health F32, 2008 Co-Investigator, Faculty Support for Developing Radiation Dosimetry Research in Health Physics using Monte Carlo Techniques at Texas Southern University, Nuclear Regulatory Commission HR-FN-1009-NED02, 2010 Principal Investigator, Medical Health Physics Scholarship Program at Texas Southern University, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC-HQ-84-14-FOA-0003, 2014 Co-Investigator, Unified Approach to Increase STEM Undergraduate Students Employment in the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research ONR FOA 14-002, 2014 Principal Investigator, Medical Health Physics Scholarship Program at Texas Southern University, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC-HQ-84-16-FOA-0001, 2016 Co-Investigator, Undergraduate Peer-Mentor Project-Based Program in STEM at Texas Southern University, National Science Foundation HRD-1719318, 2017 Principal Investigator, Contract – Texas Southern University, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) 582-20-10298, 2019 Co-Investigator, HBCU Collision Collaboration – J/psi Peripheral Collision Analysis and Detection, National Science Foundation EiR-1901420, 2019 Co-Investigator, Computational Modeling of Atmospheric Processes (CMAP), Research Development and Partnership Pilot (RDPP), 2022 Co-Investigator, Establishment of Research and Education Partnerships for Underrepresented Students in Biophysics at Texas Southern University, PREP-2217057, 2022 Co-Investigator, HBCU Collider Consortium, Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW), 2023 Co-Investigator, Partnership for Fostering Graduate Training in Atmospheric Sciences at Texas Southern University, Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW), 2023