Omar Harvey

Assistant Professor of Geology

 

EDUCATION

B.S.  2001  University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago
M.S.  2004  University of Florida
Ph.D.  2010  Texas A&M University

 

TEACHING INTERESTS

  • GLY 101 Physical Geology
  • GLY 306  Environmental Geology
  • GLY 4/511  Applied Groundwater Geochemistry
  • GLY 4/576  Hydrology

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Geochemistry, Hydrogeology, Environmental Geology, Carbon Sequestration

I am fascinated by broad-impact scientific research that seeks to address complex issues related to the maintenance and/or improvement of environmental quality. My academic interests are therefore interdisciplinary in nature and unravel through synergistic activities in geochemistry and geoscience education. 

From a geochemistry perspective, my research interests include the:

  • Investigation/ modeling of structure-reactivity or structure-function relationships in complex natural and engineered systems,
  • Development of innovative instrumentation and experimental techniques for investigating macroscopic and molecular-scale processes occurring in complex environmental systems;
  • Synthesis and characterization of novel materials for environmental applications;

My current research thrust is in the areas of carbon management (specifically geologic carbon sequestration, CO2 capture and re-use, and environmental applications of pyrogenic carbon (biochars)), contaminant behavior in perturbed systems, and the application of modern calorimetric techniques in the geosciences.

From a geoscience education perspective, I have a keen interest in undergraduate research in the geosciences and the factors that influence novice (student)/ expert (faculty) productivity. Particularly, I am interested in the influence of factors of motivation (such as mentoring, career goals, institutional resources, compensation and cultural/socio-economic background) on participation and research quality.