NMSU alumnus Gale Allen Harvey to receive honorary doctoral degree

Alumnus Gale Allen Harvey, New Mexico State University class of 1962, will receive an honorary Doctor of Science Degree at NMSU’s December Commencement. (NMSU photo by Brian Newson)

Source: NMSU Newsroom
Photo: Courtesy

The New Mexico State University Board of Regents will present alumnus Gale Harvey, class of 1962, with an honorary Doctor of Science degree in recognition of the decades of support he has provided to the university and his contributions to science. NMSU Interim President Mónica Torres will present the award at the NMSU commencement ceremonies starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 13 at the Pan American Center.

“We proudly honor Gale Harvey for his outstanding service and support to both the university and the Foundation,” said Sylvia Y. Acosta, CEO of the NMSU Foundation. “This honorary doctorate reflects his ongoing dedication to advancing education and his legacy of generosity in supporting our Aggies. He’s helped countless students achieve their dreams, and we are truly grateful.”

Upon graduation from Alamogordo High School, Gale Allen Harvey was awarded a $400 scholarship from the NMSU Department of Physics—and his stellar career ignited. First graduating from NMSU with a bachelor’s in physics in 1962, he also earned a master’s from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1967. His heart, however, is with NMSU. “I have always felt that NMSU was my only alma mater and the school that opened the most doors for me,” Harvey said.

Harvey dedicated more than 45 years to groundbreaking research as a physicist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, contributing to advancements in space science and atmospheric studies. His extensive body of work includes more than 20 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals such as NASA Technical Memoranda, “The Astronomical Journal,” “The Astrophysical Journal,” “Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific” and “Sky & Telescope.”

Harvey’s research focused on areas including meteor spectroscopy, atmospheric sensing with high-energy lasers, environmental impacts of space on space vehicles and shuttle orbiter thermal protection tile repair. For nine years, he also represented Langley Research Center on the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) International Working Group on Space Simulation, contributing to global discussions on space research and simulation.

In the 1970s, Harvey directed and published about the NASA-NMSU meteor spectra patrol cameras, which studied meteor trajectories, orbits, and velocities using automated equipment. Ever since, he has maintained an ongoing connection to the NMSU Department of Physics in NMSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. In 2007, he established the Gale A. Harvey Endowed Scholarship for physics students with financial need and in 2018, room 229 in Gardiner Hall was named in his honor.

For more than 35 years, Harvey has used his science background as a beekeeper, using thermal analysis to alleviate heat stress in the hives. Now a full-time beekeeper, he rents out hives for pollination services and is a member of the Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Virginia.

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