Pioneer Research in Nuclear Detection Lab
 

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1979
  • M.S., Texas A&M University, 1975
  • B.S., Texas A&M University, 1973

Background

Began at Tech in Winter 1993 as an Associate Professor. Prior was an Assistant and an Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Austin.

Research

Dr. Hertel performs research that integrates computational radiation transport with radiation measurements.  He has made contributions in computational dosimetry, radiation detection, neutron spectroscopy, radiation dosimetry, radiological assessment, radiation shielding and radiation instrument modeling.

Starting in 2013 he has held a joint faculty appointment in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is currently the Acting Director of the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge.  The Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge was established by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and five federal agencies.  The center is to serve as a common resource to assist the participating agencies in the development and application of radiation dosimetry and risk assessment methodologies based on the best available scientific information and to maintain and preserve U.S. expertise in radiation dosimetry.

Previously as the coordinator of the Georgia Tech Focused Research Program on Pioneer Research in Nuclear Detection, Dr. Hertel assembled a multidisciplinary group of researchers on the Georgia Tech campus which continues to address the nuclear detection needs for homeland security, nuclear nonproliferation verification and other related activities. His interest include the improvement of existing instruments, the fabrication of new detector materials and their testing, and the use of both passive and active interrogation to determine the presence of illicit special nuclear materials or radioactive materials.

In addition, Dr. Hertel’s research group has performed neutron spectral and dosimetry measurements in support of different nuclear facilities ranging from PET cyclotrons to used nuclear fuel storage facilities to both research and power reactor facilities.

  • Graduate Student Government Association Faculty of the Year Award, 2006
  • President, Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards, 2008-2009.
  • 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding. General Chair, 2008
  • Fellow, Health Physics Society
  • American Society for Engineering Education, Nuclear Engineering Division Glenn Murphy Award, 2004
  • Co-Chair, International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) Report Committee 26 on Operational Radiation Protection Quantities for External Radiation, 2010-present
  • Chair, Department of Energy U. S. Scientific Review Group of the Russian Health Studies Program, 2005-present.
  • Member, International Commission of Radiological Protection Task Group on Dose Calculation, 2002-present.
  • Corresponding member, International Commission of Radiological Protection Task Group on Environmental
  • Member, U. S. Department of Energy Joint Senior Review Group, Dosimetry System 2002(DS02)  – Revised Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivor Dosimetry), 2002-2003
  • Certificate of Appreciation, Los Alamos National Laboratory (Environmental, Health, and Safety Division), 2001
  • Registered Professional Engineer in Georgia

Representative Publications

  • Co-editor (with Dr. Shaheen Dewji) of the reference book, Advanced Radiation Protection Dosimetry, commissioned by the Nuclear Regulator Commission (CRC Press Francis and Taylor, 2019).
  • Co-author, International Commission of Radiological Protection Publication 116: Conversion Coefficients for Radiological Protection Quantities for External Radiation Exposures, 2010, with R. Leggett et al.
  • Co-author, Environmental Protection Agency Federal Guidance Report No. 15 (External Exposure To Radionuclides In Soil, Air, And Water: Exposure-to-Dose Coefficients for General Application), August 2019, with R. Leggett et al.  
  • Photon and Neutron Fluence-to-Dose Conversion Coefficients, An American National Standard, ANSI/ANS-6.1.1-2020 (co-chaired the working group).
  • ICRU Report 95, Operational Quantities for External Radiation Exposure, Journal of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, Volume 20 (1), December 2020 (co-chaired the report committee).
  • ”Neutron Dose Coefficients For The Local Skin,” J. Rad. Prot. 40, 554-582 (2020), with K Veinot et al.
  • “Dosimetric Impact of a New Computational Voxel Phantom Series for the Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors: Methodological Improvements and Organ Dose Response Functions,” Radiation Research 194, 390–402 (2020), with T. Sato et al.
  • “Neutron Dose Coefficients for the Lens of the Eye,” J. Radiol. Protection 41, 628-654 (2021), with K. Veinot et al.
  • “Japanese Pediatric and Adult Atomic Bomb Survivor Dosimetry: Potential Improvements Using the J45 Phantom Series and Modern Monte Carlo Transport,” Radiation and Environmental Biophysics 61, 73–86(2022), with K Griffin et al.
  • "Specific Absorbed Fractions for Spontaneous Fission Neutron Emitters in the ICRP Reference Pediatric Voxel Phantom Series,” Health Physics Journal, 123, 178-286 (2022), with K. Griffin et al.
  • “Compact Portable Sources Of High-LET Radiation: Validation And Potential Application For Galactic Cosmic Radiation Countermeasure Discovery,” Life Sciences in Space Research 35, 163-169 (2022), with W. Dynan et al.