Facilities

The Department of Physics and Engineering, located in the Masters Center for Science, Mathematics & Engineering, encompasses a collection of state-of-the-art laboratories and research spaces as well as areas for students to gather and study.

Student Hideaway

This room, located on the first floor of Esbenshade Hall, is the home of the Association of Physics & Engineering Students. It accommodates Club meetings, activities, and (most importantly) allows a place for tutoring and studying. Student Tutors are available in the evening on Sunday through Thursday from 8:00-10:00 PM and provide guidance as necessary. The Hideaway houses physics and engineering journals and books and a collection of old devices and apparatus. Also (conveniently) located in the room is a hot-water dispenser for cocoa, coffee, and tea.

Laboratory Descriptions

Electronics Lab (E-Lab)

Location: Esbenshade 182

• Director(s): Ilan Gravé, Tomas Estrada
• Square Feet: 954 ft2 (+ 209 ft2 storage room)
• Courses Served: EGR210 Circuits; EGR220 Electronics; EGR315 Instrumentation and Measurement; PHY201L Physics II Laboratory; EGR410 Control Systems; EGR433 Advanced Computer Engineering; EGR110L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; (plus non-major core course General Physics II Lab (PHY104L))
• Function: The Electronics Lab serves all laboratories associated with electricity and magnetism and as a classroom for several courses. It is also used extensively by students outside of course time for computer and electronics project work.

Mechanics Lab (M-Lab)

• Location: Esbenshade 164
• Director(s): Kurt DeGoede, Sara Atwood
• Square Feet: 926 ft2 (+ 110 ft2 storage room)
• Courses Served: Physics I Laboratory (PHY200L), Physics III Laboratory (PHY202L), Strength of Materials Lab (EGR262L) (plus non-major core courses How Things Work Laboratory (PHY105L) and General Physics I Lab (PHY103L))
• Function: The Mechanics Lab serves all laboratories associated with mechanics and mechanical engineering courses, as well as some general physics courses.

Geoscience Lab (G-Lab)

• Location: Esbenshade 184
• Director(s): Michael Scanlin
• Square Feet: 936 ft2 (+ 195 ft2 in storage)
• Courses Served: ES275 Engineering and Environmental Geophysics (& non-major courses: ES113 Earth in Space andES114 Geosystems)
• Function: Geosciences laboratory instruction.

Robotics and Machine Intelligence Lab (R-Lab) and Research Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 273 and 273A
• Director(s): Joseph Wunderlich
• Square Feet: 905 ft2 + 135 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR/CS434 Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, EGR 230 Microcomputer Architecture, EGR 332 Computer Organization and Architecture, EGR333 Digital Circuits and Computer Interfacing; EGR433 Advanced Computer Engineering; EGR110L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: The Robotics and Machine Intelligence Laboratory will serve as the primary space for student and faculty robotics and machine intelligence research. It will also serve as laboratory and lecture space for the courses listed above – with primary emphasis on Computer Engineering curriculum.

Design and Build Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 163
• Director(s): Sara Atwood
• Square Feet: 1044 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR100L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR110L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: The Design and Build Room is the location for fabricating and storing student projects that involve moderate scale construction. Projects such as the community-based projects, some course projects, and the solar boat are fabricated and stored in this room. The room contains hand tools and some woodworking equipment. In the new lab, we also have standing height project tables and stackable stools, as well as a computer and projector.

Advanced Prototyping Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 174
• Director(s): Mark Gatti
• Square Feet: 821 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR110 L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: The Machine Shop contains a CNC milling machine for fabricating parts for research and project work.

Biomechanics Research Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 165
• Director(s): Kurt DeGoede
• Square Feet: 450 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR110 L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: Motion capture and force measurement for analysis of human movement.

Semiconductor Research Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 171
• Director(s): Ilan Gravé
• Square Feet: 400 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR351 Physics of Semiconductor Devices; EGR110L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: The lab serves for research and instruction where electrical characterization of materials, with emphasis on semiconductors, is required. It also serves as an additional project work-space for electronic design.

Material Sensing Lab

• Director(s): Nat Hager
• Square Feet: 400 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project
• Function: Develop novel process-monitoring systems for industrial application based on high-speed TDR dielectric sensing technology. Conduct research and provide measurement and consulting in related areas including 1) High-frequency process sensing and millimeter-scale fault detection, 2) Broadband complex permittivity and impedance analysis to 10 GHz, 3) Microwave cavity characterization in low-loss materials to 18 GHz, 4) Custom Microwave Cavity fabrication. 5) TDR and Microwave Cavity acquisition and analysis software. Consulting draws on unique combination of high-frequency physics and chemistry geared to industrial application.

Computational Research Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 161E
• Director(s): Mark Stuckey
• Square Feet: 261 ft2
• Courses Served: PHY361 Applied Quantum Mechanics and Advanced Topics in Applied Physics; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project.
• Function: Used by students outside of class for computational homework in the courses listed supra and for other project/research work.

Thermal Systems Research Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 180
• Director(s): Tomas Estrada
• Square Feet: 351 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: A research laboratory supporting faculty research in thermal sciences and energy conversion systems, as well as undergraduate research and/or projects related to the on-going studies.

Biomechanics Research Lab

• Location: Esbenshade 167
• Director(s): Sara Atwood
• Square Feet: 397 ft2
• Courses Served: EGR110L Introduction to Engineering II Lab; EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project.
• Function: A research laboratory supporting faculty research in alternative energy storage systems, as well as undergraduate research and/or projects related to the on-going studies.

Solar Cabin

• Location: Standalone near campus track
• Director(s): Tomas Estrada
• Square Feet: 200 ft2
• Courses Served: Introduction to Engineering II Lab (EGR110L); EGR280 Engineering Research / Project; EGR291 Sophomore Project; EGR391 Engineering Design and Junior Project; EGR 491 & EGR492 Engineering Senior Project; EGR494 Computer Engineering Senior Project
• Function: Serving the triple purpose of : 1) researching and testing alternative energy storage systems 2) serving as a student project platform and study cabin, and 3) acting as a prototype for standalone community-center buildings