Sara Atwood, Ph.D.
Physics & Engineering Assistant Professor
atwoods@etown.edu | 717-361-1434 | Esbenshade 161-C

• Mechanical Engineering/Biomaterials

Sara Atwood received a B.A. and M.S. in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, where she served as a graduate student instructor for many courses. She was also president of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Council where she leads efforts to strengthen student-faculty interaction by organizing social and community service events.

Her goals for students are: knowledge of fundamental theory and concepts, effective written and oral communication, and the ability to put analytical problems in a larger context. To accomplish these goals, she creates a classroom environment that engages students in activities, demonstrations, problem solving, and discussions of case studies and current events.

Her research interests in healthcare are implemented in and out of the classroom by bringing cutting-edge examples into lectures and design projects, as well as offering undergraduates the opportunity to do research. Her research involves experimental and computational analysis of materials and designs used in orthopedic devices, including case studies of failed hip and knee replacements. Other research interests include engineering education methods to improve the confidence and performance of underrepresented students in engineering, and K-12 outreach to introduce children to engineering.

Kurt DeGoede, Ph.D.
Physics & Engineering Associate Professor
degoedek@etown.edu | 717-361-1380 | Esbenshade 161-B

• Mechanical Engineering/Biomechanics

Kurt DeGoede, Associate Professor of Physics & Engineering, received a B.S. in Engineering Physics from Hope College, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He also worked for several years at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.

He teaches primarily in the areas related to mechanical engineering, using a very interactive approach in the classroom. "Much of our scheduled time together in a course will be spent discussing problems/analyses already worked by the students and working out applications of new material." Dr. DeGoede is currently working on developing a study abroad program in West Africa built around a design course based in service engineering of the type associated with organizations such as Engineers Without Boarders, Compatible Technologies Inc., and Catapult Design. Many of these projects include work with renewable energy systems.

His research interests are in the areas of biomechanics and modeling dynamic systems. Current projects include (1) a collaborative project with Dr. Panchik in Occupational Therapy and Dr. Naidu (Orthopedic Hand Surgeon) to develop clinical instruments for conducting and assessing hand and wrist surgery patients, (2) experimental and theoretical analyses of the arrest of falls to the ground, and (3) developing a system for analyzing and teaching conducting with Dr. Fritz in Fine and Performing Arts. "I am firmly committed to involving undergraduate students in this work. Such participation is a great benefit to both the students involved and to the productivity of the research effort."

Tomás Estrada, Ph.D.
Physics & Engineering Assistant Professor
estradat@etown.edu | 717- 361-3755 | Esbenshade 160-A

• Electrical Engineering/Control Systems

Tomás Estrada, Assistant Professor of Physics & Engineering, received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Universidad de Costa Rica in 2002, a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2005 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, also from the University of Notre Dame, in 2009.

His primary research area is control systems, in particular on the topics of model-based control and intermittent feedback. Current research interests include: robustness and disturbance attenuation analysis for model-based networked control systems; performance in model-based networked control systems with intermittent feedback; controller selection for achieving local and global network performance objectives.

Additionally, Dr. Estrada is interested in engineering education and places heavy emphasis on the importance of volunteering and service, through involvement in organizations such as Engineers Without Borders.

Dr. Estrada explains his approach to teaching by using concepts from engineering, presenting the educational process as a feedback control system. From this perspective, one can visualize the value of constant improvement, effective communication, robustness and flexibility, as well as holistic thinking in education. Dr. Estrada hopes his enthusiasm and commitment to his teaching vision will help him develop his students not just into better professionals, but into more insightful thinkers and more well-rounded people. Outside of engineering, Dr. Estrada enjoys writing novels and playing soccer.

David Ferruzza
Physics & Engineering Associate Professor Emeritus
ferruzzad@etown.edu | 717- 361-4770

• Meteorology

Students will tell you they hear me say, "The future is now." Our philosophy in Physics and Engineering is to expose students so broadly to the world around them that they will have built an impressive resume before they graduate. Such a philosophy is born of the fact that each of our faculty has relevant experience outside of academics as well as a solid academic background.

My educational background includes a degree in Mechanical Engineering; three graduate residencies at MIT (13 semesters but just short of the Ph.D.) studying with such intellectual giants as Ed Lorenz (the "father" of Chaos Theory); and other graduate studies in business management.

Teaching at Elizabethtown College is, for me, "Career-Three." Career-One was US Air Force officer (operational assignments plus teaching for six years in the Physics Department at the USAF Academy). Career-Two was engineering: having fun with product and machine design, productivity improvement, and engineering management – lots of person-to-person interaction. But now, being at Elizabethtown in Career-Three is absolutely the best: You see, I believe one achieves the greatest of blessings while giving ("It is more blessed to give than receive"), so helping students into academic, social, and intellectual maturity, and mentoring them in professional bearing all provide the ultimate of satisfaction.

Ilan Gravé, Ph.D.
Physics & Engineering Associate Professor
gravei@etown.edu | 717- 361-1563 | Esbenshade 160-E

• Electrical Engineering/Applied Physics

Professor Gravé graduated in Physics and Electrical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, and received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Caltech in Pasadena, California. Prof. Gravé has worked for a number of years in high tech over the world, leading advanced projects in the aerospace and communication industries in Israel and in Europe. He has performed research in a number of fields in Physics and Engineering, publishing experimental and theoretical works in superconductivity, nonlinear optics, semiconductor quantum devices, infrared detectors, semiconductor lasers, medical signal processing and more. He has taught in Israel and at the University of Pittsburgh before his current appointment at Elizabethtown College.

"Teaching, together with research, is the great passion of my life. I usually teach topics that represent a strong challenge for students at all levels: such topics include Electromagnetism, Electronic Circuits, Quantum Mechanics, Semiconductor Devices and Optics. Students usually spend a lot of effort and time in reading, thinking, solving problems and proposing design solutions in these courses. Yet the rewards are gigantic! Learning and understanding the most important and advanced theories, the backbone of human scientific knowledge; mastering the latest tools in engineering design and technology; gaining proficiency in advanced mathematical methods… and more. And for us, the teachers, there are also many rewards: to see these young people, who just left their parents' home, start their big independent journey through life; explore their interests; push for their limits; find their professional path and their social place."

"…. Who would have believed four years ago that this young student, sitting in that first-year class, silent and maybe afraid of asking questions, would complete such a thoughtful, complex and beautiful senior project? Who could have foreseen this professionalism, this self-assurance, this optimism, and this confidence? Yet the miracle keeps repeating itself year after year, and being a small part of that is for us, the teachers, the greatest reward…"

Nathaniel Hager III, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
nehager@msi-sensing.com | 717- 361-1377 | Esbenshade Room 173 | Website

• Applied Physics

Nathaniel Hager III, Research Scientist in the Department of Physics & Engineering, is originally from the Lancaster area. He received his B.S. from Lehigh University and M.S./Ph.D. in Physics from State University of New York at Binghamton. He was a Research Scientist at Armstrong World Industries research and development in Lancaster for 12 years. In 1994 he founded his own company, Material Sensing Instrumentation, Inc., and has since been working in research and high-tech product development under the US Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Dr. Hager's research interests are in ultra-fast sensor analysis of materials. His dissertation was in low-temperature physics, using ballistic heat-pulse propagation to probe fundamental heat-transfer in liquid helium. His recent work involves Time-Domain-Reflectometry (TDR) Dielectric Spectroscopy, using TDR to probe molecular rotations in materials to monitor material processing. Specific projects include using TDR to monitor cure of composite polymers for the aerospace industry and hydration of concrete materials for the construction industry. In these areas he has received SBIRs from the US Army, the US Department of Commerce, and the National Science Foundation. Follow-on work has been pursued with Boeing, Bell Helicopter, W.R. Grace and others, as well as consulting with Armstrong, Halliburton, and companies in the display-technology, pharmaceutical, materials science, and wireless communications industries.

Dr. Hager teaches introductory Physics I and II and advanced electromagnetic theory. He regularly shares research in class, both to extend concepts developed during classroom discussion and to demonstrate the excitement in doing research. He also provides research opportunities for students in advanced undergraduate projects, which is often their first experience in solving problems with real-world implications. In additional to technical skills, students gain experience in business and funding issues necessary for real world occupations. Outside of work, Hager enjoys skiing, hiking, and photography.

Norman Pitcher
Adjunct Instructor
pitchern@etown.edu | 717- 361-4770 | Esbenshade 161-D

Norman received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Detroit and a MS in Nuclear Power Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is also is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania. Norman has 35 years industry experience in the petrochemical and nuclear & coal electrical power generation field. During his industry career he held various positions including-design engineer, process engineer, Construction Superintendent, Operations and Maintenance Manager, and Plant Manager.

Michael A. Scanlin, Ph.D., P.G.
Professor of Geosciences and Engineering/Department Chair
scanlima@etown.edu | 717- 361-1323 | Esbenshade 184

• Geophysics

Michael A. Scanlin, Professor of Geosciences and Engineering, received an A.B. in Physics from Franklin & Marshall College, and M.S. in Geophysics, and Ph.D. in Geosciences from the Pennsylvania State University.

He is a licensed Professional Geologist in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was formerly a senior executive at R.E. Wright Environmental Inc., UGI Corporation, and Chevron USA where his primary responsibilities were in the areas of resource exploration and environmental project management.

His current academic research interests include: delineation of the subsurface structure and tectonic mechanisms of the Appalachian fold-thrust belt using seismic imagery, and the utilization of near-surface geophysical methods for environmental site characterization.

He teaches earth system science and engineering geophysics. His personal teaching philosophy emphasizes an understanding of the context and relevance of scientific inquiry and development of critical observational and thinking skills.

W. Mark Stuckey, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
stuckeym@etown.edu | 717- 361-1436 | Esbenshade 160-B

Professor Stuckey earned his PhD in physics from the University of Cincinnati in 1987. His PhD thesis was in general relativistic cosmology, which is the field he published in until 1994 and occasionally referees in to this day. In 1994, Professor Stuckey began study of quantum non-separability/ non-locality and the measurement problem which spawned a new interpretation of quantum mechanics called the Relational Blockworld (RBW). He has published papers on RBW in Foundations of Physics (2008) and Studies in History & Philosophy of Modern Physics (2008). RBW has been presented worldwide to include New Directions in the Foundations of Physics, American Institute of Physics (2005), Time-Symmetry in Quantum Mechanics, University of Sydney Centre for Time (2005), Endophysics, Time, Quantum and the Subjective, Bielefeld University (2005), Foundations of Probability and Physics 4, Växjö University (2006), Quantum Structures, Malta (2006), Projective Geometries, Slovak Academy of Sciences (2007), The Clock and the Quantum: Time and Quantum Foundations, Perimeter Institute (2008), Vigier VII: The Search for Fundamental Theories, Imperial College (2010), Hiley Symposium, Helsinki (2010), Philosophy of Science Association, Montreal (2010).

Professor Stuckey has broad intellectual interests and has taught astronomy, cosmology, philosophy of science, differential geometry, acoustics, science & religion, partial differential equations, numerical methods, and neuropsychology, as well as traditional areas of physics, e.g., introductory physics, advanced laboratory, quantum mechanics, general & special relativity, electromagnetism, and mechanics.

Additionally, he has audited thirteen of his colleagues courses at Elizabethtown College. In 1996, he co-taught a Junior-Senior Colloquium entitled, Exploring Worldviews: Cosmology in Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Perspective with colleagues in philosophy and religious studies that won a prize in the Templeton Foundation s Courses in Science and Religion Program. In 1997, he was co-director of the conference Reasons to Believe hosted by Elizabethtown College.

Joseph Wunderlich, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Engineering and Computer Engineering Program Coordinator
wunderjt@etown.edu | 717- 361-1295 | Esbenshade 284-E | Website

In 1999 Dr. Wunderlich began coordinating the Elizabethtown College Computer Engineering Program and founded the Robotics and Machine Intelligence Lab.

Previously he worked for Purdue University as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology, for IBM as a Engineer and Researcher on IBM S/390 mainframe supercomputer multiprocessor hardware and systems level software, for AI Dupont Children's Hospital as a rehabilitation robotics researcher, and for San Francisco State University as an Astronomy Lecturer.

In the 1980's he had a career in the building industry designing, building, and/or managing the construction of architectural projects including high-tech office parks in Texas and California -- and worked part-time as an environmental planner for San Diego County.

His engineering degrees are: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1996, M.Eng in Engineering Science-Computer Design from Penn State-Great Valley in 1992, BS in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984.

Additionally, he completed a year as a Physics grad at SFSU in 1988/89 and 39 credits towards a 2nd BS in Urban Studies (Design) and Planning at UC San Diego in 1986/87. Most recently he has established a teaching and research relationship with several Universities in Italy including teaching a course in "Advanced Robotics with applications to Space Robotics"

Jennifer McFadden
Physics & Engineering Department Administrative Assistant
mcfaddenj@etown.edu | 717- 361-1392 | Esbenshade 160

Jennifer started at Elizabethtown College in April 2008. Since working at the college, Jennifer was the administrative assistant in the Middle State (college-wide) and ABET(department – Engineering & Computer Engineering) accreditation, both of which were accredited. On campus she is involved in CAAP, Campus Associate of Administrative Professionals, where she served as President in 2009 – 2010, and serves as a member of the EWT, Employee Wellness Team. Prior to working at the college, she worked at a real estate office in E-town as a Client Care Specialist and Realtor. Jennifer earned her earned associate's degrees in Secretarial Studies and Bible from Lancaster Bible College in May 2004.

Mark Gatti
Physics & Engineering Lab Technician
gattim@etown.edu | 717- 361-4769 | Esbenshade 174

Mark has spent 16 years as a manufacturing engineer, first with the former Raymark Corp., then with RCA – New Products Division, K-D Tools, Universal Friction, and FCI Electronics, all in south-central Pennsylvania. For the past nine years, Mr. Gatti has been self-employed as owner of Ground Crew Property Maintenance Inc., a small, full-service lawn/ landscape company operating in the Hempfield and Manheim Township areas of Lancaster County, Pa.

He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, graduating with distinction in 1983. Mr. Gatti is registered with the State of Pennsylvania as a Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator and as an Engineer-in-Training.