Our Speakers

Dr. Michael Kucks received his BS degree in Physics from Bucknell University in 1980 and began working at Litton Electron Tube Division in Williamsport Pennsylvania immediately thereafter. That position was in the radar tube (magnetron) R & D department designing military and commercial magnetrons and analyzing older models for failure modes. He then moved to Wavetek Rockland in northern New Jersey in their commercial frequency synthesizer design department. His work involved the development of a low noise voltage-controlled-oscillator for a broad band microwave synthesizer. That experience led him to KDI electronics in Whippany, New Jersey, where he continued to work developing military communications systems at microwave frequencies. In 1988, as the Cold War ended, he returned to graduate school to study Physics and begin a career in education. In 1994 he received his PhD in physics from Lehigh University with a specialization in polymer physics.

Since then, he has taught physics, chemistry, and math in a variety of venues, including a private school in Annapolis, Maryland; Franklin & Marshall College; and Lehigh University. He has also developed an industrial electronics course and presented it to industry professionals around the country. Since arriving at Patrick Henry College in 2006, he has taught the core Physics course (including laboratory), Euclidean Geometry, and Statistics. Dr. Kucks finds that his industrial experience has been extremely beneficial in developing his teaching style and he enjoys looking for innovative ways to present challenging technical and scientific principles to students.

8/11/2011 (7:53 PM EST): PHC Prep's AP Physics B with Lab