Joseph Sagerer

Dr. Joseph Sagerer is a Senior Lecturer in Physics at Dominican University (DU), with over 15 years of teaching experience. He delivers lectures and labs for University and College Physics sequences while contributing to courses in Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and Sustainability. His research focuses on experimental physics, particularly particle detectors and muography applications in archaeometry.

• PhD, Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago
• MS, Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago
• BS, Physics, Eastern Illinois University

Sagerer leads the NAUM Project at DU, collaborating with Chicago State University to develop a muon tracker for non-invasive structural analysis of Mesoamerican pyramids like El Castillo at Chichén Itzá. This work leverages cosmic-ray muons for passive detection of internal voids in ancient monuments.

His publications span topics in nuclear collisions, detector simulations, and muon imaging. A National Science Foundation grant (2020) supports his research on cosmic ray muon radiation applications. DU undergraduates actively participate in his experimental physics projects.

• Studies of Cosmic Ray Muon Radiation and its Application to Archaeometry (National Science Foundation, 2020)