Alumnus Dr. Joseph Sagerer explores ancient pyramids, student potential on Harper Talks

Dr. Joseph Sagerer didn’t expect that his journey from a self-described underachiever in high school to a Harper College student would lead him beneath an ancient Maya pyramid. On the Harper Talks podcast – in which Harper College alumni share their education, career and life journeys – the Dominican University professor shares how exploring different subjects at Harper resulted in his passion for physics as well as a unique opportunity to use cosmic rays to explore Kukulcan’s pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico.

“Being able to go inside and work there, you just get this sense of awe and just this moment of... What am I doing?” Sagerer said. “It’s just awe-inspiring that we get to do this and work on this interesting location and bring students with us, and the students get the ability to tell the story, ‘Hey, I went and did this.’”

Listen to the full episode of Harper Talks and hear the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus discuss his efforts to support students as an educator, researcher and school board member. Also, click here to follow along with Sagerer’s project to search for hidden chambers in Kukulcan’s pyramid at the world heritage site in Chichen Itza, Mexico.  

Harper Talks, a co-production between Harper College Radio and Harper Alumni Relations, features Associate Professor of Mass Communication Brian Shelton in conversation with Harper alumni about the role that Harper played in their lives. You can listen to past episodes of Harper Talks on Harper’s website, WHCM, and on all podcast streaming services, including Spotify and Apple.