Physics advocate and optics guru, Ellen Wilke is retiring after teaching physics for 22 years. Wilke did not start off as a teacher: she started off as an engineer. However, when her engineering job...
![Revolving a metal sphere around a Barbie doll, physics teacher Ellen Wilke explains the mechanics behind electricity. However, as much as Wilke enjoys explaining electricity, she would much rather explore optics. “I really like [optics],” Wilke said. “Wave optics are a really cool thing and allows you to work with material science, which is what my undergrad was, to work with the crystalline structure of substances. There’s so many cool applications of optics. The basics will start with mirrors and lenses. Then, it’s all about light and the reflection of light, and the different applications with lights and lasers.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WilkeExperiment-900x598.jpg)