Philip D. Cha is a Professor in the Department of Engineering at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. He gained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan before working as a senior research engineer at the Ford Motor Company prior to joining Harvey Mudd College. In 2000, he received the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers as one of the top ten mechanical engineering educators in the US.