Dr. Kurt DeGoede was appointed Elizabethtown's Faculty Athletics Representative in July 2025.
A member of the Elizabethtown faculty for 25 years, DeGoede focuses his research on multidisciplinary biomechanics projects, collaborating with local physicians, faculty, and students in Occupational Therapy and Athletics. DeGoede has mentored one or two summer engineering research students every year since 2002. Recently his students have worked on tools for use in occupational therapy and have explored human performance in sport.
DeGoede, a graduate of Hope College with a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics, went on to earn his Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. DeGoede holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
DeGoede teaches courses across the engineering curriculum from introductory courses for engineering majors to capstone projects, including a course in experimental biomechanics. In 2010, he developed a study abroad program in West Africa built around collaborative social enterprise projects. Students from across the campus can fulfill a general education requirement in cultural understanding through participation in a 2-credit course followed by a 2-week site visit. During the site visit the team lives in Pirang Village and explores this window into life and culture in West Africa.
DeGoede got his start in Athletics in 2011 serving as a mentor to the cross country and track & field teams where he often enjoys running with the team at practices. After training with the team for a few years he went on to run the Boston Marathon in 2013 in just under three hours.
