Welcome to RickSonntag.com!

WHAT'S NEW (February 2008): The Swarthmorean has published my article on Gov. Rendell's 2008-2009 school subsidy proposal. Click here to see my School Board page.

Me with my sailboat I am Rick Sonntag, from the beautiful little boro of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Whether you are here to obtain some needed information, to provide me with some, or you just wandered in, I hope that you find my very first attempt at building a website to be useful, interesting, or fun. If none of those lofty goals are achieved, let's just be thankful that I did not crash your browser. (I hope!)

I love getting notes from old friends and new acquaintances! Please view/sign my guestbook or send me email.

"Are you the Rick Sonntag that I know from...?"

Before landing here in Swarthmore, I sampled life in a few different places. I grew up in Camp Springs and Fort Washington (MD). College, graduate school, and career moves led me to Washington (DC), Alexandria (VA), Princeton (NJ), Plano (TX), Media (PA), and Montgomery Township (NJ). I think that covers them all! We came back to Swarthmore because we loved the Media/Swarthmore area when we lived here before. I hope we stay for a few decades this time!

I am very proud of my beautiful family, shown here. (No names here due to privacy considerations.) Send me an email and I'll tell you more about them. Click here for more pictures.

My "Day Gig"

Me in a suit I am a Chemical Engineer working on R&D for DuPont Imaging Technologies, in the Digital Printing group in Wilmington, Delaware. I have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, and a B.Ch.E. in Chemical Engineering from The Catholic University of America. My research specialty is polymers and colloids. Currently I manage a group of about 40 researchers and support staff developing processes to make inks for use in ink jet printers. In the past I have pursued assignments including fundamental research of the rheology, formulation, and characterization of colloidal systems; developing a new paint system for the automotive refinish market; and new processing techniques for manufacturing paint colorants. I also spent five years managing polymer and adhesive process R&D for National Starch and Chemical Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICI, the large British chemical conglomerate that has recently been swallowed up by Akzo-Nobel.

Avocations

I am a School Director in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. I also serve on the Board of Directors of the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, the Delaware County Vo-Tech Schools, and the Liaison Committee to the Delaware County Community College.

I also play jazz and classical trumpet in my off-hours, and you will see that interest reflected in the other pages of this site. In the past, I have played trumpet for the Catholic University Jazz Ensemble, Princeton University Jazz Ensemble, Broad Street Brass, Westminster Choir College Orchestra, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, Wilmington Community Orchestra, Arioso String Quartet, Newark Symphony Chamber Orchestra, and numerous other concert bands, orchestras, and pit bands for Broadway-style musicals. At present much of my musical energy is directed at the Swarthmore College Wind Ensemble, Rhythm Doctors Big Band, and as a soloist for weddings and church services.