Charles M. Marcus, an associate professor of physics at Stanford and leading researcher in submicron electronic technology, has accepted a tenured professorship in the physics department.

"I was tremendously excited," Marcus said. "I feel at home at Harvard."

Marcus, 37, graduated from Stanford with a degree in physics in 1984. He was a graduate student at Harvard--a "personally formative period"--receiving his Ph.D. in physics in 1990.

Marcus turned down an offer of tenure at Stanford in favor of Harvard's. He said the decision between the two came down to intangibles while he was visiting Cambridge recently.

"I was having pizza with my son at Pinocchio's and everything just felt right," he said.

Ian H. Chan, currently a graduate student in the physics department, worked under Marcus at Stanford as an undergraduate and remarked on his energy and approachability.

"He's a hands-on guy. He was always very excited about his work," Chan said. "He'd jump right in and show students how to solder and cut metal."

Marcus' appointment coincides with the creation of a new center for nanotechnology--Marcus' field--at Harvard. Marcus said he hopes the center will "put the Harvard at the forefront."