Bower Elected SAE Fellow

We are thrilled to share that Professor Glenn Bower has been elected a Fellow of SAE International!

Established in 1975, the Fellow grade of membership in SAE recognizes exceptional achievements in engineering, science, and leadership. The distinction highlights his significant contributions to SAE and reflects the meaningful impact of Bower’s work on the profession and society.

Bower has spent more than three decades at UW–Madison combining technical expertise with a passion for hands-on engineering education. He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1992 as a postdoctoral researcher and scientist with the Engine Research Center and began teaching in 1997. Over the course of his career, he has developed expertise in high-speed photography, in-cylinder engine combustion, engine and hybrid controls, automotive powertrains and vehicle testing.

Throughout his career, Bower has also been a dedicated mentor to UW–Madison’s student vehicle teams, advising teams including Formula SAE, Baja SAE, SAE Clean Snowmobile and the DOE advanced vehicle competitions. His mentorship has helped generations of students translate classroom concepts into the design, construction and testing of real vehicles, with UW teams earning numerous national and international championships. He also oversees the Phil Myers Automotive Center, where students design and build their competition vehicles while developing valuable hands-on engineering skills.

Bower’s impact extends well beyond campus through his longstanding involvement with SAE. In 2025, he was recognized as a 2025 SAE Contributor of the Year for his technical leadership and innovation in the Formula SAE Electric competition. This included his work developing a new energy meter and improving safety and technical processes for collegiate competitions.

“I’m incredibly honored to receive the SAE Fellow distinction and especially grateful that my contributions to SAE have been recognized in this way,” shared Bower. “Receiving the Outstanding Contributor of the Year Award in 2025 and now being elected an SAE Fellow are meaningful milestones in a career that has been deeply shaped by my involvement with SAE, my colleagues in the profession and, most importantly, my students.”

With this distinction, Bower joins an impressive list of UW–Madison Mechanical Engineering faculty who have been honored as SAE Fellows:

• 1977 – Phil Myers, ME
• 1978 – Otto Uyehara, ME
• 1986 – Gary Borman, ME
• 1997 – Rolf Reitz, ME
• 1999 – Dave Foster and Jay Martin, ME
• 2002 – Chris Rutland and Pat Farrell, ME
• 2004 – John Moskwa, ME
• 2009 – Frank Fronczak, ME
• 2010 – Jaal Ghandhi, ME
• 2022 – Andrea Strzelec, Interdisciplinary Professional Programs

Bower and other 2026 Fellows will be recognized at the SAE Fellows Reception and Dinner during WCX 2027 in April 2027.

View the official SAE press release here.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Bower on this tremendous achievement!

Featured image: The May 2025 automotive teams graduates pose with their vehicles and advisor Glenn Bower.

Professor Glenn Bower, Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison

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Watch Glenn Bower’s faculty video on YouTube.