April 23, 2026 ME150 Seminar, Distinguished Alumni Fred Kiekhaefer Written By: Caitlin Scott Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Alumni|Event Join us on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 4:15pm as our ME 903: Distinguished Alumni Seminar Series continues to celebrate the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s 150th anniversary. Our featured speaker is Fred Kiekhaefer, former president of Mercury Marine. Kiekhaefer is an engineer, entrepreneur, and former senior executive with a career spanning advanced engineering, manufacturing, and marine business leadership. He is known for his innovative work as the president of Mercury Marine for more than 2 decades. With Kiekhaefer at the helm, Mercury Racing became the high-performance marine engine leader. Keikhaefer holds a BA in Physics from Ripon College, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Read more about his presentation and bio in the event flyer. We are commemorating the ME department’s 150th anniversary throughout the 2025-2026 academic year with special events and historical reflections. Check out the ME 150th site for more.