Allan Bower

Allan F. Bower is a retired professor who had a distinguished career at Brown University. Here are some key details about his background and contributions:

Academic Career

Allan Bower was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he earned his BA, MA, and PhD degrees.1 He joined Brown University as an assistant professor in 1991 after serving as a University Lecturer in the Department of Engineering at Cambridge.1 At Brown, he was a member of the Solid Mechanics group in the School of Engineering.1

Research and Expertise

Professor Bower specialized in the field of mechanics of materials for 35 years before retiring in 2022.1 His research interests included:

• Tribology
• Fracture mechanics
• Microstructural modeling of materials
• Strength of contacting surfaces3

He made significant contributions to various problems in solid mechanics throughout his career.1

Notable Achievements

• Authored a widely-cited textbook "Applied Mechanics of Solids" published by CRC Press in 20092
• Served as director of the Brown/GM collaborative research laboratory for computational materials research from 2006 to 20221
• Published numerous highly-cited research papers on topics like stress measurements in lithium-ion batteries and finite element modeling2
• Received several awards including the Philip J. Bray Teaching Award and the Royce Family Professor of Excellence in Teaching (2012-2015)1

Teaching and Mentorship

Professor Bower was known for his dedication to teaching, particularly in large introductory engineering courses.1 He taught courses such as Dynamics and Vibrations, Advanced Mechanics of Solids, and Computational Methods in Structural Mechanics.1

After a long and impactful career, Allan Bower retired from Brown University in 2022.14