William F. Powers

This fund honors William F. Powers, a leader in the application of control theory and simulation to the design and development of automotive control systems. Powers received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1963 from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics in 1968 from the University of Texas in Austin.

Powers began his career as a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan. After consulting with NASA on the space shuttle program, Powers joined the Ford Motor Co. in 1979. He retired from his position as Ford’s vice president of research in 2000. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the UF Foundation Board of Directors, Powers received the UF Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001. William and his wife, Linda, have two children, Leigh and Stephen.