News

UW professor passes away

Phil Myers, University of Wisconsin professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, passed away last Wednesday at the age of 90.

Myers, who joined the UW College of Engineering staff as an instructor in 1942, co-founded the UW-Madison Engine Research Center in 1946.

Myers donated $1 million in 2000 toward a professorship, two graduate fellowships in the department of mechanical engineering and the Myers Automotive Laboratory, according to a release.

Patrick Farrell, UW provost and former associate dean of the UW College of Engineering said Myers was a key player in creating the "research powerhouse" the UW engineering program is today.

"[Myers is] one of the people that helped guide that growth, but as it grew, really emphasized education," Farrell said. "He made sure that the emphasis of educating graduate students was front and center."

According to the release, Myers won several awards honoring his teaching and research abilities such as the Internal Combustion Engine Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1981. Automobile manufacturers in the United States, Europe and Japan also frequently consulted him because of his expertise in engines.

James Beal of the engineering external relations office said Myers' contribution to the university is still felt by UW students, and will be in the future, as well.

"His life and his role at the university were kind of the embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea," Beal said. "The program built a worldwide reputation and he, of course, then gave back to the university very generously — so this cycle of knowledge continues, and I think that's an important part of his legacy."

Myers earned his mechanical engineering master's degree in 1944 and his mechanical engineering doctoral degree in 1947, both from UW, the release said.

During his time at UW, Myers also chaired faculty committees overseeing the construction of the Engineering Research Building, Union South and Kurt F. Wendt Engineering Library, which are all still standing today.