Edward G. Lovell, UW Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, passed away on
Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at the age of 84. The cause of death was cardiac arrest, after battling
coronary heart disease for nearly 15 years.
Ed was born on May 25, 1939, to Julia A. (Kopacz) and George A. Lovell in Windsor, Ontario.
Growing up in Amherstburg, Ontario he often spoke of the enjoyable times he had boating and
fishing with his brothers on the Detroit River. Originally having both U.S. and Canadian
citizenship, his family later moved to the Detroit area and in 1960, he chose to retain his U.S.
nationality.
Ed received his B.S. and his M.S. from Wayne State in 1960 and 1961, respectively, and his
Ph.D. (in Engineering Mechanics) from the University of Michigan in 1967. He was subsequently
awarded a National Academy of Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship, held at NASA’s Langley
Research Center. He was also a NATO Senior Fellow at the University of Manchester, working
on experimental shock, fracture, and wave propagation in materials. Additional project
engineering work resulted in industrial affiliations at Boeing Aircraft, Pratt and Whitney, and the
Ford Motor Company.
In 1968, he joined the professorial faculty at the UW-Madison College of Engineering. Structural
mechanics was his principal research focus, which included the vibrations of aerospace shells,
the design of nuclear fusion reactor chambers, the fabrication of microsensors and
microactuators, and nanoscale mechanics analysis for the semiconductor industry. Especially
noteworthy was the work completed on micromechanisms. Professor Lovell was one of a team of
four UW faculty investigators who successfully created the first micron-size metal components in
the U.S. (i.e., springs, gears, motors, etc.) using synchrotron radiation and electroplating. The
results of their work were featured in the New York Times and Detroit News in 1991.
Later, research with the UW Computational Mechanics Center and collaborators from the
semiconductor industry focused on identifying the advantages and disadvantages of so-called
Next-Generation Lithographies (NGL), including x-rays, ion beams, electron beams, imprinting,
and extreme ultraviolet radiation. Results from this research were used by the industry to assess
the commercial potential of each for fabricating the next generation of computer chips.
Ending a forty-year career at the UW-Madison, Professor Lovell retired from the Mechanical
Engineering Department in 2008, where he also served as Associate Chair. Prior to that, he
served as Chair of the Department of Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics. At retirement, he
had over 230 archival research publications and had developed and taught more than a dozen
graduate-level courses in structural mechanics and vibrations. Service to the UW included the
Campus Planning Committee, Chair of the Recreational Sports Board, and faculty advisor to the
UW Racquetball Club (a sport in which he earned a Wisconsin state title).
Ed married Roxann Engelstad on July 23, 1994, and they enjoyed over 28 wonderful years of
marriage. Besides collaborating on a number of research grants, they were able to participate
jointly in their favorite sports, including racquetball, snow skiing, scuba diving, and golf. After their
retirement, they built a new home on the Engelstad homestead, where they have been crop
farming, raising both corn and soybeans. The country setting also gave them the opportunity to
create a park-like environment for their beloved golden retrievers (Dually, Bailey, Remy, Rhythm,
Poet, and Zep) to romp and play. Ed was a true animal lover and was extremely appreciative of
the endless companionship that each of his goldens provided over the years.

Professor Lovell is survived by his wife, Professor Emerita Roxann Engelstad; children Ethan
(Leah Bassoff) Lovell and Elise (James Foster) Lovell, M.D.; grandchildren Rose and Avery
Lovell; sister Mary Anne Fritz; sisters-in-law Marlene Lovell and Beverly Lovell; and many nieces,
nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents George and Julia Lovell and
brothers Len and Jan Lovell.