UC alumnus honored for six decades of impact in engineering, innovation

The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association and the UC College of Engineering and Applied Science presented Bowman, class of 1964, with the Lifetime Achievement Award, at a reception in November 2025. The award honors a distinguished graduate whose career reflects the college’s commitment to excellence, achievement, and service. 

A Dayton native, Bowman arrived at the University of Cincinnati with a love for math, science, engineering, and architecture. He was drawn to UC for its co-op program and received a freshman tuition scholarship — awarded as a surprise on his high school graduation night. At UC, he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon and served as house manager, gaining early hands-on leadership experience. 

As a co-op student at General Motors, Bowman piloted the Corvette’s composite spring design – a project that set the stage for his future career in polymers. After earning his chemical engineering degree in 1964, he joined DuPont, where he spent more than 30 years in roles spanning research, manufacturing, global business, and executive leadership. As Vice President and General Manager of DuPont’s Advanced Materials division, he led efforts in composite materials that transformed industries — from automotive and aerospace to sports and orthopedics. He built that division into a billion-dollar unit. 

In 1992, Delaware’s governor tapped Bowman to help launch the Delaware Technology Park, a public-private partnership that brought together the University of Delaware, the state, and industry leaders, to support emerging technology companies. 

Bowman later formed his own company from the Dupont division he led. As the company prepared to go public, it was acquired by a private firm — allowing him to dedicate more time to the Delaware Technology Park and taking on the roles of President and CEO. He was instrumental in accelerating the park’s growth starting in the early 2000s, securing deals for new buildings and expanding its focus from advanced materials to biotechnology, renewable energy and big data — topics that were far from mainstream 25 years ago. 

His commitment to inclusive innovation led him to take on a second role in 2013 as State Director of the Small Business Development Center, where he built a tech-focused program that secured millions in federal funding for entrepreneurs. Under his leadership, Delaware’s Small Business Development Center became a national model for supporting startups, especially those serving low-to-moderate income communities. 

Most recently, Bowman spearheaded the creation of the FinTech Innovation Hub — a 100,000-square-foot facility within the Delaware Technology Park that merges academic research with entrepreneurial energy. Located on the former site of a Chrysler assembly plant, the hub is home to the Center for Advancing Financial Equity (CAFE), which has been a passion project for Bowman. The nonprofit CAFE advances financial health and wellness for low- to moderate- income individuals by supporting Fintech innovation and partnerships.

“It’s very meaningful work,” Bowman said. “You don’t have to move the needle very far on financial equity to help somebody a little bit and their life can meaningfully improve.”

Today, the Delaware Technology Park includes five buildings, and, under Bowman’s leadership, has helped create more than 200 companies and supported more than 16,000 jobs. 

“We helped build these companies from scratch and a very high percentage of them succeeded and stayed in Delaware — so it was a very high ROI for the state,” Bowman said. “Many of them were university spinouts or hired students from the university.”

Bowman was honored by UC in 2000 with the Herman Schneider Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2024, he was appointed to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. 

Throughout his career, Bowman has remained deeply connected to UC, generously supporting scholarships and engaging with students during campus visits. He credits UC’s engineering program and co-op experience for shaping his work ethic, intellectual drive, and sense of purpose — qualities that have defined his journey from engineer to executive to ecosystem builder.

He and his wife, Sandie, continue to live in Delaware, where they enjoy spending time with their family. Bowman’s six-decade career – which is still going strong – reflects a lifelong commitment to innovation and a lasting impact across industries and communities.