The Loewy Institute at Lehigh University was celebrated in a dedication ceremony in Whitaker Lab on Friday, April 29, 2016. Formerly known as the Institute for Metal Forming (IMF), the Loewy Institute promises to further research in materials forming and processing for years to come.
Wojtek Misiolek, Loewy Chair in Materials Forming and Processing and Director of the Loewy Institute, welcomed the attendees. Anthony Ventura, Loewy Graduate Fellow, and Patrick Farrell, Provost, offered their reflections. Afterward, Brigitte Loewy Linz, President of the Loewy Family Foundation and the only daughter of Erwin and Margret Loewy, told the captivating story of the Loewy brothers.
After fleeing Nazi Germany just before World War II, Ludwig and Erwin Loewy revolutionized large metal parts manufacturing in England and the United States through the design and construction of enormous forging and extrusion presses. Their presses changed the way fighter planes were built, impacting the outcome of the war and paving the way for the development of the commercial airline industry when the war ended.
The naming of the Loewy Institute celebrates the vision of the Loewy brothers and the generous support of the Loewy Family Foundation to materials science research and education.
-Story by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering
