Anton E. Bowden

Anton E. Bowden grew up in North Ogden, Utah, in a family of nine. His parents cultivated a love of learning within their home. For Dr. Bowden the spark came from an AP Physics teacher who described using science and mathematics to solve real problems and build real products. That early impression set him on the path to engineering.

Dr. Bowden earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Utah State University, where he initially dreamed of building space shuttles. A senior Capstone project designing a thermal electric cooling pad for post-operative knee replacement recovery redirected his ambitions entirely, introducing him to the world of biomedical engineering. He pursued that new passion to the University of Utah, where he earned his PhD in Bioengineering. His graduate work introduced him to the spine: its mechanics, its vulnerabilities, and its extraordinary design.

Today, as a Professor and Associate Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University, Dr. Bowden directs the BYU Applied Biomechanics Engineering Laboratory, where his team uses finite element analysis, medical imaging, and mechanical testing to study the mechanical triggers of back pain and develop better diagnostic and treatment tools. That work has produced 17 issued U.S. patents, several international patents, and seven small businesses.

Before joining BYU in 2007, Dr. Bowden worked at Exponent, an engineering consulting firm in Philadelphia, where he focused on the design of devices for spine function. Since coming to BYU, he has been recognized with a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the Weidman Professorship in Leadership. He serves as vice-chair of the Mechanical Engineering Professional Licensure Exams Committee with NCEES and as a Regional Ambassador and Ethics Committee member for the Orthopaedic Research Society.

Studying the engineering of the human body has only deepened Dr. Bowden’s faith in Jesus Christ. He often reflects that Heavenly Father is the greatest engineer, and that examining how the human body is designed reveals not just technical mastery, but evidence of divine love. He states, “Studying the work of this amazing engineer and how He put our bodies together gives us such incredible insights, not just into the engineering, but into the love and mastery and attention that this amazing Being put into designing us.”¹

Dr. Bowden and his wife Jennifer are the parents of four children. As a Fellow of the BYU Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership, Dr. Bowden works to help students connect Christ-centered leadership principles to their professional lives, believing that integrity and the desire to make the world a better place are just as essential to engineering as any technical skill.

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