Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2014
  • M.S., Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2011
  • B.S., Engineering Physics, John Carroll University, 2009
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Metallurgical, California, #2003
  • Professional Engineer, Maryland, #58351
Professional Affiliations
  • ASM International
  • ASTM International
  • The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society—TMS

Dr. Bowers specializes in failure analysis, failure prevention, and engineering risk assessment. His specific expertise is in metallurgy, corrosion, and welding and joining technology. He has experience in many industries including medical devices, utilities, oil and gas, automotive, engineering structures, and consumer electronics/products.

While at Exponent, Dr. Bowers has leveraged his technical skills and experience to address a wide variety of challenges in industrial consulting and dispute resolution. Specific activities include failure analysis and root cause investigations, materials selection and process development, regulatory testing and validation, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), reliability testing, and asset management and condition assessment. He has particular interest in assessing the fracture and fatigue behavior of metallic components and welded assemblies using techniques such as optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), computed tomography (CT), analytical modeling, and novel mechanical testing methods. Dr. Bowers takes full advantage of Exponent's technical breadth by assembling diverse, multidisciplinary teams to solve complex problems.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Bowers worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, where he investigated the thermally and mechanically activated mechanisms of grain boundary migration in face-centered cubic (FCC) metals at the atomic scale. Dr. Bowers completed his Ph.D. research at The Ohio State University in 2014, where he studied the deformation mechanisms and origins of functional fatigue in NiTi-based (Nitinol) shape memory alloys (SMAs) as part of a large research effort involving multiple government agencies and industry partners.

Additionally, Dr. Bowers has authored technical publications and book chapters, has served as a metallurgy course instructor, and has presented his work at academic and industrial conferences.