Jason Hower : Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineers - 2022

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Portrait of Jason Hower
Jason
Hower
Award Year
2022
Graduation Year
2006
Department
Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering
Nominating Department
Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering
Biography
B.S., Chemical Engineering, 2006
System Integration and Technology Development
HP

Jason Hower’s interest in science and engineering began early in life, taking toys apart and always asking why. He started working with Skip Rochefort in the chemical engineering department at Oregon State after his first year at Corvallis High School. Throughout high school and his undergraduate education, he continued working in Roche-fort’s polymer chemistry lab, learning about viscoelastic fluids and polymer processing. This early exposure to research, as well as his participation in STEM outreach activities, put Hower on a path toward graduate education.

Hower says he got the best undergraduate education one could hope for. The College of Engineering gave him the technical and analytical skills to be successful in his career. The experience helped develop his passion for teaching and put him on the path to coaching.

Hower continued his education in chemical engineering, earning a master’s and doctorate from the University of Washington. In 2009, he began his career at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, where he taught chemical engineering and started research groups.

In 2011, Hower took a job with HP in Corvallis, working in system integration and technology development. There, he has helped bring new industrial printing presses to market, developed new polymeric materials for HP 3D MultiJet Fusions printers, and pioneered the company’s 3D Metal Jet printing solution. He currently leads ink and inkjet system technology development for commercial and packaging applications.

Outside work, Hower is the proud parent of two, happily married to fellow Oregon State alum Kelly. He serves on the advisory board for the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State.

Hower is confident that the College of Engineering is at the forefront of research and education, with alumni in positions across multiple disciplines and technologies, finding solutions to the challenges facing our communities today.

“The College of Engineering taught me to ... think like a molecule. Breaking big problems down to small parts has helped me to be successful solving challenging, complex problems. Thanks to my Oregon State education, I can solve hard problems and that is what being an engineer is all about.”