Donald W. Novotny

Memorial Resolution of the Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
On the Death of Professor Emeritus Donald Novotny

Emeritus Professor Donald A. Novotny, a world-recognized expert in electric machines and electromechanical devices in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), passed away peacefully on May 7, 2022, at the age of 87. In addition to his mastery of electric machines, Don was also a highly-respected visionary in the field of variable-frequency AC drive systems and power electronic control of industrial systems, and an inspiration to innumerable UW-Madison students and colleagues during a UW career that spanned over 60 years.

Born on December 15, 1934, and raised on the south side of Chicago, Don received a full scholarship from one of his first employers, Illinois Central Railroad, to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). He graduated near the top of his class in 1957 with a BS in electrical engineering, followed by a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1957. Don then accepted a temporary position at IIT to teach both electrical and mechanical engineering courses, an experience that so thrilled him that he decided to pursue an academic career that would give him the opportunity to spend much more time in the classroom. He moved to Madison in 1958, where he accepted an instructor appointment that allowed him to simultaneously pursue his PhD in electrical engineer that he completed in 1961.

Don joined the College of Engineering faculty in 1961 as an assistant professor, where he developed a long-term relationship with the University-Industry Research (UIR) Program that gave him the opportunity to observe first-hand the Wisconsin Idea at work, linking university research to industrial innovation. He was a strong supporter of the program, serving multiple terms as a UIR associate director between 1968 and 2000. In 1965, he co -authored his first book, Introductory Electromechanics, that is still considered to be a classic in his field today. By 1968, he had risen to the rank of full professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He subsequently served as the ECE Department Chair from 1976 to 1980 during a challenging period when the department was transforming itself to place increasing importance on its research mission in addition to its traditional instructional foundations.

In 1980, Don drew on his UIR experience to create a landmark proposal for the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC) that was one of the first of its kind and ahead of its time. With an initial grant of $25,000, the program set ambitious goals to significantly expand research and teaching efforts in its field that would benefit industry by strengthening its interactions with academia. WEMPEC was officially launched in January 1981, and, to this day, it remains a uniquely vibrant and nurturing research center where UW faculty members, students, and international scholars from multiple engineering disciplines work together with corporate sponsors to pursue the newest technology concepts in electric machines, power electronics, actuators, sensors, drives, motion control, and drive applications.

As a Co-Director of WEMPEC from 1981 until his retirement in 1996, Don played a critical role in building and expanding the consortium, which he accomplished by combining its focus on world-class research with a high priority on educating the next generation of engineering leaders in power electronics and electromechanical power conversion. Currently in its 44th year, WEMPEC is an internationally-recognized program that continues to thrive with >50 corporate members from around the world and a large on-campus community that includes >60 faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and international visitors. WEMPEC is one of the largest academic/industrial consortiums of its kind in the world that is playing a major role in the development of new motor drive and power electronics technology for the electrification of every mode of transportation as well as the growing demand for clean energy power sources.

Don loved teaching throughout his 57 years as a classroom instructor at the university, and multiple generations of students fondly recall both his superb instructional effectiveness coupled with a seemingly endless collection of memorable anecdotes. He was a consummate educator of the highest caliber who was recognized with many teaching awards during his illustrious academic career, beginning with the Kiekhofer Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1964. Subsequently, Don was honored by the College of Engineering in 1989 with the Benjamin Smith Reynolds Teaching Award, and the Holdridge Teaching Award presented by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1995. Don also generously shared his gift for teaching with both students and professional colleagues around the world by serving as a Fulbright Lecturer in Europe (1981) and a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Industry Applications Society (1984).

Drawing again on his UIR experience, Don was ahead of his time in the 1980s when he pioneered the development of for-credit university courses in power engineering that were delivered via video-taped lectures to working engineers who were motivated to earn their MS degrees “the hard way” while working full-time in industry. He enthusiastically expanded his educational reach via televised lectures that were distributed by satellite both domestically and internationally by the National Technological University (NTU) which recognized his efforts with their Outstanding Teaching Award. Reflecting his love for personal face-to-face engagement with students, Don also organized and delivered a countless number of short courses for working engineers, including at least two that continue to be offered to this day (with updated material) more than 30 years after he launched them.

Don’s remarkable accomplishments as an educator are matched by his many major contributions as a renowned researcher. He is a highly-respected authority on electric machine analysis and control whose work has stood the test of time, still being taught to graduate students at UW and around the world. Don’s groundbreaking research illuminating the dynamic characteristics of induction machines played a key role in resolving perplexing stability problems attributable to the complex interactions between power electronics and machines that caused serious problems for early solid-state drive manufacturers. His impressive body of work includes >120 technical papers in highly-respected publications, three textbooks, and six patents. Don was honored as an IEEE Fellow in 1987, and he was selected as the recipient of the prestigious IEEE Nikola Tesla Technical Field Award in 2009, recognizing him “for pioneering contributions to the analysis and understanding of AC machine dynamic behavior and performance in adjustable-speed drives”.

Don was married to his loving wife, Louise (Eenigenburg), for 68 years since they began their relationship as high school sweethearts. Louise passed away in July 2024. They are survived by two daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. An avid fisherman, Don shared his love for fishing with family members, UW faculty colleagues, and unsuspecting graduate students. Among all of his publications, the one in which he professed to take the most pride was a widely-cited 1974 technical bulletin published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources presenting improved designs and operational guidelines for electrofishing boats.

Memorial Committee
Thomas M. Jahns
Giri Venkataramanan
April 3, 2025