Beloved professor Stan Lowy joined the Department of Aerospace Engineering in 1964 as a professor of aeronautical engineering. He taught courses in the area of aircraft and spacecraft propulsion, and initiated new courses in the area of orbital mechanics. In the 1970s, he began teaching the courses in aircraft and spacecraft design. When the AIAA Bendix award was established for national competition among students majoring in aerospace engineering, teams supervised by Lowy won first place in the contest for the first three years. He served as department head from 1977-1979 and assistant dean of engineering from 1980 until his retirement in 1986.
Known for his readiness to encourage the inception and development of new ideas and the optimization of all resources to inspire maximum student performance, Lowy received many awards during his career. Among the awards given to Lowy include the Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching at the University Level (1976), the Outstanding Aeronautical Engineer Educator from AIAA and ASEE (1977), the Charles W. Crawford Award (1986), and the AIAA Faculty Advisor award (1986). He retired to halftime in 1986, but remained as a professor and dean emeritus until fully retiring in 1991. After his retirement, the department created an award in his honor that is presented to a student design team each fall and spring semester for innovation, technical expertise and teamwork.