Director of global vehicle engineering at Ford Motor Company
Donald Allen “Don” Ufford received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1989. He began his 31-year career at the Ford Motor Company as a research engineer in Advanced Body Systems. Later, Ufford progressed to such roles as chief engineer for the Truck Division, chief engineer for North America, and chief engineer for Europe. Eventually, he became director of global vehicle engineering, overseeing Ford engineers and vehicles worldwide. During his time at Ford, Ufford led teams that developed many of the company’s top-selling vehicles, which earned numerous Car and Truck of the Year awards. In 2020, he retired from Ford and joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as assistant director for Supply Chain and Ecosystem Management. Purdue presented Ufford with a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 2017.