Mechanical Engineering Alum Chris Qualters ’90 Helps River Hawk Racing Go
04/15/2026
By Ed Brennen
How did a sponsorship decal for TekniPlex, a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of medical device components, end up on the side of the River Hawk Racing car when it took the track at Michigan International Speedway for the Formula SAE competition last May?
Chris Qualters ’90, a mechanical engineering alum and lifelong automotive enthusiast, had something to do with it.
As then-CEO of TekniPlex’s healthcare group, Qualters arranged a sponsorship for the student club, which designs, builds and presents an open-wheel, Formula-style race car at the annual competition. A competitive race car driver himself, Qualters sees the university’s Formula SAE program as an ideal platform to help develop well-rounded engineers prepared for the real world.
“It’s incredibly important to not only do the bookwork to become an engineer, but to get hands-on experience,” Qualters says. “They’ve got to design the car and build the car. They’ve got to do marketing and program management. They’ve got to travel to the events. It’s a great proxy for the real world. So for me to be able to help further that was important.”
The son of an automotive executive, Qualters grew up in Milford taking apart motors and rebuilding machines. After earning a bachelor’s degree from UMass Lowell, which he chose for its strong engineering program and affordability, Qualters began his career in the automotive industry. Along the way, he earned an MBA from the University of Michigan and went on to lead engineering teams in aerospace, power solutions and eventually medical technology—all with a focus on technically complex, custom-engineered components.
Qualters didn’t participate in an automotive club as a student, but he never lost his passion for cars. At age 47, he became certified to race competitively and now participates in sports car endurance events with multidriver teams, as well as occasional Formula-style races.
Now based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Qualters advises private equity firms and serves on corporate boards. Although he recently retired from TekniPlex, he says he “absolutely” plans to stay connected with River Hawk Racing, which he learned about from conversations with Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Derek Berger and Sally Washburn, senior director of development for the Francis College of Engineering.
“It’s a nice combination of all the things that light me up,” he says, “which is giving back, turning out well-rounded engineers and auto racing."