For exceptional achievement, technical skills, innovation, and leadership, Janet Brelin-Fornari has been named a 2026 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Fellow. She is one of 12 distinguished professionals in this year’s class. Fellow is SAE’s highest grade of membership.
Brelin-Fornari, the founding director of Technology Engineering (TechE) at Michigan State University, was recognized for her contributions to mobility and the engineering profession.
MSU Engineering Dean John Papapolymerou said Brelin-Fornari helps students turn classroom concepts into engineering practice.
“Congratulations to Janet for this well-deserved award. Because of her leadership and collaboration with industry, our TechE students build hands-on experience across mechatronics, robotics, automation, sensors, circuits, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, embedded systems and cybersecurity.”
Prior to joining MSU in 2023, Brelin-Fornari held faculty and administrative positions, including serving as a professor of mechanical engineering, and led research in pediatric mobility crash safety with an emphasis on side-impact test protocols for automotive child seats and transport of lap-held infants in commercial aviation.
Early in her career, she was a General Motors Fellow and worked extensively on automotive field collision analysis and side-impact restraint system integration.
She earned three degrees in mechanical engineering – a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a doctorate at the University of Arizona-Tucson. She is also a licensed professional engineer in the State of Michigan.
“Being elected to the SAE Fellow grade is among the highest honors SAE can bestow upon a member, recognizing a career defined by exceptional achievement, leadership, and service,” said Reuben Sarkar, CEO of SAE International. “The collective accomplishments of the 2026 SAE Fellows are a testament to the extraordinary depth of expertise and commitment within the SAE community, and we are honored to recognize their enduring impact.”
For more information about the SAE Fellows program, visit www.sae.org/fellows.
Written by Patricia Mroczek
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page