Blakely to receive MechSE Distinguished Alumni Award

Stephen Blakely (BSME 1969) is being recognized for his innovative work in technology and leadership with a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.

During his time at Illinois, Blakely was able to learn and grow in a location that offered substantial opportunities. Having a co-op position during his time as an undergraduate allowed for practical applications of concepts that were being taught in his courses. Immersed in the creative atmosphere that resulted from a mix of academia and professional work, Blakely was able to develop problem-solving skills that would later serve his long career.

“While some people are intimidated by the size, that is actually one of the things that I liked most about attending Illinois,” he said. “I’m a naturally curious person who enjoys learning—the big campus atmosphere provided many opportunities to grow. I also found the co-op program that I did with McDonnell Aircraft to be very interesting and useful.”

When he started the co-op program, Blakely had no idea that he would embark on a longstanding friendship that would lead him to his current position. “How [my career in bioengineering] evolved actually goes back to Illinois,” he explained. “I met a great friend of mine, Dr. Lee Rea. He was also a McDonnell Aircraft co-op student who I became friends with during a summer calculus course, specifically for co-op students. After that, we ended up being roommates for a year.”

Fifteen years later, Rea started his own company and invited Blakely to join his team. He decided to take him up on the offer to join Neurovision Medical Products Inc., where Blakely still works as the chief technology officer, a principal, and a member of the board of directors.

“[Rea] always jokes that I helped him get into medical school by teaching him how to study,” Blakely said. “When he asked me to work with him, I decided to take the opportunity while the company was still being developed. Now, it’s a multi-million-dollar company based out of California.”

Blakely has been able to work with a team that provides safe and efficient surgical tools and technology. As a company, Neurovision works to provide surgical solutions that aid doctors in the operating room (OR) and help prevent nerve damage by utilizing their innovative intraoperative neuromonitoring technology.

Blakely’s team has also developed other useful medical supplies, such as a nerve monitoring endotracheal tube and intuitive monopolar surgical forceps. He said his team is currently working on the addition of smart glasses to their nerve monitoring technology, allowing doctors to perform surgery and monitor nerves with real-time results—without needing to take attention from the patient or wait for confirmation.

Even though he works primarily with modern technology, Blakely is also interested in the historical application of engineering ideas and explores this interest through reading and writing. “Ancient engineering inspires me when I am working on a new project or design,” he said. “It’s one of my many interests, even though it doesn’t pertain to my current career or offer any financial compensation.”

Since graduating from Illinois, he has maintained involvement with the campus and its students. In 2013, Blakely personally sponsored a senior design project where four MechSE students successfully created a fully-functioning pulley system that realistically could have been used when the Great Pyramid of Giza was built. “I was able to explore the Great Pyramid in person about three years ago, which was pretty awesome,” he said.

Blakely uses history as inspiration to think outside the box and experiment, learning from failure instead of being discouraged by it. “I like to go way outside the box, which means that there are a lot of ideas that don’t end up working out,” he said. “The way I see it, that just means that I am learning what doesn’t work and am able to try a new strategy.”

Blakely’s extensive and innovative background can also be seen in the eight patents he holds, and he is constantly developing new ideas. He encourages students to explore curiosities and follow their passions. 

“Current students should take advantage of all the opportunities that are available now, especially involving creativity and entrepreneurship. They need to keep a very open mind,” he said. “They might think that they know exactly what they want to do when they graduate college, but there is a possibility that they will end up elsewhere, like I did. Students should strive to follow their passions, as there is a real need for creativity in the engineering field.”