Mow received his BAE degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1962 and his PhD in Applied Mechanics and Applied Mathematics in 1966 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1966.  From 1966-1968 he was a postdoctoral fellow in Applied Mathematics at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University in New York City, and from 1968-69 he was a Member of Technical Staff at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey.  At both places he worked on mathematical theories related to ocean waves and ocean acoustics for the development of mathematical models of the sonar system used for detection of submarines along the East Coast of U.S.   In 1969, Dr. Mow joined the faculty of RPI as an Associate Professor in the Mechanics Department.

At the age of thirty, when bioengineering activities in the nation was just beginning to blossom, Dr. Mow began his bioengineering career by studying the new field of the biomechanics of soft tissues, specifically of articular cartilage.  What fascinated him was the challenge to understand how such biological materials function in the body for long periods of time and under high cyclic loads, and this became one of his career goals.  For the next seventeen years of his career as a bioengineer, along with his graduate students, he took on the challenge in a methodical way, they developrd new theories and experiments to study such biological tissues.His publications, awards and professional society leadership led him to be recognized as the Clark and Crossan Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer and the first PhD President of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

In 1986, Dr. Mow relocated to Columbia University as the Anne Y. Stein Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Orthopaedic Bioengineering, and Director of the New York Orthopaedic Hospital Research Laboratory at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.  Here he developed and directed a research and teaching program in orthopaedic research comprising more than forty engineering faculty members, orthopaedic surgeons, MD and PhD fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, and other support staff members.  Today, from his research efforts, he has published over 700 papers, edited 7 books and delivered more than 475 keynote, plenary and meeting lectures world wide.

To honor Dr. Mow for his contributions to biomedical engineering, he has received numerous honors, including Fellow of ASME (1979), American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Kappa Delta Award (1981), ASME Melville Medal (1982), ASME HR Lissner Award (1987), Giovanni Borelli Award of the American Society of Biomechanics (1991), U.S. National Academy of Engineering (1991), Alza Distinguished Lecturer (1994), ASME RH Thurston Lectureship (1998), U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (1998), Ray Kroc Award for Arthritis Research (twice), and Academia Sinica of Taiwan (2004).He is also the recipient of 6 honorary professorships in China and one in Hong Kong.

However, of the achievement that Van is most proud is the mentorship of his numerous Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows over the years.  Today, many of his students are recognized for their research contributions, and they are in leadership positions in universities and industry across the nation and around the world.  For these achievements, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and its Bioengineering Division have created the Van C. Mow Medal for Bioengineers, an annual award to be given to bioengineers at mid career for those who have displayed qualities of excellence in mentorship, excellence in research in biomechanics, and leadership in the profession, particularly in the Bioengineering Division of ASME.