Dr. Christi Patton Luks, teaching professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at Missouri S&T, has been elected as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) in recognition of her contributions to the chemical engineering field. A fellowship is the highest grade of membership in AIChE.

“Dr. Luks is widely known for her contributions not only to chemical engineering, but also to Missouri S&T, both in the classroom and as a leader in the department,” says Dr. Richard Wlezien, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing. “Being elected a fellow is a tremendous honor, and one that Dr. Luks richly deserves.”

Luks has been a member of AIChE for several years. Her first leadership role in the organization was chairing the Women’s Initiative Committee (WIC) in 2006. That role propelled her to join the Societal Impact Operating Council (SIOC), which she chaired in 2011, and to participate in multiple activities with the K-12 Committee and the Global Societal Impact Committee (GSIC).

Luks has been active in the AIChE education division and on the student chapters committee. She has served as judge for the minority affairs committee scholarship awards and several competitions: student design, student paper, regional Chem-E-Car Safety and Engineering 4 Good.

“I am proud of the fact that I was selected for this honor despite my nontraditional academic career path,” says Luks. “I was never interested in the traditional tenure-track to tenure career. By pursuing a non-tenure-track teaching career, I have been able to tailor my work to the activities I love. It is fabulous to be recognized by my technical colleagues.”

Luks earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in applied math from the University of Tulsa, where she also earned a doctorate degree in chemical engineering. She worked briefly in industry before pursuing an academic career. Luks joined the faculty at Missouri S&T in 2014. Currently, she serves as associate chair of chemical and biochemical engineering at S&T, sits on the board of directors of the American Society for Engineering Education and is the national president of Omega Chi Epsilon, the chemical engineering honor society.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Founded in 1870 as the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of more than 8,000 students and part of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Located in Rolla, Missouri S&T offers 99 different degree programs in 40 areas of study, including engineering, the sciences, business and information technology, the humanities, and the liberal arts. Missouri S&T is known globally and is highly ranked for providing a high return on tuition investment, exceptional career opportunities for graduates, and an emphasis on applied, hands-on learning through student design teams and cooperative education and internship opportunities. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit mst.edu.