Missouri S&T will welcome Dr. Sharon L. Walker, dean of Drexel University’s College of Engineering, to campus Wednesday, Jan. 31, as part of the Chancellor’s Speaker Series.

Walker’s presentation, titled “A call to action for engineers: Rethinking education, research and community,” will begin at 5 p.m. in the Hasselmann Alumni House, located at 1100 N. Pine St. in Rolla. There will be a reception with refreshments at 4 p.m. in the alumni house prior to the main event. Those interested in attending should RSVP for the free community event at speakerseries.mst.edu.  
 
Walker will discuss how engineers can potentially rethink their roles as educators, collaborative researchers and community and industry partners and work together to find solutions to pressing issues, such as developing and transforming the technical workforce. 
 
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Sharon Walker to Rolla for the Chancellor’s Speaker Series, and her talk couldn’t be more timely,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani. “Sharon’s approach to redefining the role of engineering is of paramount importance, and there is no question that her engagement will be more than just a talk. She is sure to inspire our campus and community.” 

Walker is a Distinguished Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Drexel and holds courtesy faculty appointments for chemical and biological engineering, as well as biodiversity, Earth and environmental science. She is an expert on water quality systems, with a focus on bacteria and nanoparticles. 
 
She is also executive director of Drexel’s ELATES program. ELATES stands for “Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science” and is a fellowship program that helps prepare women for senior academic positions in engineering, computer science and other STEM fields. 

Walker is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. 
 
Walker earned a Ph.D. in environmental engineering and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Southern California. 
 
After Walker, the next speaker scheduled for the Chancellor’s Speaker Series is John Ashcroft, former U.S. attorney general, U.S. senator, and Missouri governor, on Tuesday, April 30. 
 
The Chancellor’s Speaker Series was established in 2023 to bring notable speakers to the S&T campus community to discuss topics of importance within society and encourage the creative exchange of thoughts and ideas.  
 
For more information about the series, visit speakerseries.mst.edu. 

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.