Biography
Sharon L. Walker, PhD, is Dean of Drexel Engineering and Distinguished
Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, as well as
Executive Director of ELATES at Drexel, a national leadership development
program committed to increasing the representation of women in STEM. She is
also vice chair of the Engineering Deans Council of the American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE). Walker is principal investigator on the NSF
Advance Grant, “Catalyzing STEM Gender Equity at Drexel: Building a
Foundation for Systemic Transformation,” and in 2021 received the Winifred
Burks-Houck Professional Leadership Award from the National Organization for
the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. A
Yale University-trained water quality systems expert focusing on the fate
and transport of bacteria and nanoparticles in water, Walker is a fellow of
AEESP, AAAS, and AIMBE. Walker has produced more than 250 conference papers
and publications, and in 2018 won the AEESP inaugural Mary Ann Liebert Award
for Publication Excellence in Environmental Engineering Science. She holds a
PhD in Environmental Engineering and an MS in Chemical Engineering, both
from Yale, and earned two undergraduate engineering degrees in environmental
engineering and environmental studies from the University of Southern
California.
Degrees / Education
- PhD, Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 2004
- MS, Chemical Engineering, Yale University, 2000
- BS, Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 1998
Research Interests
Water Quality Systems Engineering
Areas of Study
Academic Distinctions
- Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 2022
- Winifred Burks-Houck Professional Leadership Award, National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers 2021
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2019
- AEESP/Mary Ann Liebert Award for Publication Excellence in Environmental Engineering Science, 2018
- Fulbright Fellowship (Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel) 2018-2019
- Fellow, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) 2017
- Environmental Science and Technology Journal’s Excellent Reviewer Award 2014
- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement 2011
- NSF Career Award 2010-2015
- Fulbright Fellowship 2009-2010
- John Babbage Chair in Environmental Engineering 2005-2018
- Woman of Distinction, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Award 2008
- UC Regents Faculty Fellowship 2005, 2007
- UC Faculty Senate Research Award 2005, 2008
- Tau Beta Pi- National Engineering Honors Society – member
- Chi Epsilon- Civil Engineering Honors Society – member
- Regents' Faculty Fellowship/Faculty Development Award, 9/2005
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship 2001-2004
- American Chemical Society Certificate of Merit, Environmental Chemistry Division 2003
- American Chemical Society Graduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry 2002
- National Water Research Institute Graduate Fellowship 2000-2003