On Friday, December 14th, SOM Structural Engineering Partner William F. Baker delivered the commencement address at the University of Missouri College of Engineering Winter Commencement ceremony.
A native Missourian, Baker graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri in 1975. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from the university, in recognition of his distinguished career and contributions to the field.
Throughout his career, Baker has dedicated himself to advancing structural engineering innovation through design, research, teaching, and professional activities. One of his best-known contributions to the profession is the buttressed-core structural system that he developed for the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest human-made structure.
Baker, an Honorary Professor at the University of Cambridge, has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Stuttgart, Heriot-Watt University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology.