Travis W Walker

Travis W Walker serves as Associate Professor in the Karen M. Swindler Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, having returned to his alma mater in 2017 after four years as Assistant Professor at Oregon State University.

His academic credentials include:

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
• B.S. in Applied and Computational Mathematics, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
• M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Stanford University

Dr. Walker's research centers on transport phenomena with specialized focus on theoretical and experimental analysis of complex fluids, soft solids, and biological systems. His work investigates multiphase interactions and material mechanics through molecular-level physics to explain macroscopic behaviors, covering critical areas like rheology, capillarity, and low-Reynolds number flow. This fundamental approach bridges engineering principles with biological applications.

He actively teaches core chemical engineering curriculum spanning programming, numerical methods, mass/energy balances, and advanced transport phenomena, while championing undergraduate research initiatives and developing specialized courses in complex fluid dynamics and applied mathematics.