Southfield, Mich. – Lewis N. Walker, president of Lawrence Technological University, has received the Missouri Honor Award for Distinguished Service in Engineering from his alma mater, the University of Missouri (MU).

Walker received bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from MU in 1967, 1968 and 1970, respectively.

In presenting the award, MU Engineering Dean Jim Thompson said Walker has responded to the changing global economy with innovative leadership throughout his academic career.

“Lewis has spent his academic career leading universities to adapt to the changing global economy,” Thompson said. “He has led the way in innovation by launching new programs, new collaborations and new ways of increasing student enrollment.”

While serving as an MU faculty member between 1968 and 1982, Walker developed research partnerships with several electric utilities and private organizations as the co-founder of the MU Digital Power Research Group. He subsequently helped transform the University of Hartford in Connecticut by establishing an engineering graduate program and paving the way for new corporate collaborations.

Thompson added that at Lawrence Tech Walker has helped the Detroit region adapt to global economic pressures by setting up remote education sites throughout the world and creating new undergraduate and graduate programs focusing on engineering areas with increasing demand. Since becoming president in 2006 after serving as provost for 12 years, Walker has launched a leadership initiative at Lawrence Tech.

“Lawrence Tech is making leadership a fundamental ingredient of the education we offer to all our undergraduate students,” Walker said. “We’ve made it our goal to develop the leaders of tomorrow, and we see our students as leaders in the making.”

Lawrence Technological University, ltu.edu, offers more than 60 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs in Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Management. Founded in 1932, the 4,500-student, private university pioneered evening classes 75 years ago, and today has a growing number of weekend and online programs. Lawrence Tech’s 102-acre campus is in Southfield, with education centers in Lansing, Livonia, Clinton Township, Traverse City and Petoskey. Lawrence Tech also offers programs with partner universities in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.