June 19th 2025.

Dear CLS Community,

It is my pleasure to announce that Dr. Rob Walker, a faculty member since 2009, has been appointed to head the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, beginning July 1.

Dr. Walker's primary teaching interests are Quantum Chemistry, Molecular Spectroscopy, Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, Electrochemistry, and Materials Science. For more than 25 years, first at the University of Maryland, College Park, before moving to MSU, he and his research team have engaged in a broad-based, discipline-spanning effort to better understand the relationships between structure and reactivity in a wide array of interfacial and energy conversion systems. The team cultivates strong collaborations with research groups at MSU, around the country, and around the world.

As a faculty member at MSU, Dr. Walker has been recognized for excellence several times, including in 2021 with the Fox Faculty Award for Achievement in Teaching, Research, Scholarship, Creativity and Mentoring and in 2016 with the Provost's Award for Graduate Research/Creative Mentoring. In 2023, he was selected as the College of Letters and Science Distinguished Professor, not only for his outstanding scientific achievements and service to the college but also for his efforts to promote scholarship and education throughout the Montana University System.

One of those projects is the multidisciplinary statewide SMART FIRES program funded by a National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant, for which Dr. Walker serves as the Montana University System project director. The project focuses on the dynamics of prescribed fire and the practice's impact on Montanans and Montana communities.

In 2013, Dr. Walker helped create the Montana Materials Science Graduate Program, a collaborative effort between MSU, the University of Montana, and Montana Technological University, to leverage cross-university expertise in materials science and expand and strengthen educational research and workforce development opportunities across the state. He then served as the state director for the program for 10 years, helping it grow at MSU into the fourth-largest Ph.D. program on campus.

Dr. Walker has mentored more than 30 Ph.D. graduates and published more than 130 scientific papers during his career. His work has been recognized with a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation and several prestigious fellowships. He is also a fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science.

Says Walker of his new role, "Chemistry and Biochemistry is a linchpin department at MSU, linking the physical and life sciences to mathematics, engineering, and agriculture. With strong programs in both undergraduate and graduate education and a legacy of world-class scholarship, Chemistry and Biochemistry remains a leader in MSU's commitment to the people of Montana and the pursuit of knowledge. I'm excited to help lead our faculty as we advance our teaching, research, and service missions.

As we welcome Dr. Walker to his new position, I'd also like to thank Dr. Joan Broderick, who has served as head of the department since 2017. 

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Dr. Walker as department head of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Sincerely,

William G. Thomas III

Dean, College of Letters & Science