William F. Baker

William F. Baker is a structural engineering consulting partner at SOM where he led the structural engineering practice for over 20 years. At SOM, he works to extend the profession of structural engineering through research and the creating design approaches that lead to more efficient structures.  Baker has led the structural engineering design of 26 towers over 300 meters tall, including the world’s tallest manmade structure, the 2,700-foot-tall Burj Khalifa.  He is actively involved with numerous professional organizations and institutions of higher learning. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Cambridge and an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University; he has received honorary doctorates from the University of Stuttgart, Heriot-Watt University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Missouri; the Gold Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Projects and Leaders Lifetime Award for Design; the Gustav Magnel Gold Medal from the University of Ghent; the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; and the Fritz Leonhardt Preis (Germany).