Keisha Walters Inducted as Fellow of Plastics Society

Keisha Bishop Walters was inducted as a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers during the 2022 SPE ANTEC meeting earlier this year. Walters is a professor and department head of the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering at the U of A.  

The Society of Plastics Engineers is an international organization composed of over 22,500 plastics professionals in 84 countries that focuses its efforts on knowledge sharing, skills development, networking, events and training. Fellow is an honor awarded to a very limited number of SPE members who demonstrate outstanding achievements in the field of plastics engineering, including being an inventor, developing or implementing new concept or process innovations, and/or being a recognized leader in these efforts. 

In addition to a review of their professional credentials, a candidate must be nominated by a division or special interest group of the society and sponsored by at least two members. Walters was sponsored by the society's Bioplastics and Renewable Technologies Division. The election of a nominated member to Fellow is a process SPE and the Fellows Election Committee take very seriously.

Only 357 members have been awarded the prestigious title of Fellow of the Society since it was introduced in 1984, said Jason Lyons, president of SPE. 

"This recognition carries significant weight because it's given by a committee made up of a blend of professionals from different disciplines who are committed to and work within the plastics industry," Lyons said. "These awards are not only important to those honored but to the society members and committees who are focused on plastics professionals committed to industry innovation and excellence. I am thrilled that Keisha has been honored, as she represents the future of our field." 

Walters' current contributions to the society include serving on multiple boards for the organization. In addition to being a member of the SPE Foundation Board, she also serves on the boards of the Bioplastics and Renewable Technologies Division and the Engineering Properties and Structures Division. She has also contributed as the founding faculty adviser for student chapters at two universities, including the U of A. Walters first joined the Society of Plastics Engineers in 1999. 

Walters has worked in the polymer field for over 25 years and has been a member of the society for 23 of those years.   

"I am very honored to have received this recognition," Walters said. "SPE has given me an opportunity to learn about the plastics innovations in industry and academic labs, provided a forum for my students and me to present our research findings and supported networking with plastics professionals from around the world." 

In addition to other duties, Walters is director of the Polymer and Nano Engineering Lab at the U of A. Her fundamental and applied research efforts have made significant impacts in the areas of bioplastics, polymer surface modification, novel living radical polymerization, stimuli responsive polymers and polymer-grafted nanoparticles. She earned her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Clemson University. 

About the Department of Chemical Engineering: Chemical engineering has been a part of the University of Arkansas curriculum since 1903. Today, the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering has an enrollment of over 300 students in its undergraduate and graduate degree programs and houses five endowed chairs and eight endowed professorships to support its faculty. Faculty expertise includes cellular engineering, chemical process safety, advanced materials, and membrane separations. A wide range of fundamental and applied research is conducted in the areas of energy, health, sustainability and computational chemical engineering. The department is also home to the Chemical Hazards Research Center and is one of three national sites for the Membrane Science, Engineering, & Technology (MAST) Center. The Department of Chemical Engineering is named for alumnus Ralph E. Martin (B.S.Ch.E.'58, M.S.Ch.E.'60) in recognition of his 2005 endowment gift.