Walker Appointed to North Carolina Board of Science, Technology and Innovation
Appointed by Governor Cooper, Bill Walker will bring a experience from both industry and academia to the board focused on accelerating technology companies
Bill Walker, director of Engineering Entrepreneurship at Duke University, has been appointed to the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology and Innovation (NCBSTI) by Governor Roy Cooper.
NCBSTI encourages, promotes and supports research in scientific, industrial and engineering research, and its potential impact on industry and commercial enterprises throughout the state. It primarily focuses on accelerating North Carolina’s next generation of technologies and their associated companies by investigating emerging areas that could impact the state and studying the competitiveness of the state’s industry and research institutions in these fields.
“I’ve been engaged in North Carolina’s culture of innovation since 1986, and I’ve been excited to see how technological innovation improves lives and create meaningful, high-paying jobs,” said Walker. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to serve the people of the state and to engage Duke in the ongoing effort to make North Carolina even more competitive.”
Walker joins the board as an accomplished leader with 30 years of experience in research, product development, entrepreneurship and innovation. After earning both his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering from Duke, Walker served as a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA) for 16 years. During his time at UVA, he created the undergraduate major in biomedical engineering, invented numerous technologies and founded two successful startups. Pocketsonics developed one the world’s first pocket-sized ultrasound imaging device. In 2010, Walker left UVA to lead HemoSonics, a startup that used ultrasound to diagnose the causes of bleeding.
At Duke, Walker serves as the Pratt School of Engineering’s Mattson Family Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship. He is also a founder and leader of the school’s Engineering Entrepreneurship (EngEn) program—a new initiative integrating the school’s strengths and entrepreneurial resources to deliver technological solutions to societal needs in health, defense, climate change and beyond.
In these positions, Walker coaches Pratt faculty, students and staff to help them create high-impact, technology-based commercial ventures. Walker is also responsible for developing new educational activities to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship training for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as fostering collaboration across the university and with industry and investors. Walker’s work at Duke has allowed for the university to build a leading program for students and faculty to address pressing societal issues in North Carolina and beyond by translating innovative research to the marketplace.
Walker succeeds Ravi Bellamkonda, dean of the Pratt School of Engineering, as Duke University’s representative on the board.