Board of Trustees, Trustee (2008-present) Committee; Leadership and Scope, Chair (1999-2000) Conference, Session Chair (Chicago, 2009) Conference, Speaker (Chicago, 2006; New York, 2005; Seoul, 2004;    Stuttgart, 2003; Melbourne, 2001; Amsterdam, 1995; Hong Kong, 1990) Award Recipient, Fazlur Khan Medal (2008)    Chicago, USA Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP

William F. Baker is the Structural Engineering Partner for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP (SOM). Throughout his distinguished career, Bill has dedicated himself to structural innovation-- most notably in the design of tall buildings.  His development of the Burj Khalifa’s “buttressed core” structural system has ushered in the new era of the supertall building. At 828 meters, the Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest manmade structure, eclipsing its immediate predecessors by over 300m. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), three of the world’s ten tallest buildings are credited to Baker and his team: Burj Khalifa, Trump International Hotel & Tower, and Zifeng Tower.

In addition to working at SOM, Bill is actively involved with numerous institutions of higher learning, as well as various professional organizations. He is the 2011 recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) OPAL Award, recognizing lifetime achievement in design. He has also received the Gold Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), and was the first American to receive the Fritz Leonhardt Preis (Germany). In 2008, the CTBUH awarded him the Fazlur Rahman Khan medal. Mr. Baker is a Fellow of both the ASCE and the IStructE, and frequently lectures on a variety of structural engineering topics within the U.S. and abroad.