Dr. Christi Patton Luks, teaching professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at S&T, has been elected as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) in recognition of her contributions to the chemical engineering field. A fellowship is the highest grade of membership in the organization.

“I am proud of the fact that I was selected for this honor despite my nontraditional academic career path,” says Luks. “I was never interested in the traditional tenure-track to tenure career. By pursuing a non-tenure-track teaching career, I have been able to tailor my work to the activities I love. It is fabulous to be recognized by my technical colleagues.”

Luks earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in applied math from the University of Tulsa, where she also earned a doctorate degree in chemical engineering. She worked briefly in industry before pursuing an academic career. Luks joined the faculty at Missouri S&T in 2014. She serves on the board of directors of the American Society for Engineering Education and is the national president of Omega Chi Epsilon, the chemical engineering honor society.