CHICAGO — William F. Baker P.E., S.E., FASCE, FIStructE, structural engineering partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his leadership in the development of innovative structures for high-rise buildings worldwide.

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature," and to the "pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

Throughout his distinguished career, Baker has dedicated himself to structural innovation from small special structures to the design of tall buildings. His best known contribution has been to develop the “buttressed core” structural system for the Burj Khalifa (Dubai), a system which, in conjunction with sophisticated wind engineering, makes it possible to construct skyscrapers of extreme height. The Burj Khalifa is currently the world’s tallest manmade structure.

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), of the eleven tallest buildings in the world, Baker has led the designed three (Burj Khalifa, Nanjing Greenland Financial Center (Nanjing), Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)).

Other notable projects include the Broadgate Exchange House (London), Korean Air Lines Operations Center (Seoul) Infinity Tower (Dubai), General Motors Renaissance Center — North Lobby (Detroit) and Raspberry Island — Schubert Club Band Shell (St. Paul).

In 2008, Baker received the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal for lifetime achievement from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. In 2009, he was the first American to receive the Fritz Leonhardt Prize (Germany) in recognition of his engineering accomplishments. And, in 2010, Baker was honored in London with The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Gold Medal, the Institution’s highest individual award for advancements in structural engineering.

This spring, Baker will be recognized with a 2011 Outstanding Projects And Leaders (OPAL) Lifetime Award for Design from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Retired SOM Partner, Srinivasa (Hal) Iyengar, is also a member of the NAE.

For more information about SOM, please visit www.som.com.