Mary Anne Walker is the Director of International Engineering Programs. Mary Anne collaborates with faculty and staff members in the college and with partner colleges—both at MSU and elsewhere—to initiate new multidisciplinary international research projects and internship opportunities for students, and to develop global partnerships.
Prior to joining the College of Engineering, Walker served from 2009–2012 as director of business and international development at MSUglobal, an entrepreneurial unit in the Office of the Provost at MSU. There, she was responsible for domestic/international research and program development, working with faculty and partner networks to create innovative solutions to business challenges. She was instrumental in expanding relationships with federal, international, and foundation funding agencies.
Walker received her BS in comparative international politics from Northeastern University in 1986. She studied overseas—at the London School of Economics and King's College, and in Madrid, Spain—and then worked for five years with a Boston law firm. She did graduate work at Tuft s University, served as a fellow to the United Nations University in 1991, and completed her MA in international law at American University in 1992.
She joined the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Europe and the New Independent States. She specialized in education and training programs, economic development, and rule of law initiatives, and finished her tenure with USAID serving as a senior democracy officer in Zagreb, Croatia, managing projects that aided civil society development.
In 2000, she started up and directed the MSU Office of International Development, She has taught and consulted on community and economic development, offering training programs on generating revenue through building public/private alliances, building and funding research agendas, and supporting brand enhancement through building extensive networks.
