Walker Tuff

Innovation Fellow

Having grown up in Fresno, CA, Walker chose to stay in his hometown for college and enrolled in Fresno State where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering after being awarded the Lyles College of Engineering Graduate Sponsorship. Following his tenure with Fresno State, he spent the next year feeding his knowledge back into the community as a professor of engineering at local colleges. It was during this time as an educator that he discovered a love for teaching and mentorship which eventually led him to pursue opportunities to better his skills at the University of Notre Dame where he enrolled as a PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program.

While attending Notre Dame, Walker worked on the development of novel nanofabrication techniques for the manufacturing of light-sensitive nanometals. His work was published in high-impact journals such as ACS Nano and Small which resulted in him receiving Notre Dame’s Material Science and Engineering Best Paper Award as well as their Imaging Award. Furthermore, his work with students and his advising professor earned him the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award and the Striving for Excellence in College and University Teaching Certification. 

Walker joined enFocus after developing a love for his local community and seeing enFocus’ desire to better the South Bend – Elkhart – Niles region through the development of local industries and talent. As such, he aims to make his community a hub for innovation and manufacturing through the development of sustainable technologies and the education of those disadvantaged in the region.

In his free time, Walker likes to spend time with his furry and feathered friends. You’ll often find him reading a book on the couch with his dog and two cats or in the yard taking care of his six chickens and garden.