Celebrating National STEM Day: Milt Walker III and his commitment to STEM

Nov. 8 is National STEM Day — an opportunity to celebrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. and around the world. In recognition of Intel’s commitment to STEM Education and careers, we sat down with Milt Walker III, a technical sales specialist in the Sales and Marketing Group and strong advocate of STEM. Our interview with Milt reveals how his passion for STEM has furthered his career and helped the community.

Q. Thank you, Milt, for speaking with us about your work and dedication to STEM education. Before we dive into that, tell us briefly about yourself and your Intel career.

I joined Intel as a co-op (intern) in 1994, where I supported our boards and systems customers via the Intel support line,1-800-Intel4U. I got to see a lot through the lens of the customer – from the Pentium FDIV bug to the dotcom bust. After additional co-op assignments, I was hired full time in 1997, as a technical marketing engineer in Oregon.

I ultimately wanted to be closer to my family in Atlanta, so I transitioned to a position there in 2001. I eventually became a Channel Applications Engineer, and later, a Field Application Engineer, where I developed deep expertise on how and why we build our products. Somewhere in the middle of this role I realized that I really wanted to get back into robotics—a field I was first exposed to as a child when I received a Big Trak toy for Christmas and a book on Robots.

I left Intel in 2016 to pursue another opportunity but returned in 2022 as a technical sales specialist focused on helping Intel grow our presence in the robotics field.

Q. That is an amazing journey. How did you become interested in STEM?

I wanted to work with computers and robots from an early age. I had a knack for taking things apart to see how they worked—electronics, toys, radios, pretty much anything that had screws. I remember my mom joking that we wouldn’t be buying any more expensive toys because I would just take them apart.

To my credit, I could often fix things once I understood how they worked. So, I became the designated “fixer” of things for my family, like VCRs and computers. This led me to learn programming in middle school and take a job in high school at the local computer store, where I became the head technician.

I also competed in a NAACP-sponsored science contest, winning the regional competition one year for a robotic door-lock mechanism I built. After high school I enrolled in the Computer Engineering Technology program at Rochester Institute of Technology.

So, I guess STEM was always in my blood. And it’s where I’ve been fortunate to focus my career.

Q. You’re currently on a team to help Intel grow its presence in robotics. Are there any notable experiences during your career that helped grow your interest?

I spent my second Intel sabbatical in Japan learning about robotics ecosystems and how to build a robot. I bought a small humanoid robot, and while learning how to use it, I uncovered a new desire to learn about sensors and small embedded compute.

My learnings ultimately led me to Intel Galileo, based on a new compute core called Intel Quark. I took a role with the New Device Group under the Maker and Innovator Group – a sort of start-up within Intel. This was one of the greatest years of my Intel career. Unfortunately, the group didn’t last, which is why I left in 2016.

But I’m grateful to be back and focused on an area of STEM that I love – robotics!

Q. Tell us about your experience with the Intel Employee Service Corp for STEM. What projects have you been involved in and how have they contributed to STEM education in the community?

The Intel Employee Service Corp (IESC) fosters STEM education through community development projects and is an important commitment by Intel to drive STEM education and empower world-changing work.

I’ve worked on two IESC STEM projects. One was to build a STEM lab in Ethiopia, the other to create a low-cost electronics kit for grade school students. The Ethiopia project was particularly transformative for me. In addition to being a cultural exchange (and my first trip to Africa), we worked through several challenges from working with customs to network communications. We were successful, ultimately, and got the lab up and running with the Intel Classmate PC, Lego kits, and other educational software. It was truly a transformation from the previous capabilities of the school.

Q. What community STEM organizations are you involved in that help raise awareness of STEM fields?

I was on the board and executive director of an organization that produced Maker Faire Atlanta. We helped raise over $200K in grants, sponsorships, and donations and helped introduce maker and STEM skills to children and adults by showing them how to make things and showcasing other makers in the local community.

I also worked on a project called Atlanta Beats Covid that gathered many of the local maker ecosystems around Atlanta to make and deliver PPE to first responders.

Currently, I serve on the board of Decatur Makers, a family friendly makerspace in Decatur, GA with a robust community of artists, engineers and curious learners. I help to raise awareness and funding to allow members to learn new skills and make things.

Q. What are your future aspirations, both professionally and STEM related? What would you like to see in STEM communities in the future, and how can Intel be a part of it?

Currently, I’m looking to help grow the robotics and automation ecosystem in the Atlanta area and grow my influence in the robotics world. I’d like to continue to grow interest in robotics with local schools and organizations. My son was a part of First Lego League, so I would love to help more with their organization. And contribute to educational organizations focused on robotics, programming, and technology in general.

More specifically, I would love to see more interesting, educational, and fun projects being created using robotics. It would be great to have Intel more involved in robotics kits and helping to drive the next generation of robotics engineers.

Q. What advice do you have for young people who aspire to pursue careers in STEM?

I would advise them to stay curious. Don’t be afraid to learn new things! Try different ways of learning, from hands-on to reading, asking other people, and watching. Find your tribe and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Are you passionate about STEM? Find opportunities to volunteer or give to the causes you care about the most at intel.com/content/www/us/en/jobs/life-at-intel.html.