Dr. Mary Walker is a professor in the departments of Oral Biology and Restorative Dentistry. In addition to a D.D.S. and Ph.D., she also completed a Prosthodontics specialty residency. As the Department of Oral Biology Director of Graduate Research Programs, she is responsible for administering the Ph.D. and M.S. degree programs. She also serves as the Director of Dental Biomaterials with responsibilities that include teaching Biomaterials to both pre-doctoral dental students and graduate dental specialty residents as well as overseeing the mechanical testing facility. Her research focus is translational and clinical research and clinically-relevant evaluations of numerous dental biomaterials. Before joining the UMKC faculty, she was a faculty member of the College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Walker owned a solo general dentistry practice.

Dr. Walker is a member of numerous professional organizations including American Academy of Dental Materials, American College of Prosthodontists, and International and American Association of Dental Research. She also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Dental Research and Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.