Professor Walter Michaeli held the Chair of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen University since 1989. He retired on July 31, 2011. Apart from the normal lecturing activities, Michaeli has also, on an honorary basis, initiated a number of other training measures dealing with topical and practical issues of science and economics.

Since 1988 until 1 April 2011, he was Director of the "Association of Sponsors of the Institute of Plastics Processing in Industry and the Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University". He was also Chairman of the examination committee of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, a member of the Materials Forum and a member of the Computer Sciences Forum at RWTH Aachen University.

As former head of the IKV, Professor Michaeli was involved for more than 20 years in the training of the skilled crafts. Every year throughout Germany, more than 20,000 young people receive training in plastics processing at 40 vocational training facilities according to a system developed at the IKV.

Professor Michaeli received a lot of prizes and wards. Among these honours the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen "Otto von Guericke" e.V. – AiF) presented Walter Michaeli with the Otto von Guericke Medal. The medal is held in high esteem in the field of collaborative industrial research. Since it was first awarded in 1967, there have been only 30 recipients.

German president, Horst Köhler, awarded Professor Michaeli the Order of Merit (First Class) of the Federal Republic of Germany upon the recommendation of Jürgen Rüttgers, Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Christa Thoben, the NRW Minister of Economic Affairs, presented the Order of Merit to the Aachen university professor in Düsseldorf in May 2009.