Dr. Walker earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduation, he commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, where he achieved his childhood dream of becoming an aviator. Over the course of his career, he flew 65 different types of aircraft and accumulated over 2,700 flying hours. A Distinguished Graduate of USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, CA, he went on to serve as an Experimental Test Navigator and an Experimental Test Weapons System Officer for the F-15E. Following his graduation from Air Command and Staff College, he earned his PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. He returned to Edwards, where he first served as the Chief of Instructor Training and Curriculum Development at the Test Pilot School and later became the school’s Deputy Commandant. After graduating from Air War College, he served as Deputy Chief of the Common Systems Division and the Chief of the Agile Combat Support Division in the Directorate of Global Power Programs at the Pentagon. Returning to Wright-Patterson as a Colonel, he served as the Director of Air Vehicles at the Air Force Research Laboratory. He then moved back to Edwards, where he Commanded the Operations Group of the 412th Test Wing of the USAF Flight Test Center. His final assignment in his active duty career took him back to AFRL in Wright-Patterson, where he served as the Vice Commander. Upon his retirement in 2006, he entered the Senior Executive Service and became the Director of Materials and Manufacturing at AFRL. He returned to the Pentagon, where he worked as the Associate Director of Programs in Plans and Programs, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Integration, and finally as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering. His last assignment as an SES was as the Research and Development Portfolio Director in the Office of Naval Research. With his long history with aerospace technology and innovation, he became the Executive Director of the Wright Brothers Institute in Dayton, OH.

Dr. Walker’s 40-year long career was defined by his hard work, high expectations, and unquestionable integrity. He was known as an innovator and was an enthusiastic supporter of research and technology. He always looked for optimal solutions to complex problems and was never satisfied with the status quo. While Dr. Walker never sought to make a name for himself, his extraordinary reputation ensured that he was always recognized and respected wherever he went.