1957) is an American astronomer and senior employee of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).
[2] Walker earned her Bachelor's degree in Physics and Astronomy from Smith College, her Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and her Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Arizona.
[3] She was advised by Robert N. Martin and her dissertation's title from 1991 was "A submillimeter-millimeterwave study of the molecular gas in the nuclear regions of three nearby starburst galaxies.
[5] She was also chair of the International Year of Astronomy Dark Skies Awareness project,[6] and continues to chair the dark skies awareness programs of Global Astronomy Month.
Walker is very active in outreach and education about astronomy and light pollution.