James D. Walker

Dr. James D. Walker is Director of the Engineering Dynamics Department in the Mechanical Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, where he is also an Institute Scientist. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Ballistics Science Fellow of the International Ballistics Society. His awards and honors include the Holley Medal from ASME for his work in support of the space-shuttle Columbia accident investigation, NASA Group Achievement Awards for work on the space shuttle return to flight and the New Horizons mission to Pluto, Popular Science’s 2004 list of “Brilliant 10” scientists to watch, and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Hypervelocity Impact Society. He is also an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he teaches graduate level mechanical engineering courses.