Mitchell L. R. Walker II

Education

Ph.D., M.S.E., aerospace engineering, University of Michigan

Summary of Experience

Professor Walker is an expert in electric propulsion, plasma physics, and spacecraft-thruster interactions, with a focus on propulsion system development, plasma diagnostics, and integration effects. He directs Georgia Tech’s High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory and consults to organizations such as Lockheed Martin and NASA. Professor Walker has testified before the US House of Representatives and served as a technical expert in complex regulatory and litigation contexts. He has authored more than 160 technical publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings, and is an associate editor of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ (AIAA’s) Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. Professor Walker serves on NASA’s Advisory Council on Technology, Innovation, and Engineering and the US Department of Energy’s Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. He has held leadership roles including chair of the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee and general chair of the International Electric Propulsion Conference. Professor Walker is a fellow of the AIAA and has received numerous honors, including the AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award. He has delivered invited briefings and lectures at NASA centers and institutions such as Columbia University. Earlier in his career at Georgia Tech, Professor Walker served as associate dean for academic affairs and associate chair for graduate programs in aerospace engineering. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Physical Society.