Starnes Walker is the founding director of the University of Delaware Cybersecurity Initiative and professor of electrical and computer engineering. The UDCSI focuses on corporate cybersecurity, addressing present and emerging cyberthreats. It has a special emphasis on the banking/financial, energy, chemical, telecom and the nation's critical infrastructure sectors, incorporating advances in education and research, as well as training and certification programs for the corporate workforce and government professionals.
Prior to this appointment, Walker served as the chief technology officer and technical director in standing up the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. 10th Fleet, U.S. Navy. His earlier government senior executive service/SES positions included Department of Homeland Security's director of research, Department of Navy's Office of Naval Research's executive director and chief scientist, and standing up the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as senior advisor for science and technology.
Additionally, he served as Argonne National Laboratory's first associate laboratory director of national security, with a career spanning the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Energy and the IC. As a former member of the SES, Walker served as a standing member of the Defense Science and Technology Advisory Group for the Director of Defense, Research and Engineering in the Office of the Secretary of Defense , along with the S&T executives of the services, DIA, DARPA and MDA.
In these positions, he developed critical programs and aligned strategic defense, homeland security and intelligence organizations across the United States and around the globe while forging key partnerships with the U.K., Australia, Singapore, Israel, Sweden, the EU and NATO. Earlier industry posts included Morrison Knudsen's vice president of technology and Phillips Petroleum's corporate environmental director. He advanced to senior research associate, focusing on refining/petrochemical plant process operations, magnetic confinement fusion at General Atomics, alternate energy processes, biotechnology with The Salk Institute, and starting as a physicist at the Naval Weapons Center-China Lake.
During his tenure with government, Walker led a number of strategic initiatives. These posts include an appointment by the Deputy Secretary of Defense to serve as chairman for the joint laboratory board of the Joint Improvised Explosive Devices Defeat Organization. Walker served as a member of the executive steering group to establish the Joint Technology Office-High Energy Laser Program under the auspices of DoD's Under Secretary-AT&L. Walker now serves as a standing member of the Air Force Studies Board and the Intelligence Board of the National Academies and the Aspen Institute's Homeland Security Group.
Walker is now a member of Purdue University's Global Affairs Strategic Advisory Council, a senior advisor to NNSA's National Security Campus (Kansas City Plant) and earlier as a member of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Strategic Advisory Group board. Walker serves as the founding chairman of the Engineering Development Board of the Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla) and was a Member-US Air Force Cyber Vision 2025 Senior Expert Review. Earlier, Walker served as the science advisor to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, as well as led the tritium production program at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. As a senior executive service member in helping to stand up DTRA, Walker was the recipient of the distinguished DoD Exceptional Civilian Service Medal. He is a recipient of the R&D 100 Award and is widely published in the fields of physics, chemistry, optics and signal processing, with numerous patents issued. He was a Navy fellow and recipient of three consecutive Naval Weapons Fellowship awards. Walker is a member of the American Physical Society, American Nuclear Society and The Cosmos Club.
Walker holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of California and an honorary degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. Active Clearances: DoD TS/SCI w poly, DOE "Q"
