Sara Walker
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Phone: 480.727.2394
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Mail code: 6004Campus: Tempe
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Professor Sara Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, with research interests in the origins of life, artificial life, life and detection on other worlds. Since joining ASU in 2013 she has built a highly interdisciplinary research program to tackle the origin of life problem from all sides. She has mentored dozens of early career scientists and leads one of the largest theory groups in origins of life and astrobiology internationally. Her team's major contributions are in theoretical advances in the field of astrobiology, developing new approaches to the problem of understanding universal features of life that might allow a general theory for solving the matter to life transition, detecting alien life and designing synthetic life. At Arizona State University, she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science and Associate Director of the ASU-Santa Fe Institute Center for Biosocial Complex Systems. She is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and in the School of Complex Adaptive Systems. She is also a member of the External Faculty at the Santa Fe Institute.
She is PI of a NASA Indisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (iCAR) project focused on "Planetary Systems Biochemistry" which is providing a new set of rigorous, agnostic tools for NASA and other agencies to identify signs of life. She is playing a key role in developing statistical frameworks for life detection and new approaches to the origins of life, and was awarded the Stanley Miller Early Career Award by the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life in 2021 for her international leadership in these areas. She recognizes how understanding life at a deep level should have major technological and societal implications and therefore contributes to tech transfer of her labs work. In this direction, she is part of a team awarded four highly competitive prizes from the National Institutes of Health to build a pipeline from prediction to design, discovery and validation of new, non-addictive opioid drugs. She serves on several steering committees and Boards, including the Sloan Foundation’s Matter-to-Life Initiative, the LIFE mission concept, the NASA Network for Life Detection, and the NSF Origins of Life Coordination Network among others. She is also heavily invested in public engagment in science, and has reached thousands in-person, and hundreds of thousands remotely through lectures, podcast interviews and other activities.
Dartmouth College, Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy (2010)
Florida Institute of Technology, B.S., Physics (2005)
Cape Cod Community College, A.A. Math/Science/Pre-Engineering (2003)
What is life? This is one of the most important and challenging open questions of modern science. The Walker group focuses on several key areas (1) inventing statistical approaches to characterizing universal biochemistry (2) leading efforts in life detection science in the solar system and exoplanets (3) developing new theory and experiments for identifying life and quantifying the transition from non-living to living matter (4) quantifying the informational architecture of living systems and design of ‘living’ machines and (5) tech transfer. Our lab is run in a creative 'think tank' mode with many spin-off projects in different directions beyond these five.
† Walker lab Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Scientist. ‡ Walker lab graduate student. ‡† ASU undergrad, ∗Authors contributed equally. • Invited Paper. •• Cover.¨Corresponding author.
1. D. Gagler‡, B. Karas‡, C. Kempes A. Goldman, H. Kim† and S.I. Walker¨ (2021) Scaling Laws in Enzyme Function Reveal a New Kind of Biochemical Universality. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, 119(9), e2106655119
2. A. Frank, D. Grinspoon, S.I. Walker (2022) Intelligence as a Planetary Scale Process. Int. J. Astrobiology, 1-15
3. G. Valentini†, T.P. Pavlic, S.I. Walker, SC Pratt, D. Brio, T. Saski (2021) Naïve Individuals Promote Collective Exploration in Homing Pigeons. eLife 2021;10:e68653.
4. H.B. Smith‡, H. Kim† and S.I. Walker¨ (2021) Scarcity of Scale-free topology is Universal across Biochemical Networks. Scientific Reports 11 (1), 1-13.
5. S. Marshall, C. Mathis, E. Carrick, G. Keenan, G.J.T. Cooper, H. Graham, M. Craven, P.S. Gromski, D.G. Moore†, S.I. Walker and L. Cronin (2021) Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry. Nature Communications 12, 3033.
6. H. Kim†, G. Valentini†, J. Hanson‡ and S.I. Walker¨ (2021) Information Architecture Across Non-living and Living Collectives. Theory in Biosciences 1-17.
7. T. Pavlic, J. Hanson‡, G. Valentini†, S.I. Walker and S. Pratt (2021) Quorum Sensing without Deliberation: Biological Inspiration for Externalizing Computation to Physical Spaces in Multi-robot Systems. Swarm Intelligence 15, 171-203.
8. H. Smith‡, A. Drew‡†, J. Malloy‡, S.I. Walker¨ (2021) Seeding Biochemistry on Other Worlds: Enceladus as a Case Study. Astrobiology 21(2).
9. J. Hanson‡, S.I. Walker¨ (2021) Formalizing Falsification for Theories of Consciousness Across Computational Hierarchies. Neuroscience of Consciousness (2) niab014. ).
10. J. Bell, G. Bianconi, D. Butler, J. Crowcoft, P.C.W. Davies, C. Hicks, H. Kim, I. Kiss, F. Di Lauro, C. Maple, A. Paul, M. Prokopenko, P. Tee, S.I. Walker (2020) Beyond COVID-19: Network science and sustainable exit strategies. J. Phys. Complexity 2(2), 021001.
11. G. Valentini†, N. Mizumoto, S.C. Pratt, T.P. Pavlic, S.I. Walker¨ (2020) Revealing the structure of information flows discriminates similar animal social behaviors. eLife, 2020;9:e55395.
12. D.M. Glaser, H.E. Hartnett, S.J. Desch, C.T. Unterborn, A. Anbar, S. Buessecker, T. Fisher‡, S. Glaser, S.R. Kane, C.M. Lisse, C. Millsaps‡, S. Neuer, J.G. O'Rourke, N. Santos, S.I. Walker, and M. Zolotov (2020) Detectability of Life Using Oxygen on Pelagic Planets and Water Worlds. The Astrophysical Journal 893 163.
13. G. Valentini†, N. Masuda, Z. Shaffer, J.R. Hanson‡, T. Sasaki, S.I. Walker, T.P. Pavlic, S.C. Pratt. (2020) Division of labour promotes the spread of information in colony emigrations by the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 287(1924):20192950.
14. E. Borriello†, S.I. Walker, M.D. Laubichler. (2020) Cell phenotypes as macrostates of the GRN dynamics. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution. 334(4): 213-224.
15. A. Truitt, P. Young, S.I.Walker, A. Spacek (2020) A Flexible Bayesian Framework for Assessing Habitability with Joint Observational and Model Constraints. The Astronomical Journal 159(2), 55.
16. J. Hanson‡ and S.I. Walker¨ (2019) Integrated Information and Feed-forward Philosophical Zombies. Entropy 21(11), 1073.
17. S. Zhou‡, M. Phielipp, J. Sefair, S.I.Walker and H. Ben Amor (2019) Clone Swarms: Learning to Predict and Control Multi-Robot Systems by Imitation, Proceedings of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)
18. D. Moore† and S.I. Walker¨ (2019) Inferring a Graph’s Topology from Games Played on It. Proceedings of ALife 2019, pp. 271-277.
19. S.I. Walker¨ (2019) The New Physics Needed to Probe the Origins of Life. Nature 569, 36-38.
20. A.J. Surman, M. Rodriguez Garcia, Y.M. Abul-Haija, G.J.T. Cooper, M. Mullin, C. Mathis‡, S.I. Walker and L. Cronin (2019) Environmental control over random oligomerisation of amino acid monomers programs the emergence of structures with function. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 116 no. 12: 5387-5392.
21. H. Kim†, H.B. Smith‡, C. Mathis‡, J. Raymond and S.I. Walker¨ (2019) Universal scaling across biochemical networks on Earth. Science Advances 5: eaau0149
22. B. Daniels, H. Kim†, D. Moore†, S. Zhou‡, H.B. Smith‡, B. Karas‡, S.A. Kauffman, and S.I. Walker¨ (2018) Criticality Distinguishes the Ensemble of Biological Regulatory Networks Phys. Rev. Lett. 121 138102.
23. S. I. Walker¨, W. Bains, L. Cronin, S. DasSarma, S. Danielache, S. Domagal-Goldman, B. Kacar, N. Y. Kiang, A. Lenardic, C. T. Reinhard, W. Moore, E. W. Schwieterman, E. L. Shkolnik, H. B. Smith‡ (2018) Exoplanet Biosignatures: Future Directions. Astrobiology 18(6) 779-824. ).
24. E. W. Schwieterman, N.Y. Kiang, M.N. Parenteau, C. E. Harman, S. DasSarma, T. M. Fisher‡, G.N. Arney, H. E. Hartnett, C. T. Reinhard, S. L. Olson, V. S. Meadows, C. S. Cockell, S. I. Walker, J.L. Grenfell, S. Hegde, S. Rugheimer, R. Hu, T. W. Lyons (2018) Exoplanet Biosignatures: A Review of Remotely Detectable Signs of Life. Astrobiology 18(6) 663. ).
25. •• N.Y. Kiang, S. Domagal-Goldman, M.N. Parenteau, D.C. Catling, Y. Fujii, V.S. Meadows, E.W. Schwieterman and S.I. Walker (2018) Exoplanet Biosignatures: At the Dawn of a New Era of Planetary Observations. Astrobiology 18(6) 619.
26. G.Valentini †, D. Moore †, J. Hanson‡, T. Pavlic, S. Pratt and S.I. Walker¨ (2018) Transfer of Information in Collective Decisions by Artificial Agents, Proceedings of the 2018 Conference on Artificial Life, pp. 641 – 648.
27. D. Moore†, G. Valentini†, S.I. Walker¨ and M. Levin. (2018) Inform: Efficient Information- Theoretic Analysis of Collective Behaviors. Frontiers in Robotics and AI: Computational Intelligence 5 60.
28. S.I. Walker¨ (2017) Origins of Life: A Problem for Physics, A Key Issues Review. Rep. Prog. Phys. 80(9):092601.
29. •• S.I. Walker¨, N. Packard and G. Cody (2017) Re-Conceptualizing the Origins of Life. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A 375 (2109) 20160337
30. W.Marshall, H.Kim†, G. Tononi, S.I. Walker and L. Albantakis (2017) How Causal Analysis Can Reveal Autonomy in Models of Biological Systems. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A 375 (2109), 20160358.
31. D. Moore†, G. Valentini†, S.I. Walker¨ and M. Levin. (2017) Inform: A Toolkit for Information- Theoretic Analysis of Complex Systems. 2017 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI), 1-8.
32. C. Mathis‡, S. Ramprasad, S.I. Walker, and N. Lehman (2017) Prebiotic RNA Network Formation: A Taxonomy of Molecular Cooperation. Life 7 (4), 38.
33. E. Borriello† and S.I. Walker¨ (2017) Information-theoretic Classification of Elementary Cellular Automata. Complexity 1280351.
34. D. Moore†, S.I. Walker and M. Levin. (2017) Cancer as a Disorder of Patterning Information: computational and biophysical perspectives on the cancer problem. Convergent Science Physical Oncology https://doi.org/10.1088/2057-1739/aa8548
35. •• A. Adams‡, A. Berner‡†, P.C.W. Davies and S.I. Walker¨ (2017) Physical Universality, State- Dependent Dynamics and Open-Ended Evolution. Entropy, 19(9), 461.
36. Adams‡, H. Zenil, P.C.W. Davies and S.I. Walker¨ (2017) Formal Definitions of Unbounded Evolution and Innovation Reveal Universal Mechanisms for Open-Ended Evolution in Dynamical Systems. Sci. Rep. 7: 997.
37. Mathis‡, T. Bhattacharya and S.I. Walker¨ (2017) The Emergence of Life as a First Order Phase Transition. Astrobiology 17 (3): 266-276.
38. Adams, A‡ and S.I. Walker¨ (2017) Real-World Open-Ended Evolution: A League of Legends Adventure. Int. J. Design & Nature and Ecodynamics 12(4): 458 – 469.
39. Davies, P.C.W. and S.I. Walker¨ (2016) The Hidden Simplicity of Biology. Rep. Prog. Phys. 79 (10) 102601.
40. L. Cronin and S.I. Walker¨ (2016) Beyond Prebiotic Chemistry. Science 352 1174-1175.
41. S.D. Domagal-Goldman, K.E. Wright, K. Adamala, A. de la Rubia Leigh, J. Bond, L.R. Dartnell, A.D. Goldman, K. Lynch, M.-E. Naud, I.G. Paulino-Lima, K. Singer, M. Walter-Antonio, X.C. Abrevaya, R. Anderson, G. Arney, D. Atri, A. Azu ́a-Bustos, J.S. Bowman, W.J. Brazelton, G.A. Brennecka, R. Carns, A. Chopra, J. Colangelo-Lillis, C.J. Crockett, J. DeMarines, E.A. Frank, C. Frantz, E. de la Fuente, D. Galante, J. Glass, D. Gleeson, C.R. Glein, C. Goldblatt, R. Horak, L. Horodyskyj, B. Kacar, A. Kereszturi, E. Knowles, P. Mayeur, S. McGlynn, Y. Miguel, M. Mont- gomery, C. Neish, L. Noack, S. Rugheimer, E.E Stueken, P. Tamez-Hidalgo, S.I. Walker, and T. Wong (2016) Astrobiology Primer 2.0. Astrobiology 16 561-653.
42. S.I. Walker¨, H. Kim† and P.C.W. Davies (2016) The Informational Architecture of the Cell. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A 374 20150057.
43. H. Kim†, P.C.W. Davies and S.I. Walker¨ (2015) New Scaling Relation for Information Transfer in Biological Networks. J. Roy. Soc. Interface 12 20150944.
44. P. Nghe, W. Hordijk, S. Kauffman, S.I. Walker, F. Schmidt, H. Kemble, J.A.M. Yeates and N. Lehman (2015) Prebiotic Network Evolution. Roy. Soc. Chem. Mol. Biosys. 11 3206-3217.
45. S.I. Walker¨ (2014) Top-down Causation and the Rise of Information in the Emergence of Life. Information 5 424-439.
46. T.Pavlic†, A.M. Adams ‡, P.C.W. Davies and S.I. Walker¨ (2014) Self-Referencing Cellular Automata: A Model of the Evolution of Information Control in Biological Systems. Proc. Artificial Life XIV pp. 522- 529.
47. S.I. Walker¨, P.C.W. Davies, P. Samantray‡ and Y. Aharanov. (2014) Quantum Non-barking Dogs. New J. Phys. 16 063026.
48. S.I. Walker¨, B. Callahan∗, G. Arya, J.D. Barry, T. Bhattacharya, S. Grigoryev, M. Pellegrini, K. Rippe, S.M. Rosenberg. (2013) Evolutionary Dynamics and Information Hierarchies in Biological Systems’. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12140
49. N. Vaiyda∗, S.I. Walker¨ and N. Lehman. (2013) Recycling of Informational Units Leads to Selection of Replicators in a Prebiotic Soup. Chemistry & Biology 20: 241 - 252.
50. S.I. Walker¨ and P.C.W. Davies “The Algorithmic Origins of Life” (2013) J. Roy. Soc. Interface 6: 20120869.
51. M. Gleiser and S.I. Walker (2012) Life’s Chirality from Prebiotic Environments. Int. J. Astrobio. 11: 287-296.
52. M. Wu, S.I. Walker, and P.G. Higgs. (2012) Autocatalytic Replication and Homochirality in Biopolymers: Is Homochirality a Requirement of Life or a Result of it? Astrobiology 12: 809 – 817.
53. S.I. Walker¨, L. Cisneros and P.C.W. Davies. (2012) Evolutionary Transitions and Top-Down Causation. Proceedings of Artificial Life XIII. p 283-290.
54. Schulze-Makuch, P.C.W. Davies and S.I. Walker. (2012) A Series of One-Way Missions to Explore and Colonize Mars. Proceedings of the 2012 Global Space Exploration Conference.
55. S.I. Walker, M.A. Grover and N. V. Hud. (2012) Universal Sequence Replication, Reversible Polymerization and Early Functional Biopolymers: A Model for the Initiation of Prebiotic Sequence Evolution. PLoS ONE 7: e34166.
56. M. Gleiser, B. Nelson, and S.I. Walker (2012) Chiral Polymerization in Open Systems From Chiral-Selective Reaction Rates. Orig. Life Evol. Biosph. 42: 333-346.
57. S.I. Walker “Homochirality”, In Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. M. Gargaud (ed.) (2011)
58. M. Gleiser and S.I. Walker (2010) The Chirality of Life: From Phase Transitions to Astrobiology. Astronomy and Relativistic Astrophysics: New Phenomena and New States of Matter in the Uni- verse Proceedings of the Third Workshop (IWARA07) 17 - 30.
59. M. Gleiser and S.I. Walker (2009) Toward Homochiral Protocells in Noncatalytic Peptide Systems. Orig. Life Evol. Biosph. 39: 479 - 493.
60. M. Gleiser, J. Thorarinson, and S.I. Walker (2008) Punctuated Chirality. Orig. Life Evol. Biosph. 38: 499 – 508.
61. M. Gleiser and S.I. Walker (2008) An Extended Model for the Evolution of Prebiotic Homochirality: A Bottom-Up Approach to the Origins of Life. Orig. Life Evol. Biosph. 38: 293 – 315.
Funded Projects with Walker as PI or ASU PI:
Goal-Directed Outcomes in Complex Chemical Systems, JTF, 11/1/2021 – 10/31/2024 $1,360,283 PI: S. Walker (ASU), Co-I: L. Cronin (Glasgow)
Planetary Systems Biochemistry, NASA, 5/1/2021 – 4/30/2023, $1,500,000 PI: S. Walker (ASU), Co-Is: H. Hartnett, M. Line, E. Trembath-Reichert (ASU)
Geochemputer, NASA 5/1/2021 – 4/30/2023 $179,932 PI: S. Walker (ASU), Co-Is: H. Hartnett (ASU), E. Shock (ASU), Collaborators: L. Cronin (U. Glasgow) (Planetary Major Equipment supplement to iCAR Planetary Systems Biochemistry project)
Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures, NASA, $2,517,088 PI: Sarah Johnson (Georgetown), Co-Is: H. Graham (NASA Goddard), E. Anslyn (U. Texas), A. Ellington (U. Texas), L. Cronin (U. Glasgow), P. Girguis (Harvard U.), C. House (Penn. State U.), C. Kempes (SFI), E. Libby (UMEA), P. Mahaffy (NASA Goddard), P. Conrad (Carnegie), J.E. Cook(NASA Goddard), B. Sherwood Lollar (U. Toronto), A. Steele (Carnegie) – S. Walker added to project after initial proposal due to leading work in agnostic biosignature approaches
Uncovering the OS of Trees, Human Frontiers Science Program, 12/1/2020 – 11/30/2023, $1,350,000 PI: George Bassel (U. Warwick), Co-Is: S. Walker (ASU), E. Bayer (CNRS), R. Bhalerho (SLU)
Exploring the Informational Transitions Bridging Simple Chemistry and Minimal Life, John Templeton Foundation, 11/1/2018 – 10/31/2021, $2,917,320 PI: S.Walker (ASU), Co-Is: P. Davies (ASU), L. Cronin (U. Glasgow), K. Adamala (UMN)
Somatic Computation via Bioelectricity for Novel Lifelong Learning Machines, DARPA, 2/01/2018-1/31/2022, $2,248,997, PI: M. Levin (Tufts), Co-Is: J. Bongard (UVM), S. Walker (ASU)
Cooperation and Interpretation in the Emergence of Life, John Templeton Foundation, 1/1/2018-12/31/2021, $630,791, PI: C. Southgate (U. Exeter), Co-Is: A. Robinson (U. Exeter), S. Walker (ASU)
Emergent Computation in Collective Decision Making by the Ant Temnothorax Rugatalus , NSF, 5/1/2016-4/30/2019, $595,520, PI: S. Walker, Co-Is: S. Pratt, T. Pavlic, H.Kim (ASU)
Multilevel Evolution of Chemical Reaction Networks, NASA, 5/18/2015-5/17/2018, $631,836, PI: S. Walker, Co-Is: J. Raymond, H.Kim (ASU)
Physics of the Observer: Accommodating Active Observers in Fundamental Physics with Causal Mechanics, Foundational Questions in Science Institute, 1/1/2017 – 12/31/2018, $73,151, PI: S. Walker (ASU), Co-I: C. Marletto (Oxford)
The Evolution of “Read- Write” Information in Biology: Computational and Experimental Models of Non-Genomic Information Imprinted on Living Tissues, Templeton World Charity Foundation, 1/1/2016-8/31/2017, $393,111, PI: M. Levin (Tufts), Co-I: S.Walker (ASU)
The Emergence of Life as a Transition in Causal and Informational Architecture, Templeton World Charity Foundation, 8/1/2013-7/31/2016, $911,286, PI: P.Davies (ASU), Co-PI: S.Walker (ASU)
Re-conceptualizing the Origin of Life: Experimental, Interdisciplinary, and Computational Windows on the Core Concepts, NASA, $35,713.80, PI: S.Walker (ASU), Co-I: G. Cody (Carnegie)
The Power of Information Book Project, Foundational Questions in Science Institute, 1/1/2014-12/31/2014, $3,500, PI: S. Walker (ASU)
Cancer and the Origin of Multicellularity, NCI, 10/1/2012 – 8/31/2013, $25,000 PI: L. Cisneros (ASU), Co-I: S.Walker (ASU)
Courses
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
| SES 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 494 | Special Topics |
| PHY 795 | Continuing Registration |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 494 | Special Topics |
| SES 598 | Special Topics |
| SES 493 | Honors Thesis |
2024 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
| SES 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| GLG 460 | Astrobiology |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| AST 494 | Special Topics |
| SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
| SES 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 493 | Honors Thesis |
| SES 494 | Special Topics |
| SES 598 | Special Topics |
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
| GLG 495 | Undergraduate Thesis |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 494 | Special Topics |
| SES 591 | Seminar |
2021 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| GLG 460 | Astrobiology |
2020 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
2020 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PHY 792 | Research |
| PHY 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
2019 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| AST 591 | Seminar |
| PHY 792 | Research |
| AST 498 | Pro-Seminar |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
2021 Stanley Miller Early Career Award, International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life, international award given to the most promising early career researchers in origins of life research
2021 National Institutes of Health NCATS ASPIRE Design Challenge Awardee Stage 2, Milestone 1
2020 National Institutes of Health NCATS ASPIRE Design Challenge Awardee Stage 1
2020-2022, SCIALOG Fellow, Signatures of Life in the Universe, Research Cooperation for Science Development
2019 National Institutes of Health NCATS ASPIRE Design Challenge Awardee
2018, Nominated Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, Graduate College, ASU
2018, Nominated GPSA Centennial Professorship Award, ASU
2016,2017,2018 Nominated, Zebulon Pearce Teaching Award, College of Liberal Arts & Science, ASU
2017, Finalist, Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, Graduate College, ASU
2017, 4th Prize, for essay “Bio from Bit”, Foundational Questions in Science Essay Contest
2016, “Out-of-the-box-thinking” Prize, for essay “The Descent of Math”, Foundational Questions in Science Essay Contest
2015, Fellow, ASU-Santa Fe Institute Center for Biosocial Complex Systems
2015, Distinguished Lecturer Interdisciplinary Science, Gettysburg College
2012, 4th Prize, for essay “Is Life Fundamental?”, Foundational Questions in Science Essay Contest
2011, NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship, NASA
2009, Gordon F. Hull Fellowship, Dartmouth College (full year stipend awarded to outstanding finishing PhD student)
2009, Filene Teaching Award, Dartmouth College
2008, Selamawit Tsehaye Teaching Award, Department of Physics, Dartmouth College
2008, Graduate Community Service Award, Dartmouth College
2007 -2008, Space Grant/NASA Graduate Fellowship, New Hampshire Space Grant
2005, Dartmouth Fellowship, Dartmouth College
Associate Editor, Theory in Biosciences 2020-present
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Computational Intelligence 2018 - 2020
Associate Editor, Journal of Molecular Evolution 2013-2018
Foundational Questions Institute (FQXI)
International Society for Artificial Life
Complex Systems Society
Blue Marble Space Institute of Science
The Walker lab has had 5 PhD students and 1 Masters student successfully defend their dissertations. Three of our six graduated students have been awarded prize postdoctoral fellowship positions and the other three have secured promising careers in other areas. Our lab currently includes a talented group of 10 PhD students, 4 postdocs/research faculty, 6 undergraduates, and 3 students at foreign institutions.
2021 - present. Senior global futures scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, ASU
2020- 2023. External professor, Santa Fe Institute
2020 - present. Associate professor, School of complex adaptive systems, ASU
2019 - present. Associate professor, School of earth and space exploration, ASU
2018 - present. Associate director, ASU-SFI center for biosocial complexity, ASU
2016 - present. Deputy director, Beyond center for fundamental concepts in science, ASU
2015 - present. Honors faculty, Barrett honors college, ASU
2014 - present graduate faculty, Department of physics, ASU
2014 - present graduate faculty, Complex systems, ASU
2014 - present. Faculty, Center for social dynamics and complexity, ASU
2013 – 2019. Assistant professor, School of earth and space exploration, ASU
2013 - 2019. Board of directors, Blue marble space (non-profit)
2015 - 2018. Fellow, ASU-SFU center for biosocial complexity, ASU
2011 - 2013. Nasa postdoctoral program fellowship, NASA
2010 - 2011 postdoctoral fellow, Center for chemical evolution, Georgia Tech
Advisory Board, Sloan Foundation Matter to Life Initiative, 2022- present
Advisory Board, Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE) Mission, 2021 - present
Board of Directors, Blue Marble Space (501(c)(3) research and education non-profit) 2013-2019
Steering Committee, NASA NExSS Research Coordination Network, 2021 – present
Steering Committee, Network for Life Detection Research Coordination Network, 2021-present
International Society for Artificial Life Board, 2020 - 2021
Organizer, Workshop on Information Transitions and Life, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe NM, Dec. 2019
Steering Committee, Origins of Life Research Coordination Network National Science Foundation network based at the Santa Fe Institute, 2017 – present
Program Committee, 9th International Conference on Complex Systems ICCS 2018, Boston MA
Editor, “Re-Conceptualizing the Origin of Life” Volume of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 2018
Member, Science Organizing Committee (non-attending), Universal Biology Workshop, Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Tech, Tokyo Japan, 2017
Session Chair, “Laws of Life” and “Recent Progress in Origins of Life” (plenary) Astrobiology Science Conference 2017, Mesa AZ, Apr. 2017
Member, Science Organizing Committee Astrobiology Science Conference, Tempe AZ, 2017
Member, Science Organizing Committee (non-attending), NASA NExSS Exoplanet Biosignatures Workshop without Walls, Seattle WA, Jul. 2016
Member, Program Committee, Artificial Life 2016, Cancun Mexico, 2016
Chair, Science Organizing Committee, Re-Conceptualizing the Origin of Life, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington DC, 2015
Member, Local Organizing Committee, 2015 Conference on Complex Systems, Tempe AZ, 2015
Chair, Origins of Life: A Problem for Complexity Science, 2015 Conference on Complex Systems Satellite Session, Tempe AZ, 2015
Member, Local Organizing Committee, 2015 American Physical Society Four Corners Meeting, Tempe AZ, 2015
Session Chair, “Laws of Life”, Astrobiology Science Conference, Chicago IL 2015
Session Chair, “From Prebiotic Chemistry to Functional Biopolymers” Astrobiology Science Conference, Chicago IL 2015
Board of Directors, Blue Marble Space (education and research non-profit), Seattle WA USA, 2014- 2019
Co-Founder and Inaugural Director, SAGANet.org (astrobiology-themed education website), 2011-2015
Editor, “Information Hierarchies and Evolutionary Dynamics”, Aspen Center for Physics Workshop Proceedings, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2013
Co-organizer and Co-author Apr. 2012 NASA/NSF Alternative Chemistries for Life Workshop and Report, 2012
Organizer, Astrobiology Coffee Hour Seminar Series “Follow the Elements” NASA Astrobiology Institute Center, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, Spring 2012
Chair, Gordon Research Seminar, Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar, Galveston TX, Jan. 2012
Organizer, Astrobiology Research Focus Group Workshop, Astrobiology Research Focus Group Workshop for Early–Career Astrobiologists, Ennis MT, June 2011
Co–Organizer, Astrobiology Research Focus Group Workshop, Astrobiology Research Focus Group Workshop for Early–Career Astrobiologists, Crockett TX, Apr. 2010
Discussion Leader, Prebiotic Chemistry and the Environments of Early Life, Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar, Galveston TX, Jan. 2010