Expert Bio

Dr. Nancy J. Walker, Senior Advisor for Programs and Public Policy Fellow, works with programs across the Wilson Center on policy analysis and impact, as well as leadership, mentorship, and professional development. Previously, Nancy was a Public Policy Fellow with the Africa Program. Dr. Walker has served as a senior career U.S. government official, occasional visiting professor in the US and internationally, political organizer, community volunteer, UN consultant, guest lecturer, and mentor. Dr. Walker was the founding Director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the Department of Defense, maintaining ties with African civilian, military, academic, and civil society leaders. Dr. Walker is known for her long-time mentoring of young women and men, especially those pursuing public service careers.  

Dr. Walker holds a D.Phil. in politics from Oxford University (Nuffield College) and an A.B. from Harvard/Radcliffe. She was a Bosch Fellow in Germany and completed MIT’s Seminar XXI program on national security. Nancy speaks fluent German, French, and rusty Spanish, Turkish. Dr. Walker was awarded the Senegalese Order of the Lion in recognition of her work in U.S.-Africa relations.