POCA

A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy

Dr. Donald K Walter
Professor of Physics, South Carolina State University

Dr. Donald K Walter

Department of Biological & Physical Sciences

300 College Street NE,
Campus P. O. Box 7296
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC 29117, USA

Office Phone: (803) 533-3773
Fax: (803) 586-8569

E-mail

 

Professional Preparation

  • University of Illinois Astronomy B.S. 1974
  • Louisiana State University Physics/Astronomy M.S. 1976
  • Rice University Space Physics/Astronomy M.S. 1991
  • Rice University Space Physics/Astronomy Ph.D. 1993
  • Rice University Interstellar Medium PostDoc 1993-1994

Appointments

  • 2005 - Present Academic Program Coordinator for Physics, SC State University, Orangeburg, SC
  • 2004-Present Professor of Physics, SC State Univ. Orangeburg, SC
  • Summer 2007, NASA NAI-MIRS Faculty Sabbatical, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
  • Summer 2004, NASA Faculty Fellow, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
  • 1998-2004 Associate Professor of Physics, SC State Univ, Orangeburg, SC
  • 1994-1998 Assistant Professor of Physics, SC State Univ, Orangeburg, SC
  • 1993-1994 Research Associate, Rice Univ, Houston, TX
  • 1992-1993 Instructor, Rice Univ & Univ. of Houston, Houston, TX
  • 1986-1993 Graduate Student Researcher, Rice Univ, Houston, TX
  • 1980-1986 Planetarium Director, SC State College, Orangeburg, SC
  • 1979-1980 Instructor of Physics, SC State College, Orangeburg, SC
  • 1978-1979 Planetarium Director, St. Charles Parish, Luling, LA
  • 1977-1978 Assistant Professor of Astronomy & Geology, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV

Activities and Adwards

  • Principal Investigator on over $10 million in grant awards, 1995 - present.
  • Dean's Cup for Excellence - Million Dollar Club for Grantmanship - 2008.
  • Researcher, NASA Astrobiology Institute – MIRS Faculty Sabbatical – Summer 2007
  • Member, NSF HBCU-UP Steering Committee, South Carolina State University, 2005-present
  • Coordinator, Minority Activities, NASA SERCH Broker/Facilitator—2002-2007
  • Member, NASA Diversity Coordinating Committee—2002-2004
  • Researcher, NASA Faculty Fellowship Program – Summer 2004

Publications and Presentations

  • Walter, D.K., 2010 “Diversity in Astrobiology: Surviving Financial, Institutional and Technical Extremes”, Astrobiology Science Conference 2010: Evolution and Life: Surviving Catastrophes and Extremes on Earth and Beyond; LPI Contribution No. 1538, p.5486 2010LPICo1538.5486W
  • Durant, P., Howell, S. B., Cash, J. & Walter, D. 2010; “Spectral Variations of Several RV Tauri Type Stars”; American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #417.14 2010AAS...21541714D
  • Cash, J., Howell, S., & Walter, D. 2009, "A Long Term Photometric and Spectroscopic Study of RV Tauri Stars," in “Stellar Pulsation: Challenges for Theory and Observation”, J. A. Guzik & P. A. Bradley (Editors), Melville, N.Y.: AIP Conference Proceedings, CP1170, pp. 146-148 2009AIPC.1170..146C
  • Walter, D.K.; Brittain, S. D.; Cash, J. L.; Hartmann, D. H.; Howell, S. B.; King, J. R.; Leising, M. D.; Mayo, E. A.; Mighell, K. J. and Smith, D. M., Jr., 2009 “A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy (POCA)”, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.263 2009AAS...21343102W
  • Walter, D.K, Austin, S.A., Johnson, L.P., Morris, P.A. and Salgado, C., 2007, “A Decade of Lessons Learned”, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 55, n.6, December, 2007 pp. 493-499 article
  • Blagrave, K. P. M.; Martin, P. G.; Rubin, R. H.; Dufour, R. J.; Baldwin, J. A.; Hester, J. J.; Walter, D. K. 2007, “Deviations from He I Case B Recombination Theory and Extinction Corrections in the Orion Nebula”, Astrophysical Journal, 655, 299-315 2007ApJ...655..299B
  • Walter, D.K., Johnson, L.P., Austin, S.A., Salgado, C., and Morris, P.A. 2006, “Astrophysical and Planetary Science Research at Four Minority Institutions”, 2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #75.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.994 2006AAS...209.7505W
  • Walter, D. K. and Payne, L.L. 2006; “Increasing Diversity in the K-16 Pipeline in Earth and Space Science”, Eos Trans. AGU, 87(36), Jt. Assem. Suppl., ED42A-01 http://www.agu.org/meetings/sm06/sm06-sessions/sm06_ED42A.html
  • Walter, D.K., Cash, J.L., Payne, J.E., Payne, L.L., and Smith, D.M.; 2005; “The Astrophysics Program at South Carolina State University”, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, v. 37, p. 1261 2005AAS...207.6601W
  • Walter, D.K., Carini, M., Davis, D., Everett, M., Gelderman, R., Guinana, E., Howell, S., Mattox, J.R. and McGruder, C.H. III, 2004, “Narrow-band Imagery with the Robotically Controlled Telescope”, Astron. Nachrichten, v 325, issue 6-8, 656 2004AN....325..656W
  • Hayden, L., D. Walter and W. Porter, 2004; “Identifying an Important Source of Talented Students from Underrepresented Communities Through Effective Partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions”; Eos Trans. AGU, 85(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., ED44A-05 http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm04/fm04-sessions/fm04_ED44A.html
  • Dufour, R.J., Buckalew, B.A., Shopbell, P.L. and Walter, D.K. 2003, “The chaotic ISM of the post(?)-starburst galaxy NGC 1569”, A Massive Star Odyssey: From Main Sequence to Supernova, Proceedings of IAU Symposium #212, Edited by Karel van der Hucht, Artemio Herrero, and Esteban, César. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2003., p.549 2003IAUS..212..549D
  • Walter, D.K., Smith, D.M., Adzievski, K. and Cash, J.L.; 2003; “An Astrophysical Research Program for Underrepresented Minority Students”, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, v. 35, p. 713 2003AAS...202.1015W
  • Moore, B.D., Hester, J.J., Scowen, P.A. and Walter, D.K., 2002, “Analysis and Models of Photoionized Structures Seen in Hubble Space Telescope Images of NGC 7635”, Astronomical Journal, v. 124, pp.3305-3312 2002AJ....124.3305M
  • Moore, B.D., Walter, D.K., Hester, J.J., Scowen, P.A., Dufour, R.J., and Buckalew, B.A., 2002, “Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Windblown Nebula NGC 7635”, Astronomical Journal, v. 124, pp. 3313-3324 2002AJ....124.3313M
  • Buckalew, B.A., Dufour, R.J., Shopbell, P.L. and Walter, D.K., 2000, "The Starburst-Interstellar Medium Interaction in NGC 1569. I. Location and Nature of HE II Sources Using Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 Imagery", Astronomical Journal, v. 120, pp. 2402-2414 2000AJ....120.2402B