Ashley Walker

Ashley Lindalía Walker is an astrochemist, science communicator, and activist. In response to police brutality against Black Americans and sparked by the success of Black Birders Week, Walker co-organized #BlackinChem, #BlackInAstro, and #BlackInPhysics to highlight and amplify the voices of Black researchers and scholars in these fields.

Early life and education Walker was raised in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood where she developed an interest in science, enjoying visits to the Adler Planetarium. Despite this interest in science, she pursued a degree in business at City College of Chicago, eventually changing her major to forensic chemistry and transferring to Chicago State University. During the course of her undergraduate career, she was admitted into the Banneker Institute program at Harvard University, where she worked in Karin Öberg's research group modeling hydrogen cyanide in protoplanetary disks. She then worked in the research group of planetary scientist Sarah Hörst, studying tholins, which are organic compounds that when combined with water can be raw materials for prebiotic chemistry, on Titan. The project served as the basis of her senior thesis.

Science communication and advocacy Walker has leveraged her social media platforms and networks within astronomy and planetary sciences to advocate for Black women and nonbinary individuals pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to highlighting Black scientists leading in those fields, the campaigns also advocated for eliminating graduate programs' reliance on the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs) and highlighting internships, funding support, and other career development opportunities for early career Black researchers. The inaugural #BlackInChem produced content in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Chemical Society, while #BlackInAstro partnered with the American Astronomical Society's Astrobites to produce curated content for the week. These campaigns were collectively recognized by the journal Science as a finalist for 2020 Breakthrough of the Year.

Walker is also a member of the American Astronomical Society, where she serves as the most junior member of the Society's Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy with Louise O. V. Edwards.

Personal life While an undergraduate, she lost her father, Kenneth Lovell, to lung cancer. After his death, she was mistakenly declared dead because she was listed as an informant on his death certificate, which placed her financial aid for college in jeopardy. Walker is currently enrolled at Howard University, where she is pursuing a doctorate degree in atmospheric science.