Polly Walker

Polly Walker serves as a Senior Fellow and Research Associate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with primary affiliations in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF). She plays a key role in the popular online course Food Systems and Public Health and has been instrumental in advancing the Center's mission since joining in 1996.

Dr. Walker earned her BA from Radcliffe College/Harvard University (1963), MD from Harvard University, and MPH from Johns Hopkins University. Her educational background spans both medical and public health disciplines, providing a strong foundation for her interdisciplinary work.

Walker's research focuses on the critical intersections between environment, sustainable agriculture, food security, and ecology. Her work emphasizes the interconnectedness of soil health, plant life, animal welfare, and human wellbeing, drawing inspiration from Sir Albert Howard's principle that 'the health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible.' She has dedicated her career to understanding how food production systems affect public health and environmental sustainability.

Her publications reveal consistent themes in food systems analysis, examining how agricultural practices impact human health through various pathways including meat production, animal feed composition, and aquaculture. Her research demonstrates a strong commitment to identifying sustainable solutions that balance ecological concerns with nutritional needs and public health outcomes.

• Johns Hopkins Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Service (2004)
• Delta Omega Honor Society in Public Health (2001)
• Maryland Governor's Citation (1990)
• Maryland Environmental Trust Award (1990)
• Garden Club of America Award (1990)
• Irvine Natural Science Center Conservationist Award (1989)
• The Polly Walker Fund for Ecology (established at JHSPH in 2008)

As Associate Director of the Center for a Livable Future from 1996-2010, Walker helped launch the Center's interdisciplinary collaboration, research, education, and community outreach initiatives. She has secured funding for numerous environmental and public health projects, including establishing the Ad Hoc Committee for the Greening of Johns Hopkins in 2000 and running volunteer programs at the Rose Street Community Center from 1998-2005.

Walker leads initiatives connecting environmental sustainability with public health, serving as course faculty for Food Systems and Public Health and directing research through the Center for a Livable Future. Her work continues to influence how institutions approach sustainable food systems and environmental stewardship.