Professor Judi Walker holds the inaugural Chair of Rural Health at the University of Tasmania which recognises the significant contribution she has made since 1997 to the development of academic rural health in Australia.
Professor Walker’s background and achievements exemplify the interdisciplinary and multiprofessional nature of academic rural health and her track record strengths are reflected in the innovative nature of her work as a change agent.
Professor Walker has overall responsibility for the Faculty of Health Science’s academic rural health portfolio. She is Chief Executive of the University’s Rural Clinical School – a conjoint appointment with the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services. Professor Walker is also the Faculty’s Deputy Dean and Deputy Chair of Academic Senate. She was the inaugural Director of the University of Tasmania’s University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) – a position she held for six years – and recruited rural health’s first research higher degree students. She supervised the University’s first rural health PhD (1) and Research Masters’ (2) theses, which were successfully completed in 2004.
Professor Walker is recognised for scholarship and related academic activities in rural health, primary health care and medical/health professional education, particularly innovation in health service delivery and health care workforce.
Currently she is completing a major national consultancy which has developed and trialled national accreditation guidelines of university paramedic courses.
