(BALTIMORE, Md.) – A transformative higher education leader, with a commitment to liberal arts education and innovative lifelong learning, was named the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at Notre Dame of Maryland University following a national search.
Dr. Martha Walker will join the University on July 1, 2022, leading NDMU’s dynamic academic enterprise with key roles to include program development, promotion of faculty scholarship, student retention, accreditation maintenance, and outcome assessment. NDMU is a comprehensive, co-ed university that offers the only women’s college in Maryland, as well as a wide range of career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs.
“Dr. Martha Walker brings a wealth of experience in leading curriculum development and strategic university-wide initiatives to promote academic excellence and prepare students for innovative career paths,” said Dr. Marylou Yam, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University. “Her efforts in aligning academic programs to student learning and workforce needs will help advance NDMU’s mission to educate leaders to transform the world.”
Before joining NDMU, Dr. Walker served six years as the founding dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Mary Baldwin University, overseeing 40 academic programs across 11 departments. In that role, she led the effort to update the college’s strategic plan to reflect the university’s pandemic-era goals, revise the general education curriculum, smooth the transition for transfer students as part of a statewide initiative, and implement inclusive curricula and hiring practices. In addition, she has published and presented research in French literature, theater, and gender studies.
Previously, she was the university’s chair of the School of Arts, Humanities and Renaissance Studies and the director of the Global Honor Scholars program. She began her career as a corporate banking officer.
“I am excited and honored to have been chosen as the next provost and vice president for academic affairs at Notre Dame of Maryland – there is so much good work to build on and so much potential for future development,” said Dr. Walker. “Educating leaders to transform the world through social responsibility and mindfulness of inclusive community means helping them invest in their careers and in their personal convictions. I look forward to working with the Notre Dame community – students, faculty, administrators, and staff – to ensure that the academic enterprise at the heart of the university reflects our mission, our talent, and our shared goals.”
Dr. Walker holds a doctorate in French from Harvard University, a master’s degree in French from the University of Virginia, and bachelor’s degrees in French and economics from Duke University.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
