Rate My Professor Elaine Walker

Dr. Elaine Walker is an Associate Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Energy at Murdoch University. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Physics at Murdoch University from 1990 to 1994 and earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Condensed Matter and Materials Physics from the same institution in 2001. Her PhD thesis, entitled 'Structure and bonding of amorphous silicon alloys,' examined the properties of amorphous silicon materials using advanced analytical techniques. Walker has maintained a long-standing association with Murdoch University, progressing from student to faculty member in the engineering and energy discipline.

Dr. Walker's research focuses on renewable energy, energy efficiency, solar passive design, and surface science. She is affiliated with the Physics and Nanotechnology group and contributes to the school's emphasis on renewable energy and distributed energy resources. Her publications highlight contributions to sustainable energy technologies and materials characterization. Key works include 'Solar water heaters uptake in Australia – Issues and barriers' (2018, Energy Strategy Reviews, 36 citations, co-authors Tania Urmee, Parisa A. Bahri, Garry Baverstock, Sina Rezvani), analyzing adoption challenges; 'Life cycle assessment of domestic heat pump hot water systems in Australia' (2017, Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability, 8 citations, co-authors Andrew Moore, Tania Urmee, Anda Martin), evaluating environmental impacts; 'Noble gas ion effects on the XPS valence band spectra of silicon' (2004, 9 citations); 'Identification of the barriers for the slow uptake of solar water heaters in Australia' (2014, 5 citations); and 'A semi-quantitative study of disorder in argon ion-bombarded crystalline silicon using Auger lineshape analysis' (1998, 1 citation). With around 10 publications cited over 49 times on ResearchGate, her research informs policy on energy transitions. Walker serves as a thesis coordinator and examiner for postgraduate students in energy topics and featured in the World Renewable Energy Congress 2026 program. In 2016, she signed an open letter to the Australian Prime Minister on the climate crisis as a physics and energy researcher.