Dr. Jacqueline Walker is a JMU Emeriti Faculty member for the History Department. She started at Madison College (now JMU) in 1976 as an instructor of history while she completed her dissertation at the same time. In 1980, she was promoted from instructor to assistant professor. In 1988, she was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor, then promoted to professor in 2005. Dr. Walker developed one of the first African American history courses at JMU in the Spring of 1977 and was instrumental in founding JMU's African, African American, and Diaspora (AAAD) Studies program which has now evolved into the AAAD Center, directed by Dr. Mollie Godfrey. Since Dr. Walker's retirement (2010), she's actively worked with JMU's Life-Long Learning Institute.