WALKER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM INFORMATION
The Walker Fellowship supports the efforts of early-career scholars with interests in sustainability, demography, security, economic development, human rights, and diplomacy. Walker Fellows are part of our longstanding Fellowship Program, whose scholars support PI in clarifying and communicating how population dynamics and demographic shifts relate to social, political, and economic development globally.
Our Spring 2025 Walker Fellow is Halima Lila:
Halima Lila (she/her/hers) is a passionate global health and international development leader dedicated to advocating for sexual and reproductive health, as well as maternal, child, and adolescent health. Halima is deeply committed to social justice, striving to scale up interventions and technologies that support communities facing barriers worldwide in both humanitarian and developmental settings. Halima is from Tanzania and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in population health at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Halima continues her work in advancing reproductive freedom and promoting universal sexual and reproductive health and rights. As a Walker Fellow, Halima is working with Dr. Céline Delacroix, who leads the Population Institute’s FP/Earth Project.
The Walker Fellowship honors the legacy of former Population Institute President, Bob Walker:
Robert J. Walker
Bob Walker dedicated much of his career to advocating for the safety and rights of those around him. From 2009 to his retirement in 2021, he served as President of the Population Institute where he directed the organization’s advocacy and public education activities related to reproductive health, economic development, security, sustainability, and the environment. He had the ability to reach people on both sides of the political aisle and found nuanced ways to build support for sexual and reproductive health and rights at home and abroad.
Prior to joining the Population Institute, Bob was President of the Population Resource Center. He formerly was the Executive Director of the Common Cause Education Fund, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to promote open, honest, and accountable government. He also served for three years as President of Handgun Control and the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence and four years as legislative director at Handgun Control, where he spearheaded the lobbying campaigns that led to the successful passage of the Brady Law and the federal assault weapons ban. Prior to his work for Handgun Control, Bob worked for a total of fourteen years on Capitol Hill, including five years as a legislative aide to Rep. John B. Anderson and six years as Legislative Director to Rep. Mo Udall, the Chair of the House Interior Committee.
Bob received his B.A. in Economics from Rockford College and his J.D. from the University of Illinois School of Law. He attended the University of Sydney in Australia under a Rotary graduate fellowship. With his wife Chris, Bob spent time each year in Ravello, Italy, building a community of friends and enjoying the cuisine, architecture and cultural life of Italy. Bob and Chris collaborated on the booklet Discovering Ravello, which is both a history and guide to Ravello.