Thursday, December 10, 2020
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, Dr. Wilma Walker, whose tireless efforts over a number of years led to the only four-year Aviation degree program in the state at Eastern Kentucky University, has been named to the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame.
From a personal interest in flight, Dr. Walker started from zero to build an academic program that led to an Aviation major at EKU. All the steps of securing a budget, facilities, a curriculum, faculty and students for the major had to be accomplished while she continued to teach full-time in the EKU geography department. The year 1983 saw the very first course; a minor in Aviation was offered in 1984. In 1991, a major in Aviation was offered at EKU for the first time. As of 2020, there are 370+ EKU Aviation alumni, and undergraduate enrollment remains strong.
Walker is part of the 25th Enshrinement class into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame. Other honorees are Terri Donner, UPS captain and long-time proponent of aviation careers for women, and Dr. Benjamin Malphrus, executive director of the Space Science Center at Morehead State University and globally-recognized astronomer. The Aviation Achievement Award will be received by Atlas Air, a leader in air cargo services, for its commitment to Kentucky-based operations and growth.
The Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame has recognized honorees since 1996 for their contributions and achievements in aviation and aerospace. Those honored represent a wide range of military and civilian pilots, scientists, administrators and corporate leaders.
Due to the interruptions caused by COVID public health restrictions, a formal induction ceremony will be held at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky in Lexington on November 13, 2021.
