Christie Walker

Christie leads and coordinates the development and implementation of RCA’s research activities and supports the embedding of good practice. Based in the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office, Christie works with the six Schools and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design to support their research activity, capacity and expertise and secure external funding for RCA research projects. She also works closely with colleagues across the RCA to ensure financial, technical and IT processes and systems support a robust research environment in preparation for the next REF exercise.

Before joining the RCA in 2015 as the Head of Research Development, Christie Walker spent four years working at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), where she was a Strategy and Development Manager with a focus on the creative arts and digital humanities. She was responsible for the AHRC Digital Transformations in the Arts & Humanities strategic theme and managed AHRC’s work in the area of big data. Christie collaborated with a number of partners such as the United States National Endowment for the Humanities to deliver joint initiatives including the Digging into Data Challenge. Christie also spent a year as a Research Base Liaison Manager at Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, working with the UK Research Councils and other partners to maintain strategic relationships linking research with innovation.

Prior to her work at the AHRC and Innovate UK, Christie worked as the Higher Education Project Officer for Swindon College, working closely with the College’s Art School.

Christie was awarded an MA in Interpretation, Representation and Heritage by the University of Leicester in 2012.