Walter grew up in Guatemala, attended the United World College in Italy and completed university in Canada. He is an expert in thermodynamics, cryogenic engineering, and hydrogen technologies. Walter’s career began with Ballard Power Systems, British Gas Investments Canada, and universities in 1996. He was a Visiting Scientist at the Canadian Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation and at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, in Germany.

At UBC, Walter has led MéridaLabs, the Natural Gas Futures consortium, the Smart Hydrogen Energy District, the Transportation Futures Group, and several regional,  national and international partnerships. He has served as director for the Clean Energy Research Centre, as Senior Advisor to the President and Vice-Chancellor, as co-Chair of the Climate Emergency Taskforce, and as a delegate to COP meetings.

Walter is currently the Associate Dean of Research and Industry Partnerships in the Faculty of Applied Science. Under his leadership, the research portfolio has increased from $50M/yr. to $100M/yr. in five years. As a researcher, Walter has secured approximately $49M in funding since 2003 and his work has resulted in publications, patents, living laboratory projects and new ventures. He was a co-founder and director for General Hydrogen Corporation, and he co-founded IBET, Innovative Breakthrough Energy Technologies in 2016, which is dedicated to starting companies that address the most significant market gaps in climate technology. Walter serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, and the Climate Change Advisory Board for Toronto Dominion Insurance. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and he is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian.