Professor
continued from page 3
tervention and anti-social behav
ior in youth.
“I think it must be a reflection
of the broader community impact
our work has had,” Walker said.
He also noted the award is time
ly because more attention has
been brought to his area of work
with recent school shootings.
Within the college of educa
tion, Walker’s friends said he has
also been a mentor, an educator,
a researcher and a leading fund
raiser.
Jeff Sprague, senior research
associate in the college of educa
tion, met Walker in 1977 as a
University undergraduate. In
1994, Walker called Sprague to
see about starting the Institute on
Violence and Destructive Behav
ior; they are now the co-directors
of that program. Since then, they
have led the center to a position
of high authority on the issue of
youth violence.
The pair’s relationship devel
oped as Sprague took additional
courses with Walker, and he later
served on Sprague’s doctoral dis
sertation committee. Sprague de
scribed Walker as a top-notch
scholar with an ability to trans
late complicated research into in
formation that non-experts, such
as legislators, can use.
Martin Kaufman, dean of the
college of education, said Walker
“exemplifies the values and con
tributions associated with being a
senior faculty member.”
Walker has been a member of
the faculty since 1966, after re
ceiving both his masters and doc
toral degrees from the University.
He serves as the director of the
Center on Human Development
and co-director of the Institute on
Violence.
uLcuum, Ui.iiL.tt liicuiclg
er at CHD, said Walker keeps his
staff busy, but he is always avail
able when they need him.
“We all like working for him,”
she said. “And his work is really
spectacular.”
Sprague added that Walker
does not use his position of au
thority to bully others in the de
partment who have competing
interests and, in his experience,
always comes up with ideas that
make everyone a “winner.”
“He is a first citizen in the col
lege in terms of stepping forward
to contribute to the collective well
being of his colleagues,” Kaufman
said. “He not only puts a spotlight
on his own research but a flood
light on the work of others.”
Walker has accounted for $27
million in federal grant money
and is working on several re
search projects.
Mike Bulbs met Walker when
he took a course in grant writing
at the University in 1980. To
Bullis, Walker — who introduced
Bulbs to his wife — has been
“both colleague and mentor but
also a friend.”
“He’s right up there in my pan
theon of heroes,” Bulbs said.
Walker has written 13 books
and published 170 professional
and scholarly works. His 1990
book, “Social Competence for
Workers with Developmental
Disabilities: A Guide to Enhanc
ing Employment Outcomes in In
tegrated Settings,” won the Na
tional Book Award from the
President’s Committee on Em
ployment of People With Disabil
ities.
Walker will receive the award
at spring commencement. Past
recipients include Thomas
Autzen, Earle M. Chiles and
Charles H. Lundquist. All recipi
ents are presented with a hand
forged, solid silver medal.
44
As an undergraduate
student, I greatly
enjoyed and treasured
the time I had to read,
research, and attend classes. I
lived in the residence halls,
and I had much fun with
friends. I had some friends
who studied too much; others
spent too much time partying.
I believe one can be a good
student and have fun at the
same time. Many students
understand that they can
study hard and have an active
social life. These students,
who are in the majority, earn
good grades and have many
friends. When they drink
alcohol, they do so with their
health, futures, and other
people in mind. The majority
of students are not held
hostage either to their studies ?
or to drinking, and it is this
majority who I celebrate.
Clark Honors College, I/O