Prof Walker has an MA in English and American Literature from Trinity College 1991, with the thesis on George Orwell’s art and polemic, a BA in Communication Arts from Fordham College 1970, and an AA from St Thomas Seminary 1968. He is proud to say that his MA thesis advisor was Prof Barbara Benedict. Thesis: https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/grad/26/

He has held an unusual variety of jobs (see list below) and so brings a highly diverse perspective to his work. During his studies for the AA degree he had a priest who emphasized that “every job is a good job and worth doing, so do your best at all of them!” His current writing is inspired by his specialized public relations work at University of Hartford, consulting to Cambridge College (MA), his students at UofH, but significantly by a decade of teaching at online Charter Oak State College (COSC) (CT). This is the state’s premiere online college and once heralded as the best for older learners in America (founded in 1973, average student age 37). He served as pilot faculty in the required, IDS 101 Interdisciplinary Studies Cornerstone Seminar on writing, research and critical thinking (rhetoric).  The students have to pass this to continue with their studies, and most had to come to terms with their mixed or problematic experience in prior college work.  They are challenged not only to work under a tight deadline, but to filter out noise in their lives and our culture while working and often with families, and finally find their voices with a well-conceived research paper on a topic of their choice. Even with prior college courses elsewhere, many had never had the opportunity to write such a paper.

He has presented at a 2016 liberal arts symposium  on a strategy for epistemological engagement of students, and a 2018 poster session of the CT Board of Regents on “The Challenges of Writing & Research in The Digital Revolution, Student Empowerment in a Required, OER, Online, Cornerstone Course.” Now that his reference book for first-year college writing students and autodidacts is in the works, he intends to build on this with a non-fiction memoir including scholarship and stories of the formative era of the 60s-70s. A sci-fi fantasy book started years ago received an honorable mention in a contest judged by Algis Budrys will merit work.

He has been fortunate to encounter stellar instructors such as Lou Boccardi (AP Managing Editor), Philip Freund, Marguerite Young, author of Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, as well as Barbara Benedict. His only wish is that he knew all of them better, and only knew that Thomas Berry was teaching then at Fordham, as Walker’s overriding focus then as now is our relationship to the natural world.  But then he was busy marching in Washington against the Vietnam War, being influenced by SDS,  serving on the first All University Senate, publishing poetry in the Fordham magazine, singing in the Glee Club, hanging out at the Bronx Zoo, MOMA, The Village, the Irish pubs etc! 

Therefore, upon graduating from Fordham he performed alternative service for two years as an orderly caring for handicapped children in wheelchairs at New Britain Memorial Hospital (now The Hospital For Special Care).  Then he worked full-time as a housepainter, and part time/freelance as an art critic for All About and The Hartford Advocate, as a wintertime apple tree pruner at Orkil Farms, chemical salvage worker (Oakland CA), as an orderly at two hospitals in Florida, and as a substitute teacher at The Hartford Adult Learning Center. Eight years after graduation he seriously entered his field as an assistant editor/AV manager at the Greater Hartford CofC, then worked as a reporter for The Waterbury Republican, associate director of communications and manager of the speakers bureau at University of Hartford (the speakers bureau was recognized for excellence), and coordinator of the OPTIONS Speakers Bureau on International Security Issues (grant driven and recognized by the NEH). He then consulted to Cambridge College (MA), Central CT State University, Pacific Oaks College and served as the employee newsletter writer/artist for Kaman Aerospace Corp. and marketing assistant for Tai Soo Kim Partners Architects.  Finally he entered teaching for the first-year writing/research and rhetoric class at UofH for three years and for a decade at Charter Oak State College.

He is in the Sons of the American Revolution, with his ancestor Col. James Otis, who was wounded in the Revolutionary War, and various Mayflower connections. Even a connection to Daniel Boone!

Jobs/Tasks For 50+ Years. Volunteering in green. For a complete bio see LinkedIn

1. Ditch Digger, foundation of Uncle’s “Green Thumb” greenhouse
2. Poet, Stella Matutina (STS) and Fordham Magazine
3. Ambulance attendant, G&L Unionville
4. Housekeeping janitor, St. Mary Convalescent Home, West Hartford
5. Mansion swimming pool painter (Hudson River valley, NY)
6. Wire puller, Tel-Rad Communications Systems
7. Proem writer and film critic, All About, Hartford
8. Art critic, Hartford Advocate
9. Hospital orderly for handicapped children & young adults @ New Britain Memorial Hospital & for adults at Florida’s Ft. Myers Convalescent & Ft. Myers General Hospital (post-surgery)
10. Housepainter, Webster/Zygmunt Painters, New Britain
11. Apple tree pruner & cider maker, Orkil Farms, W Simsbury
12. Chemical salvage worker, Oakland, CA
13. Substitute teacher, Hartford Adult Learning Center
14. Assistant editor/ photog/ AV manager, Greater Hartford CofC
15. Editor, Carbone’s Cookbook
16. Editor, Handbook For the Handicapped
17. Reporter, Waterbury Republican American
18. Associate director of communications, UofH & director of Speakers Bureau (archive at UofH Library)
19. Contributing editor, CT Business Journal
20. Marketing, Fundraising & Coordination, OPTIONS Six-College Speakers Bureau on International Security Issues (based at UofH)
21. Freelance writer/editor, Cambridge College (alumni booklets, newsletters)
22. Freelance writer/editor, Pacific Oaks College (alumni booklet)
23. Freelance writer/editor, Central Ct State University PLUS program
24.  Freelance editor, Book Marketing Works  (Marlys Hanson was a client http://simainternational.com/our-team/marlys-hanson-and-associates/)
25. Communications specialist, Kaman Aerospace Corporation
26. Marketing proposal writer, Tai Soo Kim Partners Architects
27. Contributor, (Kaman Aerospace article) CT Tech Tribune
28. VP/writer, Pollinet & Jobdialog.com, producing alumni profiles for Northwestern CT Community College
29. Maintenance/resto of inherited 1929 Packard 640 Roadster
30. Academic Advisor, Linda Christas, www.lindachristas.org
31. Assistant editor, The Voice newspaper, Winsted
32. Tutor, Apados Education (in-home, inner cities)
33. Director and painting crew supervisor, St Ann Cares (restoring homeless shelters etc.)
34.  Creator and manager of one-day, team renovation of Countryside Park, Avon (lower pond is Hutchins Pond)
35. Secretary, Director of Valley Collector Car Club (profits to local charities)
36. Family estate sale manager ( resulted in Berkshire Crossing, Avon)
37. Emanations Press editor and publisher (one poetry book published. Interested in work that goes into The Creative Commons https://creativecommons.org/)
38. Director and Education Consultant, New England Auto Museum (volunteering on hold)
39. Adjunct professor of writing & rhetoric (first-year), UofH
40. Adjunct professor of college research and writing, Charter Oak State College, IDS 101 Cornerstone Seminar. 10 years, (retired Dec 2020)
41. Canton Historical Museum (wrote a successful assessment grant proposal, and currently working on other archival projects.)

EMANATIONS PRESS                                                              

Owner, Editor  Jan 2009 – Present

Edited, designed, published second book of poetry (after his own) for Prof Shalom Saada Saar, MIT, 2009, and set up Amazon inventory.  Produced exploratory draft for his book Leading With Conviction. Wrote successful, four-color alumni profiles marketing booklets for Cambridge College, MA, and Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena.  Co-taught with UofH Prof a business writing and communications class to Qualidigm, Rocky Hill, CT.

CHARTER OAK STATE COLLEGE

Adjunct Professor of Writing & Research    Sept 2010 – Dec 2020

Piloted with a few other instructors the new, required, online IDS 101 Cornerstone Seminar on writing/rhetoric and academic research, using MLA and APA guidelines and Turnitin.

UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD                                                               

Adjunct Professor of Writing & Rhetoric  Sept 2006–June 2009

Taught rhetoric, writing and academic research courses to first-year students, using customized syllabus, MLA guidelines, and state-of-the-art Blackboard technology; creating a “flipped classroom” ahead of its time… This was  two-semesters, RPW 110 and RPW 111. Topic areas included education reform, consumerism, global warming.

HONORS

The UofH Speakers Bureau was recognized for excellence by the Network for Talented and Gifted students, the Connecticut State Department of Higher Education and the Advertising Club of Greater Hartford. Charter Oak State College has been recognized as the top college in America serving adult learners.

Honorable Mention, L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest, with penned comment by Algis Budrys. 1985 Silver Medal and Editor’s Choice Award from Poetry.com for “To a Child Born Prematurely”

For more see LinkedIn