Richard Walker is man of many responsibilities. The respected higher education veteran serves as University of Houston System vice chancellor and UH vice president of student affairs and enrollment services. He passionately balances both leadership roles to serve 66,000 students on four campuses (UH, UH-Downtown, UH-Clear Lake and UH-Victoria). In addition to receiving kudos from members of the campus community, Walker recently was honored by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).
NASPA, the leading association for student affairs professionals in higher education, and the NASPA Foundation named Walker as a 2016 Pillar of the Profession. The award honors sustained professional distinction in higher education recognizing extraordinary excellence and service, significant lifetime contributions and leadership roles in NASPA. Walker will be formally recognized during the NASPA Conference March 12 – 16 in Indianapolis.
“Dr. Walker has more than 30 years of higher education experience and serves as a role model not only to his own division but across the UH System, the University of Houston and NASPA,” said UHS Chancellor and UH President Renu Khator. “Walker has transformed the division in four short years and created partnerships across all divisions at the institutions and with the student affairs units across UHS.”
At UH, Walker oversees 27 departments with 450 full-time employees and 800 student employees. Prior to arriving in Houston, he served the University of Miami for 24 years in various roles – assistant/associate dean of students, director of student life and assistant/associate vice president for student affairs. He also worked at Central Missouri State University and Middle Tennessee State University.
Walker served on the 2015 NASPA Board of Directors and chaired the 2015 NASPA Conference. He is a member of NASPA’s James E. Scott Academy Board and Emergency Aid Advisory Group. Walker also served as the national president, executive vice president and conference chairperson for the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors. In June, Walker was recognized by NASPA with the Region III John Jones Award for Outstanding Performance as a Senior Student Affairs Officer.
“His passion for the profession excites those around him,” Khator said. “Dr. Walker is committed to the growth and prosperity of the profession.”