The first thing anyone would notice about Professor Edwin Walker, or Ed as his students would call him, is that he is very easy going and friendly.

A Millikin University Alum, he majored in art management in combination with graphic design. His minor was business, yet he wasn’t particularly interested in it, namely accounting which he admits to not have been good at.

A self taught artist, his love for arts goes back to his early years when he used to take art classes whenever he could and was involved in art projects outside of school. When he finally joined Millikin University he decided to pursue his passion.

At Millikin University, Walker took part in various activities. He was an RA; although his motive for becoming an RA was simply to have his own room. He says that he had been very good at being one. He was also a Decathlete and part of the Millikin football team, earning him a spot in the Millikin Athletes Hall of Fame. One of the best things about his college years is that he met his wife at Millikin; when asked about her he said, “I found a creative solution to my problem; I didn’t like accounting so I married an accountant.”

After graduating he moved to Washington D.C for a job at the Navy Yard where there had been a shooting very recently. He explained that the event hit close to home. He cannot not say that he’s dodged a bullet; if the opportunity to go to graduate school hadn’t presented itself, he believes he would still be working there.

He ended up moving to New York for graduate school where he attended the Rochester Institute of Technology. There he had his first experiences in teaching, which he enjoyed.

His Masters degree in hand, he moved to Alabama to teach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It wasn’t until a friend informed him about a graphic design professor position open at Millikin University that he decided to come back home. He describes his return home as a good change in his quality of life; Millikin offers a more relaxed environment in which he can truly enjoy teaching.

In his twenty years as a professor at Millikin he’s worked with many talented students, some of which have gone on to own their own businesses. He is supportive of his students and hopes to see them all succeed in their lives beyond Millikin.