Dr. Benjamin Walker (Photo: Roland Dimaya)
Insight: Dr. Benjamin Walker
What do you regard as your greatest academic success?
I feel my greatest academic success is the training I have been able to provide to the graduate and undergraduate students that pass through my laboratory.
What is your idea of happiness?
Happiness for me is the time I spend with my family.
Who or what was the greatest influence in your life that led to your career?
I have to attribute the greatest influence on my career to Dr. Jeff Cross at Allegheny College. He was my undergraduate advisor who introduced me to neuroscience.
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
Even though pursuing an academic career can be trying at times, I don’t think I would do anything differently.
What do you enjoy about teaching?
The connection and time spent with the students.
Who are your favorite heroes/heroines in real life (and why)?
My greatest heroes in real life are my parents. They are amazing people and they made me the person I am today, both literally and figuratively.
Who is your favorite musician?
I don’t think I have a favorite musician, but I do have a soft spot in my heart for bands and artists of the ‘80s.
Who is your favorite thinker?
George Washington Carver.
What historical figure would you most like to meet and why?
See above. He was an amazing inventor that overcame racism and bias to achieve greatness.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I would love it if the world wasn’t so divisive, and people worked together better for common goals.
If you could change one thing at Georgetown, what would it be?
I would like to see more of an effort to be a truly “student centered” research university, rather than just a “research university.”
If you could come back to life as a plant/animal/thing, what would it be?
I think I would like to be a bird. I am fascinated by flight.
What is your favorite word?
Peace.
What, if any, is your phobia?
Embarrassment.
How do you have fun?
Cycling and problem-solving/inventing (but not at the same time).
What is the best piece of advice you could give to your students?
Figure out what you like to do, and do that.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Figure out what you like to do, and do that.
What is your motto?
Be true to you.
Feature Story
Biology, Brains, and Behavior: Dr. Benjamin Walker's Autism Research
Knowledge of an exact cause of autism, and a potential cure, remains elusive, but the unique research of Dr. Benjamin Walker is making large strides in the right direction. Dr. Walker, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, is currently researching the biological changes in the brain and their connection to behavioral actions associated with autism.
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"Before joining his lab, I was simply considering the option of a career in research. But after the three years of working with him, I knew research was exactly what I wanted to do."
Student Profile: Anna Mikulak
"Working with Dr. Walker specifically prepared me for graduate school in that he not only taught me a lot about the relationship between brain and behavior and how we can examine it; he also helped me to develop critical and analytical skills that are useful in such research."