Rachel Walker Honored with Belle K. Ribicoff Junior Faculty Prize
Rachel Walker
Assistant Professor of History and Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
Belle K. Ribicoff Junior Faculty Prize
This annual award was founded by longtime University of Hartford supporter and Life Regent Belle K. Ribicoff to recognize outstanding junior faculty members—assistant professors in tenure-track positions—who demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarly or creative activity, and service.
Rachel Walker, assistant professor of history and philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences, has distinguished herself at the University of Hartford well beyond her subject expertise. It is the way that she teaches—and the inclusive atmosphere of engagement that she fosters with every lesson—that are of particular note.
“Students praise her passion, intelligence, and ability to make history relevant and fun,” says Steven Rosenthal, chair of the Department of History and Philosophy.
Walker’s syllabus concentrates on a number of sweeping and challenging aspects of American history, including African American history, the history of LGBTQ+ Americans, abortion in the United States, and many other related topics.
Each course is characterized by boundless interaction and intellectual curiosity. Walker is known for her willingness and ability to respond to all questions and concerns, and to make learning as enjoyable as it is constructive.
With PhD and master’s degrees in American history from the University of Maryland, Walker has gone on to great distinction as a scholar of the highest merit through her authorship, speaking engagements, awards, and fellowships. She has presented at more than a dozen notable conferences and seminars.
Her first book, Beauty and the Brain: The Science of the Human Mind in Early America, was recently published by the University of Chicago Press. Walker is currently writing a new book that explores the role of science in helping to determine the significance of the human race. An article that she wrote for the Early American Studies interdisciplinary journal, Facing Race: Popular Science and Black Intellectual Thought in Antebellum America, won the prestigious John M. Murrin Prize—one of more than half a dozen national and international awards and fellowships she has received since 2011.
Walker also helps UHart immeasurably in many activities related to recruitment and retention of students. Her excellence as an educator—and service as a colleague—make her well deserving of the Ribicoff Prize.