Walker and Joiner have collaborated on at least 10 journal articles over the past few years, but it was that first publication, authored with Joiner, that made Walker competitive for the job at the University of South Carolina immediately after finishing her degree. The traditional route for psychology Ph.D. students is to take a post-doctoral position and get a clinical license before seeking a tenure-track faculty job.

Walker admits that without taking a post-doctoral position, she has had to play catch-up. While others spend that time earning a clinical license, she has had to go above and beyond to get her license while on the tenure-track. The feat has been even more difficult, she says, because as the field of psychology has become more research focused, the applied aspect is not as rewarded. But being able to practice was a personal priority for Walker.

“As an African-American, I realized that I stand on the shoulders of those who expect me to return to the community and provide a service,� she says.

Walker is a member of the South Carolina Suicide Prevention Task Force, and she conducts workshops on mental health at her local church. It is important, she says, that she is able to assist people in her community when they come to her with mental health questions or ask for referrals.

“My hope is that more African-American academics would act more as a collective,� she says. “A lot of us have too much schooling and not enough education.�

— By Robin V. Smiles