Dr. Skyller Walkes

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. Skyller Walkes is a graduate of the Adult, Professional, and Community Education doctoral program at Texas State University, and her scholarship focuses on Critical Race Theory, Afro- Latinx identity, art activism, race and intersectionality. Dr. Walkes also holds three bachelor’s degrees in the areas of Communications, English, and Mass Media Journalism from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Administration from Kean University. She also holds a Master’s in Science in Juvenile Justice from Prairie View A&M University. In her immediate past role as the inaugural Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion and Assistant Professor of Instruction in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Walkes served as chief College of Pharmacy spokesperson for diversity equity, accessibility, and inclusion. This encompasses areas of recruitment, selection, appointment, and retention of diverse students, faculty and staff, while promoting a culturally responsive approach to pedagogical and andragogical development in the Healthcare Sciences and equitable community outcomes. Dr. Walkes’ work encompasses several international projects for schools, regional libraries and diversity community education for numerous entities, including the United States Embassy in Madrid, Spain, Diversity Abroad, and the Southwest Region of the Anti- Defamation League. Dr. Walkes has successfully developed and implemented restorative justice and positive identity development curricula for community centers and institutions. As for her co-curricular involvement, she currently serves as President and Director of Educational Programming at the Calaboose African American History Museum, Chief of Staff and Operations for nonprofit Where We Thrive, Inc., both for which she is also their chief grant writer with an exceptionally high success rate. Her professional associations include but are not limited to: President of the Texas Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Educational Consultant for CARE- College Athletes for Respect and Equality, and Advisory Board for the Black Doctoral Network. Dr. Walkes’ redoubtable work surrounding social justice in schools, universities, and neighboring communities is demonstrated in her steadfast civic engagement to advance access to equitable resources within communities. This can additionally be seen in her work spearheading roughly 50 COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics with community partners in under-supported and under-resourced communities since December 2020.