Bob Walker

Current Position: Lecturer; Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center Advisor; I-Envision, Enactus, Sigma Nu Tau

Education: Miami University (BA, Geology), University of Iowa Tippie College of Business (MBA, Finance), Iowa State University (PhD, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies)

How have your leadership positions helped push UI students to experience new opportunities and ideas?

While working in JPEC (John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center) I have had the support to develop and revise class curriculums. I have had the opportunity to lead students to India and Belize, as well as help students work hand-in-hand with micro-enterprises in Iowa. Our goal is to improve the livelihoods of individuals through entrepreneurial action. We bring the intellectual capital, try to discover the individual’s business dream, and ultimately, help make those dreams come true. By going to developing countries and working with small business in Iowa, our students get to see and experience a different way of life. This causes them to think about their values, their need/desire for material things, and really focus on what is most important to them.

What have you gained from this experience?

The best way to change the world is one person, one business, one village at a time. We can do good and do well at the same time.

What are you most proud of in your time as a University of Iowa faculty member?

Building relationships with students, challenging and inspiring them to do great, meaningful things with their lives, to dream big and execute their dreams. As Walt Disney said “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

What do you hope your legacy on campus will be in future years?

A faculty member who cares deeply for student success, a person of values, and one that made a positive difference in students’ lives. I believe that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.