WM. Thomas Walker

is the Dean of the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  In his capacity as dean he oversees all Continuing Education activity for the university.  A native of Mobile, AL, his educational background includes degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of North Texas, and a Doctor of Arts in music performance from the University of Northern Colorado. 

Prior to his appointment at UM-St. Louis Walker had been at Oklahoma State University where he served as Associate Dean for continuing education in the College of Arts & Sciences and held a faculty appointment in the Department of Music.  Continuing education programming flourished under his leadership and included a wide variety of credit and non-credit activity.  A notable contribution was the development of an online course creation program which recruited faculty, provided technical and instructional design assistance, and a broad array of services for students.  This program led to exponential growth in enrollment and course offerings of the unit.

Walker’s doctoral research (The Effects of an Epoxy Resin Surface Coating on the Characteristic Sound of the Trombone) inspired his continuing interest in music technology.   He developed a series of four courses in music technology and analog and digital recording technology.  He also provided digital editing and mastering services for music department faculty and ensemble recordings.

Walker has also worked extensively as a trombonist, arranger, and conductor.  While serving as Music Director for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame awards show he worked with such luminaries as Steve Allen, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, and others, for which on three occasions he received an Angel Award by Excellence In Media.  His musical arrangements have been widely performed and broadcast and as a conductor he has worked with some of the world’s most notable jazz musicians.  Walker has also performed and recorded widely as a trombonist, including a U.S. State Department tour of Portugal and the former Soviet Union with the University of North Texas One O’clock Jazz Band.  His work with Spiritual to the Bone (a jazz trombone ensemble) included five CD’s, U.S. and European tours, and an invitation to perform at the International Trombone Festival in 2003.  He also is a member of the St. Louis Gateway Citadel band and teaches the adult Sunday School class.

Prior to joining the music faculty at Oklahoma State University Walker served on the faculty at the University of Central Florida and as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Northern Colorado.  His articles and reviews have appeared in professional music journals and he has presented at both music and continuing education professional meetings.  He is a member of the University Continuing Education Association and the Association for Continuing Higher Education.

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