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Dr. Toni Walters, as a professor in the School of Education and Human Services, taught graduate students in the Reading and Language Arts department for 22 years. Her teaching effectiveness has been recognized by a number of awards, including OU's Teaching Excellence Award in 1997 and the Guardian Award by the National Black Child Development Institute in 2008. Fellow colleague Dr. Ron Cramer had the following to say of Dr. Walters' teaching: Toni had two crucial talents that made her a superior teacher: character and competence. Toni cared deeply about her students. She believed in them. Consequently, they came to believe in themselves. Toni's students students loved her. She spent countless hours chairing doctoral committees, mentoring students, and supporting colleagues. Toni's exceptional character and competence had a powerful influence on her students and her colleagues. We miss her terribly. When past students heard Dr. Walter was retiring, they wanted to do something for Dr. Walters that is/was as impactful and memorable as Dr. Walters' was on them. Twenty-six OU alumni, faculty and staff came together on August 6, 2011 to recognize Walter's achievements and contributions to OU, the field of literacy and her career. At this dinner, former students raised $2,000 to create a scholarship in honor of Dr. Walters.
The Toni S. and Kenneth Walters Endowed Literacy Scholarship, also named after Walters' late husband, is for undergraduate and doctoral students studying literacy. Dr. Walters is also contributing to the award to make it a permanently endowed award. Students can apply for the first award of $1,000 online at www.oakland.edu/sehs/scholarships/walters. If you would like to learn more about helping the Walters Student Literacy Scholarship grow, please contact us at sehs@oakland.edu. |
.jpg) From left to right: Dr. Toni Walters and her late husband Kenneth Walters. |