Ray Walker ’22, from Columbus, Ohio, has been elected to the Denison University Board of Trustees as a recent student trustee. Walker, who graduates in May with a B.A. in communication and anthropology/sociology and a concentration in narrative journalism, officially replaces Ben Cross ’20, who will complete his term as recent student trustee this summer.

Walker came to Denison as a Denison-Columbus Alliance Scholar and was also awarded a scholarship from the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund, established in 1998 by Denison Black Alumni Association. In his four years at Denison, he has been highly engaged in campus life: He’s the vice president of the Black Student Union, a student ambassador with Denison Forward, a news reporter and producer for The Denisonian, the co-host of the “Deer Denison” podcast for admitted students, a sports broadcaster for the Denison Sports Network, a Cultural Conversations Moderator in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, a Community Advisor, president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and a June-Orientation Student Leader.

Walker also received the Distinguished Leadership Award and was awarded the President’s Medal at Denison’s Academic Awards Convocation on April 22, 2022.

“I feel so blessed and honored to have been selected for the recent student trustee position,” Walker said. “What makes this so great is that I get to continue serving this community; a community I love so much and a place that has made an indelible mark on my growth and Denison experience. I will continue to anchor my work in the voices and stories of students from all walks of life.”

The Board of Trustees consists of 37 members plus the president of the university. Two of the trustee positions are reserved for recent students who are asked to maintain a connection with and represent the current student body.

Recent student trustees are selected through a process beginning with an invitation to all members of the Denison community to submit nominations. A screening committee of students, faculty, and staff reviews the nominations and recommends top candidates to the Board of Trustees, who make the final selection of the candidate. Each year, a new recent student trustee is selected from the graduating senior class to serve a two-year term.

Walker will join recent student trustee Fatimah Elghazawi ‘21 and Cross, who will stay engaged with the Board as an ex officio member for one more year.