Professor

Sociology and Anthropology Department

One of the most important civic duties as Americans is exercising the right to vote.  Exemplifying public affairs in action, Dr. Walker-Pacheco shares her enthusiastic passion for voting to help others find and use their voice through civic engagement and active voting practices.  In 2019 she and a group of students began the campus initiative Paws to the Polls.  Through her Action Anthropology class, she encouraged her students to create projects that would have a true impact on the world around them.  The longest lasting of these projects has been Paws to the Polls.  This initiative played an instrumental role in the 2020 election by reaching over 2,600 students with voter registration and nonpartisan voter informed educational materials.  Efforts also focus on local elections, and how students can continually become more involved in the democratic process. Dr. Walker-Pacheco is thankful for the students that helped her spearhead the initiative, as many have dedicated countless hours to ensure that their peers learn good voter habits that will last for a life-time.  Suzanne’s goal is for Paws to the Polls to become a permanent part of our campus community.

Dr. Walker-Pacheco’s passion for public affairs also includes being dedicated to culture and identity.  She has taught in a field school in Costa Rica and completed research in west Africa.  She has also begun an obesity prevention program for Latin American youth, where she works with children in the United States and abroad.  Thanks for being a great Citizen Bear Suzanne!

Interview and spotlight provided by Cole Howerton, student assistant, Office of Public Affairs Support.