Walker will receive his award at the university’s spring commencement at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Hayward Field, 1580 E. 15th Ave., on the UO campus.

The Presidential Medal, one of the UO’s highest honors, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to higher education through their long-standing and extraordinary support. Each medal is hand-forged in solid silver and is a replica of the myrtlewood medallion worn by the university president for ceremonial occasions such as commencement.

Previous recipients include Thomas Autzen, Carolyn Chambers, Earle M. Chiles and Charles H. Lundquist.

"The Presidential Medal recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly in a number of ways to the University of Oregon," says UO President Dave Frohnmayer. "Hill’s leadership in educational research and in developing both the Center on Human Development and the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior has been truly remarkable. His clear focus has been on using research findings to make a difference for children not only in the classroom but also in their lives. The impact of his work regionally and nationally on our children and on our schools makes it appropriate that he will be the first faculty member to receive this award."

"Recognition and approval from those whom you respect most is one of the highest forms of praise we receive," Walker says. "President Frohnmayer’s continuing support, and that of the UO administration, has been a critical element in my attempts to address the needs of vulnerable populations. This award sends a wonderful message about this institution’s values and priorities in this regard. The award will certainly endure as a true hallmark event in my career."

A nationally recognized and honored expert in behavior disorders in at-risk children and youth with disabilities, Walker has accounted for $27 million in federal grants competitively awarded to the most promising research since his professional career began at the UO in 1966.

A former associate dean, since 1982 Walker has served as director of the UO Center on Human Development that has developed intervention programs for youths with handicaps and teacher training programs for implementing them.

Walker and some of his colleagues in the past five years have refocused their work on school safety and early detection, intervention and prevention of youth violence. With co-director Jeffrey Sprague, a senior research associate, Walker founded the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior that has won funding from multiple federal agencies. The institute has successfully developed better tools for educators to use in identifying at-risk children early and preventing youngsters from turning to violence.

Walker was a member of the recent national panel organized by the Clinton administration that developed the "Early Warning Timely Response" guide for detecting early warning signs of troubled youth. Several of the intervention programs he and his colleagues developed were cited as models of best practices in the October 1998 "White House Report Card on School Violence."

Walker is the principal developer of the First Step to Success early intervention program for diverting at-risk children from a path leading to antisocial behavior and school failure. Five recent national reviews have recommended First Step, now used in 12 states, three Canadian provinces, Australia and New Zealand, as one of the best and most effective prevention programs. In the last legislative session, the Oregon Legislature appropriated approximately $500,000 to begin making the program available to Oregon school districts.

During the past four years, Walker has served as a resource expert to the Oregon Legislature in the areas of youth violence prevention, school safety and early intervention. He serves on a number of national panels and has participated in strategic planning sessions sponsored by federal agencies to develop recommendations and legislative agendas for addressing school safety, delinquency and youth violence concerns.

Walker graduated cum laude from Eastern Oregon University before receiving his master’s and doctoral degrees with honors at the UO. In his 33-year career on the UO faculty, Walker has produced more than 170 professional publications and scholarly works, including 13 books.

His 1990 book, "Social Competence for Workers with Developmental Disabilities: A Guide to Enhancing Employment Outcomes in Integrated Settings," co-authored with Carl Calkins, received the National Book Award from the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

The Council for Exceptional Children awarded its 1993 Research Award to Walker for his studies on at-risk children, and in May 1999 the Oregon School Psychology Association selected Walker as a co-recipient of its prestigious Friend of School Psychology Award in recognition of his research contributions to school safety.

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