Chris Walker, professor of Dance at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was appointed as the new director of UW’s Division of the Arts by Provost Karl Scholz. 

According to a news release from the university, Walker describes himself as “a ‘multi-hyphenate contemporary dance and performance artist,’ and his work draws upon the danced rituals, carnival mas traditions, and embodied performance history of the African diaspora.” The hiring search committee selected Walker due to his vision for the arts program and his commitment to diversity and community inclusion.

After studying dance in Jamaica and New York, Walker joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Dance department in 2006 and served as the artistic director of the First Wave Hip Hop Theatre Ensemble. Walker was also featured on the cover of the September 2020 issue of Our Lives magazine.