Obituary: Dr Stephen Walker

We are deeply saddened by the death of former Birkbeck tutor and Fellow, Dr Stephen Walker.

Dr Walker had a long association with Birkbeck, most recently as Dean of the Faculty of Science.

On being elected a Fellow of Birkbeck in 2007, Dr Walker said that he was particularly proud of his work as the admissions tutor for BSc Psychology from 2000–2007. It was and still is one of the College’s biggest teaching programmes.

Dr Walker also said that, as Dean, it was a privilege to work with colleagues distinguished in several different academic disciplines and as a member of the Buildings Committee, on the redevelopment of the College’s main building.

Dr Walker’s graduate training was in the field of animal behaviour, with an emphasis on conditioning and learning, and he was interested in brain and behaviour issues.

He first joined Birkbeck as a PhD student in 1963, returning several years later, as a lecturer. Dr Walker was impressed by the knowledge and expertise of the students he taught at Birkbeck.

His cited his most vivid memory of working at the College as interviewing a BSc applicant in Malet Street on the day of the London bombings. This illustrated the determination of Birkbeck’s students to him.