Coastal Carolina University professor Deborah Walker has received the Dwight L. Freshley Outstanding New Teacher Award from the Southern States Communications Association, a national nonprofit organization. The award will be presented at the group's national convention in Norfolk, Va., in April.

Walker, an assistant professor of communication, joined the University faculty in 2005. She earned a bachelor's degree in education from Old Dominion University, a master's degree in communication from Florida Atlantic University and a doctorate in communication from the University of South Florida. Walker received the University of South Florida's Arthur Bochner Outstanding Doctoral Student Award and was named Distinguished Collegiate Adviser of the Year at Coastal Carolina University in 2008. She teaches communication activism.

Walker is a member of the University's Women's and Gender Studies Advisory Board and the Sexual Assault Awareness Coalition. She was one of the recipients of the 2005-2006 Edwards College of Humanities Outstanding Teaching Award. She is faculty adviser to Upsilon Eta, the communication honor society.

A specialist in community building, Walker has published scholarly articles on the relationship between mentoring programs and leadership, narrative and volunteerism, and collaboration and community service. She serves as the marketing chairperson for the Eastern Carolinas Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Her areas of expertise include public speaking, conflict resolution, community building and media studies.