In this podcast interview, Dr. Tammi Walker shares how, and why, she decided to get her law degree at Columbia Law School before traveling abroad to get her M.Sc. in Social and Cultural Psychology in London. She then returned to the U.S. to receive her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Virginia. Throughout our discussion a theme emerged regarding the importance of taking the time to self-reflect and getting out of your comfort zone. Self-reflection is important as it forces you to periodically evaluate where you are, what you want to do, and what is important to you. She states “…how I spend my time is really how what I value and what I care about at the end of the day.” She also points out that if everything around you “feels familiar and comfortable, you’re probably not doing it right.” Dr. Walker is currently an Associate Professor of Law and Psychology at the University of Arizona. She was offered a joint appointment in the Law School and the Psychology Department and, at first, she didn’t want to accept the joint appointment. However, after finding out that the University has a long history of combining law and psychology she agreed to the appointment. She combines her legal practice experience as a litigation attorney at law firms in Washington, D.C. and as a law clerk for United States District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee with her training as a trained research psychologist to address real-world legal problems. Dr. Walker is the Director and Principal Investigator for the Walker Lab. She and her team focus on improving legal decision-making outcomes by combating bias in treatment and punishment decisions. Some of the recent research she and the Lab focus on include investigating the perceived fairness of the methods used by universities and colleges related to sexual misconduct cases. Dr. Walker also offers advice for those interested in law and psychology as well as specific advice for African American or black students. Connect with Dr. Tammi Walker: Twitter | LinkedIn | UArizona Faculty PageConnect with the Show: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter https://vimeo.com/548267349 Interests and Specializations Dr. Walker uses psychological theory and empirical research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, to generate evidence which can be applied to real-life problems in the legal field. She has examined abuse between romantic partners, disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system, and how universities adjudicate sexual misconduct claims. Education Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Marketing and International Business (1999); Texas A&M. Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)(2002); Columbia Law School Master of Science (M.Sc.), Social and Cultural Psychology (2009); London School of Economics. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Psychology (2016); University of Virginia. Additional Sources and Links of Interest Tammi Walker - Complete List of PublicationsLondon School of Economics and Political ScienceMost affordable Social Psychology Master's and Doctorate Programs Podcast Transcription 00:00:14 BradleyWelcome to the Master’s in Psychology podcast, where psychology students can learn from psychologists, educators, and practitioners to better understand what they do, how they got there, and hear the advice they have for those interested in getting a graduate degree in psychology. I'm your host, Brad Schumacher, and today we welcome Dr. Tammy Walker to the show. Dr. Walker is an Associate Professor of Law and Psychology at the University of Arizona. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a JD from Columbia Law School. Dr. Walker is also the Director and Principal Investigator for the Walker lab. The College of Education at the University of Arizona offers an M.A. in Educational Psychology and an Ed.S. and Doctoral program in School Psychology. In addition, the College of Science offers multiple doctoral prog...