Civic Viewpoints

TC 127 - offered each spring semester

The purpose of this class is to define and explore civic engagement, with the intention of inspiring students to become civic entrepreneurs themselves in their respective areas of interest. Specifically the course will look at the following areas: Justice, Place, Transit, Education, Entrepreneurship and Healthcare.  Students are required to attend all class meetings and submit a short reflection paper in order to receive full credit.

About the Professor:

Raised in Three Rivers, Texas, Lee Walker graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Physics (class of 1963) graduating Phi Kappa Phi (top academic 10% of his class), receiving NASA and National Science Foundation (NSF) funding for his post graduate work in nuclear physics (theoretical cosmic ray research).  He was named All Southwest Conference Basketball Team Honorable Mention his senior year. 

Lee received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1967.  He served as the first President of Dell Technologies through its formative years. 

After leaving Dell in 1990 for health reasons, Lee was asked to teach at the University of Texas at Austin.  The success of his “Elements of Entrepreneurship” and “Not for Profit Excellence” courses in the Graduate School Business Management Department earned him best teaching award three times.  Lee teaches a Presidential Signature Course entitled “Pathways to Civic Engagement” and “Civic Viewpoints” in the Plan II Honors Program where he is an Adjunct Professor. 

The Austin Chamber of Commerce recognized Lee as their 1998 Austinite of the Year. In 2004, Lee received the Texas Nature Conservancy Lifetime Achievement award.  Lee’s first book Imagination House: An Entrepreneurial Life was recently released in 2019 by Texas A&M Press.