From farm to foreign policy: Tabor Walls champions nuclear disarmament
When you talk to Tabor Walls, you know he’s going to do big things with his life, things that just might save humanity. For real.
Tabor is a student in IU’s accelerated master’s program (AMP) in Russian and Eastern European Studies (he earned his IU B.A. in international studies in May 2025), and his research interests include the Soviet Union, nuclear weapons, communism, and religion.
His passion, however, is nuclear disarmament.
You might wonder how a homeschooled kid growing up on a cattle farm outside Bloomington gets interested in the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation.
“When I was way too young, I watched a documentary about weapons of mass destruction, and I learned that even though the Cold War is over, those weapons still exist. I thought to myself, ‘What in the heck are we doing?’” he said.
That thought stuck with him throughout childhood, but he never figured he’d be studying the topic. In fact, he didn’t even think he’d go to college at all. He’d be a first-generation college student and the cost was daunting. A family friend encouraged him to give higher education a go, and he got his start at Ivy Tech, and then transferred to IU’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
A chance meeting at church with IU professor Isak Nti Asare, the Hamilton Lugar School’s assistant dean for undergraduate education and student affairs, convinced Tabor to give IU a try. He’s been all in since then. As an undergrad, he was on the Dean’s List, served as co-president of Awaken Campus Ministry, and founded an IU chapter of Students for Nuclear Disarmament.
Soon after graduating in May 2025, Tabor worked as an intern for Indiana Senator Jim Banks in Washington, D.C., where he did policy research, talked with constituents in person and by phone, and led Capitol tours. “I would sometimes spend 20-30 minutes listening to what’s on people’s minds. It was life changing, and I’ll never forget it,” Tabor said.
Hope for a nuclear-free world
Another life-changing event in Tabor’s IU experience was meeting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ira Helfland, who came to campus in early 2025 to speak on the threat of nuclear war and nuclear disarmament. (Read more about the lecture.)
“I got to meet Dr. Helfland, and he inspired me to found Students for Nuclear Disarmament here at IU. We’re trying to recapture the energy and fervor of the nuclear freeze movement of the 1980s.”
Part of reinvigorating that movement, for Tabor, involves understanding the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. That sparked his decision to earn his master’s in Russian and Eastern European Studies through IU’s AMP program.
Learning Russian has been humbling, to say the least. “It was honestly really terrifying. Still is,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s an awesome program with really great native Russian speakers as teachers.”
In fact, Tabor has loved pretty much every facet of his IU experience. “I’ve been challenged in innumerable and fantastic ways. I’ve become friends with people from diverse backgrounds, I’ve discussed ideas I had never been exposed to before, and I’ve taken classes on various and fascinating subjects,” he said. “Overall, my curiosity has multiplied, as has the enjoyment I take from life.”
So, what’s next for Tabor, who will graduate in May with his master’s degree and the hopes of saving the world? He’d love to head back to D.C. to work for the Nuclear Threat Initiative or Arms Control Association, or any NGO dealing with arms control or nuclear disarmament.
In his studies at IU, and the experiences he’s had at the university, he’s learned a few things about the power of people—and of hope.
“The fear of nuclear war is something you can do something about. Your voice mattered in the past—and it will matter again. We can have a nuclear-free world. There is hope. I really believe that.”
Fun facts about Tabor:
- Tabor’s family farm also raised Nubian dairy goats, and he was part of the local 4H goat club. “I miss the goats so much!” he said.
- When he’s not studying, he loves to be in nature, kayaking or hiking. “It reminds you of your place in the world, and calms you down,” he said.
- He’s serious about nuclear disarmament, but he does have a sense of humor too. His backpack sports a tongue-in-cheek wheel of fear pin.
What he’s into:
Know an interesting Hoosier who should be featured? Email ccjones@iu.edu.
