Galen Buckwalter

Galen Buckwalter

History

Galen Buckwalter, who relies on HMOs for health care, was the first person to volunteer to take the video camera. He injured his spinal cord after a diving accident at the age of 17 and has been using a wheelchair for more than 30 years. In an article written for the New England Journal of Medicine, Buckwalter details how watching scenes of himself in Rolling helped him realize some truths. Buckwalter is a lyricist and vocalist for the four-person, L.A.-based band, Siggy, which is now mixing its fourth CD with producer Dave Trumfio. The CD, which follows Cryptophasia, will be released in early 2008. Buckwalter, a native of Pennsylvania, has been married to Deborah Buckwalter, who is also a musician and clinical psychologist, for nearly 11 years. The couple has four grandkids, ages 1 through 7. Galen Buckwalter is vice president of research and development at eHarmony.com. Buckwalter developed and validated the online dating service’s original questionnaire and matching models and currently supervises a department of five Ph.D.’s conducting research on a wide range of issues related to the development and maintenance of intimate relationships. He is also an adjunct professor at the graduate school of psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, California, where he received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Profile

Galen Buckwalter

Movies

Rolling
Himself
When Dr. Gretchen Berland gave video cameras to three Los Angeles residents in wheelchairs and asked them to film their daily lives, she wasn’t sure what they would capture. In the end — after nearly two years and 212 hours of tape — Galen Buckwalter, Ernie Wallengren and Vicki Elman did far more than accomplish Berland’s goal of providing care givers, policy makers and health care professionals insight into life on wheels for 1.6 million Americans.
Rolling
Assistant Director
When Dr. Gretchen Berland gave video cameras to three Los Angeles residents in wheelchairs and asked them to film their daily lives, she wasn’t sure what they would capture. In the end — after nearly two years and 212 hours of tape — Galen Buckwalter, Ernie Wallengren and Vicki Elman did far more than accomplish Berland’s goal of providing care givers, policy makers and health care professionals insight into life on wheels for 1.6 million Americans.