News

This Monday is a BIG DAY – not just for Baylor, but for the greater Waco community and beyond – as we experience the total solar eclipse. This will be the last total solar eclipse of the century visible in Texas.

With Waco, Texas in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, Baylor University researchers have a first-hand opportunity to study the effects that people might feel as they witness this once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners – in cooperation with the Waco/McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – to conduct a regular test of its Outdoor Warning System (tornado sirens) at 10 a.m. Friday, April 5. The University’s testing period will be from 10 to 11 a.m.

This week is Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a chance to celebrate the 5,500+ graduate students who pursue their calling at Baylor. Although they comprise nearly a quarter of BU’s overall enrollment, their contributions can fly under the radar — but not to those with whom they serve.

More than 1,450 students will volunteer at over 50 sites around Waco during Baylor University’s biannual Steppin’ Out community service event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 6. A beloved Baylor tradition, Steppin’ Out is a student-led day of community service specifically dedicated to helping Waco residents. 

In the spring of 1945, a group of Baylor students prayed for spiritual renewal for 90 straight days. Their prayers led to a movement that helped inspire ministries on campus and around the world, from the Journeyman mission program to the Passion Conferences.

Last week, hundreds of Baylor students again gathered in Jesus’ name for FM72, a 72-hour on-campus prayer and worship event coordinated by Baylor’s Office of Spiritual Life in conjunction with local churches and campus ministries.

The award-winning Baylor University Symphony Orchestra will make its Bass Performance Hall debut at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in Fort Worth, Texas. The Baylor Symphony Orchestra will perform a varied and interesting program of music with renowned Maestro Miguel Harth-Bedoya.

Baylor University will host the 30th annual Beall Poetry Festival April 3-5, a distinguished American literary event featuring contemporary poetry with readings, a panel discussion and the Virginia Beall Ball Lecture on Contemporary Poetry.

Easter invites us to reflect upon the glory of our Savior’s resurrection and rejoice in the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

Rebecca Jones-Antwi, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Public Health in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, has received a three-year Career Development Award from the American Heart Association for her project, “Stuck in the Middle: The Intersectionality of Multiracial Adults and Cardiovascular Health.” 

Countless women have come through the halls of Baylor before going on to do amazing things. Here’s a look at some Baylor Bears who have made big impacts in education — at Baylor and beyond:

Baylor women’s basketball is headed back to the Sweet 16, thanks to a pair of big NCAA tournament wins this weekend in Blacksburg, Virginia. Head coach Nicki Collen’s squad dominated Vanderbilt on Friday, 80-63, then beat Virginia Tech in front of a feisty home crowd, 75-72, on Sunday night.

Baylor University has announced the naming of the Hankamer School of Business’s Curb Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program – formerly known as the Sports Strategy and Sales program – honoring leading music and entertainment executive Mike Curb of Nashville, Tennessee. 

Baylor University's First in Line program  has been selected as the 2024 NASPA Excellence Award Bronze Honoree for First-generation Student Success. The Excellence Awards annually recognize members who are transforming higher education through outstanding programs and innovative services. 

Baylor University’s 2024 senior class has selected Lotte Bostick, J.D., CPA, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Accounting and Business Law at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, as the 2024 Collins Outstanding Professor. 

Baylor education expert offers tips on how to enjoy the eclipse with children

This Sunday begins a very special time in the Christian calendar – the start of Holy Week. At Baylor we are blessed to be ushered into this time of reflection on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection with FM72, a student-led gathering this Sunday through Wednesday on Fountain Mall in the heart of campus.

WACO, Texas (March 21, 2024) – The Human Biology Association has honored Samuel S. Urlacher, Ph.D., assistant professor and graduate program director for the Department of Anthropology at Baylor University, with its premier early career award in the field – the 2024 Michael A. Little Early Career Award – for Urlacher’s work and research as a human evolutionary biologist.

Baylor University will celebrate Diadeloso on Monday, April 8, the same day as the total solar eclipse. While much of Dia will be the same, there are some changes and additions you should be aware of before you join in the fun. 

Countless women have come through the halls of Baylor before going on to do amazing things. Here’s a look at some Baylor Bears who have made names for themselves in the arts — locally, nationally and internationally:

For the ninth time in the last 10 postseasons, both the Baylor men’s and women’s basketball teams are going dancing!

It never takes long in any conversation about “great Baylor teachers” for the name “Ann Miller” to surface.

As a two-time Baylor graduate (BA ’49, MA ’51), a Baylor English professor for more than 40 years, and part of Baylor’s first class of Master Teachers, Miller was Baylor through and through.

Think about the community you call home. Does its setup encourage you (and those around you) to be active? Is there a track or walking path for adults, or a playscape for kids? Can you ride your bike to work or the store? Is the area walkable?

Dr. Renée Umstattd Meyer (BSED ’00) has built a nationally recognized research career thinking about questions like these, and has put that research to work helping communities across the country better support the health of their residents.

We call ourselves the Baylor Family and that was certainly evident yesterday as the University received approximately 3,500 gifts from individuals who gave so generously and helped us raise more than $2.24 million (and counting) for the annual Baylor Giving Day.

Yang Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental science at Baylor University, has won a competitive NASA Early Career Investigator Program in Earth Science award that supports outstanding scientific research and career development of scientists and engineers at the early stage of their professional careers. 

Countless women have come through the halls of Baylor before going on to do amazing things. Here’s a look at some Baylor Bears who have made lasting changes in the world of politics and law — at the local, state and national level:

Baylor mathematics chair Dorina Mitrea, Ph.D., explains what makes Pi important.

U.S. News recently recognized Baylor’s learning communities among the top 10 in the nation — just behind schools like Yale, Michigan and Princeton, and ahead of, well, just about everyone else. (The honor ranked Baylor No. 1 in the Big 12, No. 1 among large private universities, No. 2 in Texas and No. 2 among Christian universities.)

When Baylor was chartered in 1845, it was one of the first coeducational colleges or universities west of the Mississippi River — about 10 years before any public institution of higher learning would introduce mixed-gender learning, and a full 75 years before American women were guaranteed the right to vote.

Each year, the Collegiate Day of Prayer unites college campuses all over the country in a day of prayer for revival and awakening, concluding with an evening service of prayer and worship on a college campus that is broadcast around the world. This year, Baylor University served as central host site for the Collegiate Day of Prayer service.

The Baylor Club at McLane Stadium is more than just a dining destination; it’s a place where connections are made, and memories are created. Baylor Club offers a unique blend of upscale dining, social events, and professional networking opportunities, all against the backdrop of panoramic views of the Brazos River and the Baylor Campus. 

See which of your peers have been nominated for their "above and beyond" service in the month of February! Salutes may be submitted by colleagues, students or parents throughout the year. Nominate someone today!

The Office of Student Employment is launching a new resource to help you with student employees - Student Employment 101! Join us for our kickoff meeting on Friday, March 15 to learn more about how the Office of Student Employment can support your department. Join the Student Employment 101 Teams Channel to attend the kickoff meeting and stay connected with Student Employment!  

Staff Performance review is under way and HR has a new resource to assist you. Currently, HR is offering a one-hour course called “Best Practices to Write Your Performance Review Self Evaluation.” Sessions are available from March 5 through March 14 and a recorded version will be made available later. Click the title to learn more and register.

The members of Kappa Kappa Gamma invite all faculty, staff, your children, and grandchildren to their Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Mayborn Museum Bill Daniel Historic Village on Wednesday, March 27! Please arrive no later than 5:00pm for a fun egg hunt. Children of all ages are welcome.

Just after Baylor’s Spring Break, on Wednesday, March 13, at Noon in Moody Library, David A. Smith, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in History, will discuss his latest book, "A New Force at Sea: George Dewey and the Rise of the American Navy," with Ronald Angelo Johnson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, and The Ralph and Bessie Mae Lynn Chair of History, as part of the Readers Meet the Author Series. This event is free and open to the public. Audience Q&A, a reception with light refreshments, and a book signing will follow.

In addition to being a leap year, today is a special day as Baylor will host the 2024 Collegiate Day of Prayer live from Waco Hall.

Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners – in cooperation with the Waco/McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – to conduct a regular test of its Outdoor Warning System (tornado sirens) at 10 a.m. Friday, March 1.

Dorina, Marius and Irina Mitrea complete “epic journey” with five-volume research monograph that lays foundations for a new genre of mathematics.

Anyone who has traveled has probably experienced jet lag – that exhausted feeling that comes after long travel and trips. With the spring and summer travel seasons ahead, travelers can prevent some of the effects of jet lag through planning and preparation, says Baylor University sleep expert Michael Scullin, Ph.D..

After countless hours of planning, practicing and performing, All University Sing 2024 is in the books. Over the last two weeks, hundreds of Baylor students put their hard work on display performing for thousands of Baylor students, alumni and friends in Waco Hall (plus a streaming audience online for Saturday’s finale).

Baylor University is mourning the death of Jeff Forsse, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. Dr. Forsee died tragically in a farming accident on Feb. 24.

Gathering on Baylor University’s historic Founders Mall alongside members of the University and Waco communities, the Baylor Board of Regents concluded its regular quarterly meeting today with a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons, one of the recommendations in the final report from the University’s Commission on Historic Campus Representations.

Baylor University partnered with schools in three Waco-area districts to celebrate National Engineers Week through hands-on engineering experiences with Baylor faculty and students. 

When he came to Baylor from the Philippines in the 1990s, Peter Gape (MA ’91, MA ’94) knew broadly that he wanted to serve internationally. But his time in Waco helped focus that desire, and sparked a calling that led him to leadership in one of the globe’s largest international service organizations — World Vision.

It’s a big week on the Baylor campus as tomorrow we will host a ceremonial groundbreaking at 1:30 p.m. for the future Memorial to Enslaved Persons on Founders Mall. The Memorial will incorporate new areas of reflection, gathering and community that honor Baylor’s complete history and our original campus in Independence.

The University Libraries, College of Arts & Sciences and the Office of the Provost at Baylor University will host a joint event – Discovering DH: Honoring Women’s Stories – featuring five presentations from women faculty highlighting their scholarship in the digital humanities. 

Baylor University international trade researcher Lourenco Paz, Ph.D., associate professor of economics at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, has received the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Hungary, a prestigious and competitive fellowship of the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

If you read The Wall Street Journal last week, you likely saw not one, but two stories on the performance of Baylor’s endowment — one on how Baylor’s returns are beating even the Ivy League’s, and a second one on how Baylor’s culture has made this possible. (The first even ran on the front page of last Thursday’s print edition!)

When the College Football Playoff Selection Committee gets together this fall to pick the teams for the sport’s first-ever 12-team playoff, there will be two Baylor Bears in the room where it happens — one past, one present.

The past Bear is former interim head coach Jim Grobe, who was named to the committee in 2022. But the current Bear is the one who has fans in the green and gold fired up: Baylor Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades.

As you may know, Baylor University is blessed to serve as the originating site for the 2024 Collegiate Day of Prayer, broadcasting live from the historic Waco Hall on the Baylor campus on Thursday, February 29 at 7 p.m. CT.

As most of you know, I played collegiate basketball and tend to be just a little competitive. Imagine my excitement when logging onto The Wall Street Journal yesterday and reading the following article, "The Small University Endowment That Is Beating the Ivy League," only to find it was all about BAYLOR and our highly successful team in the Office of Investments led by Chief Investment Officer Dave Moorehead. 

Dr. Stephen Newby describes the opportunity to serve as the inaugural Lev H. Prichard III Chair in the Study of Black Worship as his “dream job,” and you don’t have to look very far down his path to Baylor to see why.

Caleb D. Martin, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University and a leading researcher in synthestic boron chemistry, has received a prestigious Humboldt Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. 

More than 230 students have entered projects in the 2024 Heart of Texas Regional History Fair, which will be held Friday, Feb. 16, on the Baylor University campus. Students representing schools from across Central Texas have registered 112 projects in various categories.

Bears have been playing in the NBA since the Association’s early days shortly after World War II, and there’s been a Baylor alum on an NBA roster every year since the 1979-80 season — but there’s never been more than there are this season.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has recognized Baylor University as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 12, 2024) – More than 250 U.S. cities have made pledges to transition to 100% renewable energy sources by the year 2050. However, in a new study published in the journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, Baylor University researchers found that, despite efforts, the target date to move to fully sustainable energy sources is unrealistic. 

With construction set to begin this summer on the Memorial to Enslaved Persons, Baylor University held a symbolic ceremony today on Founders Mall to transfer custody of its Centennial Time Capsule from the Class of 1945 to The Texas Collection at Baylor.

Coming off the program’s first 40-win season since 2017 — the last time the Bears reached the Women’s College World Series — and returning all but one player from the 2023 roster, the Baylor softball team has big plans for the 2024 campaign, with eyes on a return to Oklahoma City to compete for a national championship.

Judging by my calendar, the semester is definitely in full gear. I have a feeling that most all of you can relate, but here’s something to look forward to … Spring Break is only 22 days away!

Applications for Baylor University have shattered all-time records, as more than 56,000 prospective students have applied to the University for Fall 2024.

As a passionate advocate for the music of early 20th century Black composer Florence Price, Michael Clark, D.M.A., lecturer of piano at Baylor University’s School of Music, makes his solo album debut with Waltzes and Character Pieces of Florence Price, representing the first recording of Price’s complete waltzes.

Former Baylor Provost, Emeritus Professor of Literature and the Humanities and Resident Distinguished Professor of Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion, Dr. David Lyle Jeffrey will discuss his recently released spiritual memoir, “We Were a Peculiar People Once: Confession of an Old-Time Baptist” (Baylor Press, 2023), on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 12:15 p.m. in Moody Memorial Library on the campus of Baylor University.

Baylor fans have come to count on seeing BU among the top 25 each year, with Bears competing with the nation’s most prestigious programs for national recognition.

That applies to athletics (like our currently No. 13-ranked men’s basketball and No. 18-ranked women’s basketball programs), and to academics — like the Baylor entrepreneurship program, which once again ranks among the best in the nation according to multiple sources:

Every two years, Baylor’s Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching brings one of the nation’s best professors not already here at Baylor to Waco for a semester, allowing BU students to benefit from his or her excellence in the classroom. First awarded in 1991, the honor remains our country’s largest national award presented by a college or university for exceptional teaching, and carries with it an exceptional monetary reward for both the professor and his or her school.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 2, 2023) – Although time is a set duration of hours, minutes and seconds, the perception of time can vary dramatically based on the individual and especially during times of high stress and uncertainty such as disasters, recessions and most recently the COVID-19 lockdown. 

Our North American Black Bear mascots Indy and Belle celebrated their first birthdays last weekend, and today, it’s Baylor University’s turn! Happy Birthday to Baylor, which celebrates turning 179 years old today as the oldest continuously operating university in Texas.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 31, 2024) – The Center for Public Justice has awarded its prestigious 2024 Hatfield Prize to Baylor University senior mechanical engineering major Jackson Boone and Colby Humphrey, Ph.D., lecturer in political science at Baylor.

For more than 65 years, Collins Residence Hall has been the beginning of Baylor stories for thousands of women — a tradition that continues today.

After closing throughout 2022-23 for a yearlong renovation, Collins reopened last fall to welcome a new class of Bears. There’s plenty that’s new, from plumbing to security — even a new main entrance on 7th Street, pointing towards campus. But there’s plenty of the old, as well — from the memorable 8th Street steps (preserved as a back entrance) to the memories of former Collins residents that are literally embedded in the walls.

January is now busier than ever on the Baylor campus, as we quickly jump from students’ return for the spring semester to celebrating not one, not two, but THREE birthdays — those of our beloved live bears!

***SIREN TEST POSTPONED, REQUIRED TEST OF BAYLOR ALERT SYSTEMS WILL BE CONDUCTED*** Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners – in cooperation with the Waco/McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – to conduct a regular test of its Outdoor Warning System (tornado sirens) at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2. In addition to the siren test, Baylor University will conduct a required test of the multi-tiered Baylor Alert emergency notification system.

Baylor University and the Greater Waco community will join together in celebration of Black History Month in February with a variety of events that embrace history, enrich knowledge and encourage communities to celebrate the diversity within the Baylor family.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 26, 2024) – Baylor University announced today that five vendors have been selected as the University’s new campus facilities services partners, effective June 1, 2024. The vendors are HES Facilities Management, AHI Facility Services, TDIndustries, Sports Field Solutions and Texas Urban Enterprises.

The Baylor Family’s favorite (real) bears are turning 1! I hope you’ll join me for Judge Indy and Judge Belle’s First Birthday block party this Saturday, Jan. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat. 

Now that the new year is underway, we have several classes available for managers starting in February. Full details, times, and enrollment links are available on our Available Course Listings webpage.

 WACO, Texas (Jan. 23, 2024) – Baylor University today named Jay L. Banner, Ph.D., F. M. Bullard Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, as the 2024 recipient of the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching.

On Tuesday, January 30, at Noon, come and hear Baylor’s own Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, Professor of History and the Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America, discuss his recent publication, “Apostles of Change: Latino Radical Politics, Church Occupations, and the Fight to Save the Barrio” with his colleague Dr. Elesha Coffman. Refreshments and a book signing will follow the conversation.

Despite frigid weather in Waco this week, it’s been a great start to the spring semester. 

WACO, Texas (Jan. 17, 2024) – Baylor University today officially announced the launch of the Spectrum Management with Adaptive and Reconfigurable Technology Hub (SMART Hub), a Department of Defense Spectrum Innovation Center to conduct multifaceted spectrum research to meet national defense needs.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 16, 2024) – Trena Wilkerson, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in the Baylor University School of Education, has received the 2024 Louise Hay Award from the Association for Women in Mathematics in recognition of her leadership in mathematics education, transformational teaching and mentorship, and her global initiatives and programs.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 15, 2024) – Baylor University will begin the spring semester Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, under normal operations. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing through Wednesday morning but with no precipitation in the forecast.

Baylor graduates make an impact in virtually any field you can think of; this year’s Baylor Alumni Award winners are no different, with recipients leading the charge in areas ranging from financial stewardship to fighting hunger and poverty to chaplaincy.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 11, 2024) – Baylor University today announced Tommy Bowman, B.B.A. ’71, of Waco as the recipient of the 2024 Baylor University Founders Medal. Bowman holds a special place in Baylor’s history as the University’s first Black scholarship student-athlete, though he also is known for his extensive service and leadership, as well as his membership on Baylor’s Board of Regents from 2001-2010.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 11, 2024) – Baylor University is mourning the death of Roger E. Kirk, Ph.D., Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Statistics and the University’s longest tenured faculty member at 61 years. Dr. Kirk died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.

It’s become so commonplace that it must be a Baylor tradition – a cold, arctic blast to welcome students back to Waco for the spring semester!

From Line Camp to Welcome Week to the Baylor Line and the on-campus living experience, Baylor goes above and beyond to help new students feel like they are truly a part of the Baylor Family.

Eyes across the nation are taking notice — the most recent being U.S. News, which this year ranked Baylor in the top five nationally for “first-year experience.”

WACO, Texas (Jan. 10, 2024) – Featured on the cover of this week’s prestigious journal Science Advances, a first-of-its-kind tactile learning device developed by Baylor University chemistry professors to make science accessible to students with blindness or low vision has opened the possibility of the transfer of any scientific data or images for sighted students into functional, thorough formats for students with blindness.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 9, 2024) – Every year, Americans join together on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – this year on Monday, Jan. 15 – to serve their neighborhoods and communities and through week-long events celebrating the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader. NOTE: Sub-freezing temperatures and dangerous wind chills have canceled some events or altered dates/locations. Monday's community and Truett MLK Day events have been canceled due to the weather.

Before finding his current passion, Omari Head (MDiv ’12) interned for the Seattle Seahawks as an athletic trainer, then worked in student life, earned his master’s of divinity from Truett Seminary, and served as a college pastor and worship leader at a local church. But entrepreneurship was always in his blood — and now he shares his joy right here in Waco through a series of local favorites.

Another year has flown on by… As the calendar turns, let’s take one last look back at 2023, through the lens of our favorite photos from Baylor’s official Instagram account.

Here are our top 10 Baylor Instagram photos of 2023:

Baylor’s new Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion made its debut this week, hosting a pair of facility-opening wins as the No. 18-ranked Baylor men defeated Cornell and the No. 6 Baylor women blew past No. 23 TCU.

But the play on the court was secondary to the awe and wonder felt by Baylor fans who filled the arena for both games, and by the coaches and players experiencing the new gameday atmosphere.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 4, 2024) – The United States began tracking poverty rates in the 1960s as part of the War on Poverty. Today, the U.S. Census Bureau reports two income-based measures of poverty each year: the Official Poverty Measure (OPM) and the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). However, an analysis by Baylor, Notre Dame and University of Chicago economists challenges common misconceptions about short- and long-run changes in poverty.

Happy New Year, Baylor Family! 2024 is already off to a fast start, with this week’s opening of the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion for both our nationally ranked men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Baylor University will participate in Harvard’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Satisfaction Survey beginning the week of February 5, 2024. Completion of the web-based survey is expected to take approximately 25 minutes. Survey participation and responses are confidential and managed by Harvard’s COACHE team.

On January 3, BaylorITS will make the New Microsoft Teams available to students, faculty, and staff. The New Teams is twice as fast, uses 50% fewer resources, has a more polished and responsive interface, is smarter, and more flexible. On February 20, New Teams became the default for all Teams users at Baylor. Classic Teams is still available at the flip of a switch, but Microsoft will force all users to New Teams prior to March 31, 2024.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

WACO, Texas (Dec. 21, 2023) – The death of a loved one can be especially hard during the holidays as they are full of memories, traditions, and sensations associated with the holidays – all reminders that this year is different, and someone is no longer here. What can someone in the midst of grief do to make this time more positive and step toward emotional healing?  

Baylor’s mission has long been to “educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.” A new survey by TIME magazine says Baylor’s been doing exactly that.