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Someone asked about my favorite Homecoming tradition, and I must admit that I don’t have just one – I love them ALL! Our students and staff have done such a wonderful job preparing to welcome Baylor alumni and friends back to campus for the nation’s oldest Homecoming, dating back to 1909.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 26, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $2 million gift from Scott and Susan Orr of The Woodlands, Texas, establishing the Scott & Susan Orr Family Endowed Chair in Medical Humanities & Christian Faith to support teaching, mentorship and innovative research in the Medical Humanities Program within the College of Arts & Sciences.

Baylor Homecoming has something for every Bear, and preparation for it all begins almost as soon as the last one ends, with a collaboration that brings students, staff, administrators and many others together to create an unforgettable “welcome home” for alumni and friends.

Matt Burchett (BA ’01), Nick Martineau (BBA ’01, MDiv ’04) and Jon Rolph (BA ’01) have been celebrating Baylor Homecoming together for 25 years. Ready to protect that weekend, they circle the dates on their calendars as soon as the football schedule is released.

“Homecoming is where we met each other, and it makes sense that it is how we would stay connected,” says Martineau.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 24, 2023) - Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary has announced the appointment of Jared E. Alcántara, Ph.D., as director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching alongside the Lilly Endowment Inc. award of $1.25 million grant to support Truett Seminary’s initiative focused on minoritized preaching for the good and growth of the Church.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 24, 2023) – Three finalists for Baylor University’s 2024 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching will present their public lectures in person on the Baylor campus on Oct. 24, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. In addition, all three lectures will be livestreamed on the Cherry Award’s page at their respective times.

What is it that makes Baylor Homecoming so special? We’ll venture that it’s because Homecoming is a party for everyone. Some Bears return with spouses or children; some, with friends; others on their own. It works no matter how many people you’re bringing with you, or how long you’ve been away. There’s something for everyone, with events for all ages and all stages. Whether it’s the parade that awes the young onlookers, or the bonfire for the teenagers, or the reunions for the more seasoned attendees, the Homecoming schedule is comprehensive.

In 1909, Baylor hosted the first collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation. This week, we again renew that tradition, as the Baylor Family returns to campus to “catch that Baylor spirit again,” as President Samuel Palmer Brooks famously wrote more than a century ago.

Homecoming, more than any other weekend of the year, is all about family. It’s about seeing old friends, recalling fond memories, sharing those stories with the next generation, and celebrating together as one. It’s the very best example of why we call this “the Baylor Family.”

Dr. Mona Minkara, a bioengineering professor at Northeastern University in Boston, was in Waco last week — a long way from the campus she calls home.

The reason for her trip? To join Baylor Chemistry’s Dr. Bryan Shaw in his lab, demonstrating to students from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) what she longed to hear at their age.

Since the very beginning, Chapel has been an integral part of the Baylor experience — but naturally, Chapel doesn’t look the same as it did 175 years ago — or even 25 years ago. After all, 20,000 students now call Baylor home, each at different steps along their faith journey — so one size definitely doesn’t fit all.

That’s why Spiritual Life is creating a wide variety of Chapel opportunities that are built around students — working to meet them where they are: in their interests, in their majors, in their giftings, etc. The ideal Chapel is a combination of great content and experience that takes students beyond the classroom; in these spaces, students find people who care about them, not about what they can achieve.

Baylor’s relationship with Waco is so important to us as we serve our community in partnership with leaders and organizations that strongly believe in the potential of our city, rallying cross-campus and city-wide resources that allow all to prosper and flourish.

Thousands of Baylor alumni descend upon Waco each fall for Homecoming. Some have returned every year since graduation; others are setting foot on the Baylor campus for the first time in five, 10, even 20 years or longer. Regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve visited Baylor, there’s likely something new you haven’t seen or done before — and at the same time, plenty of old favorites to revisit and traditions to enjoy.

Presenting: 100+ things to see and do during #BaylorHomecoming — updated for 2023:

WACO, Texas (Oct. 18, 2023) – Baylor University’s renowned Armstrong Browning Library and Museum will host Kristen Pond, Ph.D., associate professor of English and The Margarett Root Brown Chair in Robert Browning and Victorian Studies, as she presents the 2023 Benefactors Day lecture, “It's Okay to Talk to Strangers: Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë on Enchanting Encounters."

WACO, Texas (Oct. 17, 2023) – Baylor University’s Institute for Faith and Learning will host its annual Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture, which this year focuses on the theme, Called Together In an Age of Discord.

Last year, Baylor appeared for the first time on a prestigious list for university innovations, debuting at No. 99 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents. The list, published by the National Academy of Inventors, highlights the role of universities in American innovation.

This year, Baylor jumped all the way to No. 75 among the top 100 — a 24-spot jump that highlights a busy 12 months for Baylor researchers. 

WACO, Texas (Oct. 16, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the launch of the Baylor Research in Growth and Human Thriving Science (BRIGHTS) Center, a multidisciplinary center designed to catalyze research related to the science of human flourishing.

As we head into fall break and focus on midterms right around the corner, I know many students’ stress levels tend to go up. But here’s one simple change that can help reduce stress: Improving sleep.

As Baylor pursued and received R1 research recognition, leaders across the university noted it was about more than mere prestige; it was about having a “seat at the table,” where Baylor professors could bring a Christian research university’s viewpoints and ideas into settings where real impact can take place.

The litany of significant awards, appointments and assignments Baylor sciences faculty have received in recent months suggest that dream is coming true.

Over the last decade or so, Baylor has put out nearly a dozen different Christmas ornaments. Past years’ designs range from popular icons like Sailor Bear and the interlocking BU, to ornaments honoring traditions like Diadeloso and Christmas on 5th Street — and my personal favorite, the one celebrating Baylor men’s basketball’s national title.

But this year’s ornament is already blowing all the others away when it comes to demand. (Not that that’s any surprise, of course, when you see the design.)

WACO, Texas (Oct. 11, 2023) – Baylor University has received its first-ever Fulbright-Hays grant that will assist the University in strengthening its East Asian language programs (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) and Asian Studies program.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 10, 2023) –The Department of Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation within Baylor University’s nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business moved up to No. 3 in the world and the highest-ranked program in Texas for research productivity in the 2023 TCU Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings, the only research-focused ranking of entrepreneurial programs.

Nothing gives a visitor a taste of the Baylor experience like actually visiting campus in-person — exploring the campus, getting to know current students, and meeting with Baylor faculty and staff to see what life at BU is all about. And with the opening of the new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, high school students visiting Baylor get a welcome like never before.

Baylor isn’t just beloved by its students and alumni; it’s also a special place for the faculty and staff who work here.

The latest evidence comes in the results of the annual “Great College to Work For” survey, which — for the 12th time in 13 years — found Baylor earning honor roll status.

In October we are joining our 180 fellow members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) in celebration of Christian Higher Ed Month. From academics to student life and more, our faith animates all that we do here at Baylor. 

As the son of a Mennonite minister along the Texas/Mexico border, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa grew up in a family that exposed him to the power of the Gospel in a community.

Now a historian and higher education leader, he’s long channeled those early experiences into research and scholarship on Latino/a and Chicana/o studies, civil rights, religion and society. After years at universities like Texas A&M, Houston, and Emory, he chose to come to Baylor this summer as the first Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America.

Climbing Mount Everest is, obviously, an impressive feat. But doing so after having survived ovarian cancer? That’s a truly incredible story.

Meet Baylor alumna Jess Wedel (BSW ’11).

WACO, Texas (Oct. 3, 2023) – With health experts expecting another intense flu season, Baylor University Health Services will host five mobile flu vaccination clinics for students, faculty and staff at locations throughout campus in October and November.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 28, 2023) – Baylor University and the Waco communities will have the opportunity to hear from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin during this year’s Beall-Russell Lecture in the Humanities at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, in the Grand Ballroom of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, 905 S. University Parks Drive. The lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is requested.

I am excited to share with you that Baylor will be the host site for the 2024 Collegiate Day of Prayer on Thursday, Feb. 29. The annual event is an evening worship and prayer service focused on college students and live streamed around the world. 

WACO, Texas (Sept. 28, 2023) – Baylor University will serve as the originating site for the 2024 Collegiate Day of Prayer broadcast, the University announced on Thursday. The Collegiate Day of Prayer is an evening worship and prayer service focused on college-aged students, traditionally held on a university campus and live-streamed around the world.

For so many people, college is the time of life when they first fall in love with coffee. Early morning classes, various student activities, dozens of new friends, and test after project after test… All can quickly lead to coffee being an absolute necessity. Lucky for us, the Waco coffee scene is exploding — this list has doubled since our last update two years ago!

So, whether you’re a new student whose love for the bean is just beginning, or a Waco visitor looking for the best brew, here are our 20 favorite Baylor-area coffee spots:

WACO, Texas (Sept. 28, 2023) – Baylor University researchers along with City of Waco leaders in sustainable infrastructure are among the 19 teams advancing to stage 2 of the Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), a national research and action competition focused on rapidly transitioning emerging technologies and concepts into a local community to address their long-standing challenges.

Even after U.S. News made significant changes to its rankings formula — changes that heavily benefitted public universities — Baylor remains ranked among the top universities in the state, conference and country.

More importantly, Baylor jumped into the top five nationally for First-Year Experience (No. 5 overall) and the top 10 for Learning Communities (No. 10), while remaining among the top 25 in both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research opportunities. In other words, even leaders of other universities are recognizing the incredible college experience offered at Baylor.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 27, 2023) – Baylor University announced its official fall enrollment today, including an overall enrollment at nearly 21,000, with increasing diversity, retention and graduation rates.

Greg Garrett, the Carole Ann McDaniel Hanks Chair of Literature & Culture at Baylor University, and Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute, will converse about race, history, and James Baldwin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 in the Schumaker Flex Commons on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library on the campus of Baylor University. This event is free, open to the public, and will also be broadcast via Zoom Webinar. A light reception and book signing will follow.

A Baylor group, led by students and a professor in the School of Education’s MSEd Sport Management program, set out to help homeless veterans — and in the process, set a Guinness World Record!

Earlier this week U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings of “Best Colleges,” and Baylor maintained our status as a Top-100 university overall and as one of the Top 50 private universities nationally. 

It’s been almost two years since Baylor reached elite R1 recognition. But that milestone wasn’t a finish line; instead, it’s been a springboard toward accomplishing even more.

Here’s just a sampling of the major research projects and honors at Baylor from recent months, showing the wide array of disciplines and approaches found across the university:

This year’s Baylor-Texas football game will mark the 113th time the two teams have squared off on the gridiron — one of the 25 most-played rivalries in college football history. For most of that time — since 1916 — the two teams have been conference rivals, first in the Southwest Conference (1915-96) and then in the Big 12 (1997-2023).

Some of the greatest moments in Baylor football history have come against these rivals from 100 miles south: the Miracle on the Brazos, a Heisman Moment, Case Closed… and that’s just for starters. So as the Bears prepare to add one more memorable moment Saturday, let’s look back at a few of the games that stand out:

WACO, Texas (Sept. 20, 2023) – Richard Rankin Russell, Ph.D., professor of English and graduate program director of English at Baylor University, has been selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of Inklings Project Fellows for the academic year 2023-2024. Based out of the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, the Inklings Project is an intercollegiate initiative that invites scholars to explore the worlds of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the other members of the famed Inklings author group.

Sept. 25 is National Daughters Day, celebrating adult daughters often overlooked for their role in relationship with parents

WACO, Texas (Sept. 19, 2023) –  Simulated fires in residence halls, learning to tie tourniquets, visiting with a therapy dog, as well as other activities like axe throwing and a simulated residence hall room fire demonstration, are among the highlights of Sic ’em for Safety Day, an annual event for students hosted by the Baylor University Department of Public Safety (BUDPS).

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Baylor student over the last 30 years who hasn’t set foot in Common Grounds at least once. Blake (BA ’08) and Kimberly (BA ’07) Batson were once among those students; many years later, they’ve made Common Grounds — and the Waco community — integral parts of their adult lives.

Coffee, books, pizza, ice cream — those are just a few of the offerings the Batsons have added to Waco through an entrepreneurial spirit and community focus.

This past weekend brought an influx of both Baylor parents and rain to the Waco area during Family Weekend 2023 — much-needed visits for families who have been apart for a month now, and much-needed precipitation after a dry, hot summer in Central Texas.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 18, 2023) –  Baylor University’s transformational undergraduate academic programs and experiences were Top 10 national highlights in the 2024 Best Colleges rankings, released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Dr. Bradley Bolen’s love of music has taken him around the world, and his excellence in sharing that love with others has been honored close to home.

Bolen, a senior lecturer of piano at Baylor, was named the 2023 Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA). Renowned on the piano, Bolen is a Steinway Artist with multiple recordings to his credit, and his desire to share the power of music with individuals in challenging situations has taken him to war-torn spots around the world — a variety of experiences that inform his teaching with Baylor students.

After summer’s record-breaking heat, this week has been a different story. Finally, a break in the temperatures – the coolest since May – and some blessed rainfall! We have a big weekend of outdoor events with Family Weekend and the Baylor-Long Island football game at 11 a.m. Saturday, but always be prepared for the Texas weather, which can change its mind quickly.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 12, 2023) – Baylor University moved up to No. 75 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2022, a list published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). This new list was created to highlight and celebrate American innovation and to showcase the universities that play a large role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within the U.S. and beyond.

For the fourth straight year, Baylor ranks among the top 20 universities in the country when it comes to social media engagement!

This year’s report from RivalIQ saw Baylor come in at No. 16 nationally — just behind schools like Tennessee and Ohio State, and just ahead of UConn and Virginia Tech. Baylor is one of just six schools to have ranked in the top 20 each of the last four years, having come in at No. 13 in 2020, No. 11 in 2021, and No. 8 last year.

Experience campus life with your student this weekend—learn more about Family Weekend.

On Friday, Baylor officially unveiled and dedicated the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center — the much-anticipated new front door to campus. From Friday morning’s ribbon-cutting to Friday night’s “Howdy at the Hurd,” the entire day took on a celebratory air.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 11, 2023) – For the 12th time in 13 years, Baylor University has attained elite Honor Roll status as a 2023 Great College to Work For, according to a new survey by The Great Colleges to Work For® program.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 8, 2023) – Under bright blue Texas skies, hundreds of special guests and members of the Baylor Family gathered for a significant moment in Baylor University’s history – the official dedication of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the University’s spectacular new “front door” to campus at the corner of Interstate 35 and University Parks Drive.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 7, 2023) – John L. Wood, Ph.D., The Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-director of the Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Lab, has received the Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products from the American Chemical Society.

United States Air Force First Lieutenant Marie Chiles first met her future husband, fellow First Lieutenant John Chiles (BBA ’50, JD ’52) while the two were stationed in England. At the time, she had never heard of John’s alma mater, Baylor University — and she certainly couldn’t have known how much her life would intertwine with the school over the next 70 years.

Tomorrow is a big day on the Baylor campus as we dedicate and officially cut the ribbon for the new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, which serves as a beacon of light at the intersection of I-35 and University Parks Drive.

For the second time in the last three years, a Baylor football non-conference opponent is about to become a conference opponent. In 2021, it was BYU; this time, it’s Utah.

As far as athletics goes, the two schools are practically complete strangers. Academically, however, Baylor and Utah have much more in common than you might think.

We all get the need for good medical health care. More and more people are becoming aware of the need for good behavioral health care, as well — treating mental health, substance abuse, and other stressors that often affect physical health.

Behavioral health care, however, can be hard to find — especially here in Texas, where more than two-thirds of counties qualify as behavioral health shortage areas. In Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work, Dr. Becky Scott (PhD ’19) is working to change that — to improve access to high-quality mental and behavioral healthcare for Texans.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 6, 2023) – This year marks Baylor University’s ninth annual Boundary Breaking Women’s Panel, hosted by the Women’s and Gender Studies program, which will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday,  Sept. 11,  on the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Center.

We did get a little break in the temperature this week – and blessedly, some rain on Sunday after a record 56 consecutive days without a drop! But the heat is on again as Baylor Football kicks off the season vs. Texas State Saturday at 6 p.m. at McLane Stadium.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 30, 2023) – Ten Baylor University faculty members across the disciplines have been selected by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., to serve as 2023-2024 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and commitment to pedagogical innovation, inspirational teaching and the cultivation of these areas among Baylor faculty.

The Baylor Family turned out in huge numbers Saturday to officially welcome Indy and Belle, BU’s two new live bears, to the Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat!

The “Meet the Cubs” event included food trucks, caricature artists, face painting, a bounce house, even a live woodcarving demonstration — but the main draw was many people’s first opportunity to see Indy and Belle up close, in person.

This Saturday evening, it’s all back: touchdowns and tailgates, the Baylor Line and the Golden Wave, first downs and third downs and a sea of green and gold on the Brazos. Yes, the 2023 season is almost here, and it officially begins Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Bears kick off the new year against Texas State.

What does 2023 have in store? That’s a story that has yet to be written, but a few numbers provide a meaningful look into areas that could impact the success of the year ahead:

The addition of so many new schools to the Big 12 — BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF this fall; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah in 2024 — means Baylor fans have plenty of new places to visit as they cheer on the Bears.

But you know what would make each of these places even better? A flood of green and gold!

The fall semester is off to an outstanding start, and the First Gent and I have enjoyed seeing so many new and familiar faces. If my calculations are correct, we are up to 53 days without rain in Waco, which has taken a toll on our beautiful campus landscape.

A distinguishing part of the Baylor experience is the caring community on campus. One way we do that? Faculty-in-Residence!

These Baylor professors (many of them also BU alumni) don’t just work on campus; they live on campus, too, in designated apartment-style homes inside every residence hall, along with their families. Since 2004, more than 40 different Baylor faculty members have served in this role, helping foster students’ social, cultural, educational and spiritual growth. That can mean everything from hosting fun events and socials, to group Bible studies, to meeting one-on-one with students (even at odd hours).

Meet this year’s Faculty-in-Residence (FIR):

Whether or not you’re a space buff, you’ve probably seen some of the stunning images collected by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble has unlocked hidden corners of the universe — which makes the possibilities of NASA’s next flagship mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, all the more exciting.

Among the people helping to prepare that telescope for launch? One of Baylor’s newest professors.

While it’s common for incoming freshmen to be welcomed to college by campus leaders, it’s not so common for that encouragement to come in the form of a hymn — but that’s what we do here at Baylor.

Many Baylor fans may not realize that one of the key reporters they’re reading or watching in CBS Sports’ college football coverage is a fellow Bear — in fact, one whose work they may have read right here on campus.

Less than a decade after his days writing for The Baylor Lariat, Shehan Jeyarajah (BA ’16) has established himself as a leading national voice who now serves as a national college football writer for CBS Sports.

Baylor’s not the only school in the country where volunteers line up to help new students move into their residence halls — but it’s hard to believe any school does it better.

Wednesday and Thursday, 3,000+ new Baylor students (both freshmen and transfers) were helped into their new on-campus homes by a nearly equal number of student, faculty and staff volunteers — including President Livingstone, who was all across campus both days even after having double knee replacement (!!) this summer.

For a Baylor volleyball program that has reached the NCAA Tournament seven years in a row — including four straight Sweet 16 berths — expectations are always high, even with a team as young as this year’s squad. The relative youth of this year’s team may stand out, but the young talent up and down the roster poises the team for growth throughout the season, and with that the chance to continue the excellence displayed by the program under head coach Ryan McGuyre.

Now that Move2BU is complete, you can feel the excitement and enthusiasm building on campus as #BU27 begins their Baylor journey and our continuing students return for the fall semester. It truly is the best time of the year!

WACO, Texas (Aug. 16, 2023) –The first sample dataset from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is now available through the Center for Open Science (COS). The project, a groundbreaking five-year, $43.4 million longitudinal study of approximately 200,000 individuals in 22 countries, represents the largest funded research project in Baylor history.  

It’s hard to believe, but the upcoming Baylor football season will be the 10th at McLane Stadium. How time flies!

After deciding on Baylor for college, new incoming Bears get their first in-depth introduction to BU during Baylor Line Camp. But once they make the move into their residence halls in mid-August, things begin to get really real — and that’s where Welcome Week comes in.

Making the transition from a relaxed summer schedule to the routine of school can be jarring, but a veteran teacher and faculty member at Baylor University’s School of Education offers some ideas to help make the start of the new school year less stressful, especially for younger students.

If you are new to the Baylor Family, I send an email each Thursday providing an update on newsworthy happenings and significant accomplishments across the University.

Since 2001, Baylor Line Camp has helped incoming new students make the transition to college life at BU. New Bears learn Baylor traditions and history, get to know their way around campus, and — most importantly — make new friends. (It’s one of the big reasons why U.S. News ranked Baylor’s first-year student experience among the top 10 in the country.)

Line Camp 2023 was one of the biggest in history — so before the new school year starts, we’re looking back at the top 7 moments from this summer:

WACO, Texas (Aug. 9, 2023) – Baylor University’s McNair Scholars Program, along with the Baylor Graduate School, hosted the fifth annual national McNair Research Conference on Aug. 3-4 on the Baylor campus. More than 200 undergraduate McNair Scholars and non-McNair students presented their faculty-mentored research, participated in professional development and engaged with some of the nation’s top graduate schools.

The Big 12 Conference is a growing family! Four new family members arrive this fall (BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF) — and now, another four partners will join the league in 2024: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah!

After years of planning and construction, the Hurd Welcome Center is a reality at last, now open to welcome Bears of all ages — prospective students visiting Baylor, alumni returning to campus, and faculty/staff and students looking for a place to meet or study.

I’m looking forward to jumping on a Facebook Live this evening to visit with incoming freshmen and their families as we prepare for the start of the fall semester Aug. 21. 

WACO, Texas (Aug. 3, 2023) – During its regular July retreat meeting last week, the Baylor University Board of Regents approved an agreement with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) to convey a parcel of land adjacent to campus to the Texas Baptists for construction of a Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) center.

There’s no shortage of challenges that can impact a child’s mental health — but unfortunately, school districts often face a shortage of qualified mental health professionals to help meet those needs.

Baylor researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work are working to bridge this gap in Central Texas.

As we turn the calendar to August and our attention to the start of another school year, we want to pause and share an update with you from last week’s annual July retreat of the Baylor Board of Regents.

This week Baylor’s Board of Regents is on campus for its quarterly meeting, which also serves as an annual retreat for strategic discussions about the University’s future. 

WACO, Texas (July 27, 2023) – Daniel Romo, Ph.D., The Schotts Professor of Chemistry at Baylor University and co-director of the Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Lab, is providing synthetic chemistry leadership on an international team of researchers in pursuit of a groundbreaking drug to treat hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) in newborns.

Allison Dickson’s life has been anything but easy.

At 15 months old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy called Werdnig-Hoffman disease, and her parents were told she would not live to see the age of 3. But Dickson defied all odds — not just surviving, but thriving. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Southwestern University, then was valedictorian of her class at Baylor Law School. Since graduation, Dickson (JD ’07) has served as a legal research assistant at Baylor Law and served of counsel with Fort Worth-based Patterson Law Group.

As Baylor’s Board of Regents holds its regular summer meeting this week, seven new Regents are taking their seats at the table to start new terms. They’ll be led by a new Board Chair, William “Bill” E. Mearse (BBA ’78, MBA ’79), and a new Vice Chair, Melissa Purdy Mines (BA ’90).

WACO, Texas (July 26, 2023) - Baylor University announced today the appointment of Garritt J. Tucker, Ph.D., as the inaugural Eula Mae and John Baugh Chair in Physics with a focus on innovative research and teaching in the area of materials science.

It certainly doesn’t feel like Fall in Texas right now, but it will be here soon. In fact, the semester begins on August 21 — less than a month from now! And while there’s always lots to love about a Baylor Fall, this year promises to raise the bar.

From bear cubs to new facilities to burgeoning rivalries, here are a few reasons why the upcoming semester could make its case for the #BestFallEver at Baylor:

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the second-highest fundraising year in Baylor’s history, with more than $179 million given by alumni, parents and friends during the 2023 fiscal year (FY23). This achievement came during the penultimate year of fundraising for Give Light, Baylor’s comprehensive philanthropic campaign that has seen more than $1.37 billion given to support the University’s endowment, capital priorities and current funds.

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the appointment of Stephen Newby, D.M.A., as the inaugural holder of The Lev H. Prichard III Chair in the Study of Black Worship. Newby brings a background in music, scholarship and ministry to the new position, which provides interdisciplinary leadership, research and scholarship efforts associated with the growth of Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Program.

As our Give Light philanthropic campaign moves into its final year, we have closed the books on FY23 with the second-highest fundraising year in Baylor’s history at more than $179 million. 

When Hunter Harlow (BS ’10) graduated from Baylor with a degree in geosciences/geology, he didn’t imagine taking the road less traveled.

It all started with an idea to create a cooler hat for Big Bend National Park; Sendero Hat Co. created a fun design that included a topographic map inside the bill of the hat. Soon enough, they rebranded to Sendero Provisions Co. and went from packing up hundreds of boxes during their lunch break to hiring about 20 people full-time and operating their own warehousing, fulfillment and distribution. Today, the brand is international.

As a child growing up in Nebraska, Richa Sirohi (BS ’18) never imagined she would pursue a career in space exploration — but a few signs were already there.

Today, Sirohi serves as an end-to-end information systems engineer at the Jet Propulsion Lab, working on a project called NISAR — a spacecraft that utilizes radar imaging to understand how the Earth is changing. The work has implications for climate science, resource management, and more back on Earth.

A newly renovated Collins Hall will welcome Baylor’s Class of 2027 this fall — but where did the residence hall get its name?

Collins is one of at least a dozen Baylor buildings named for women — specifically, it was named in honor of Ruth Woodall Collins, whose family’s generosity to Baylor is still felt by students today.

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2023) – Baylor University researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work have earned a significant federal grant to bolster mental health services to school children by preparing licensed mental health providers for work in schools.

WACO, Texas (July 12, 2023) – One of the most striking features of Baylor University’s new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center is the four massive columns that start on the interior floor of Carlton Hall and extend 96 feet high, stretching through the building’s roof and into the sky. The columns are more than a striking architectural feature, though; they represent a deep symbolic connection to Baylor’s history while providing a unique technology-rich and interactive experience for the entire Baylor Family.

It is July and it is hot in Texas! With temperatures regularly above 100 degrees Brad and I are looking for ways to beat the heat.