News
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.
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.
Experience campus life with your student this weekend—learn more about Family Weekend.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WACO, Texas (July 12, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the appointment of Felipe Hinojosa, Ph.D., as the inaugural Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America, expanding Baylor’s international footprint and providing additional leadership to advance the priorities of the Baylor in Latin America initiative.
The conversation around autism has become more positive in recent years, thanks in part to efforts like Autism Acceptance Month. Sadly, churches have often struggled with how to welcome autistic individuals (and their families).
A new Baylor effort aims to help change that.
Now that the calendar has flipped over to July, planning and preparations for the upcoming fall semester have ramped up considerably.
Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), will be held at the Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus July 5-28 for students ages 4 to 6.
I am back on campus following double-knee replacement surgery earlier this month - without a scooter, walker, crutches or a cane, thanks to an incredible medical team and your ongoing prayers.
Women represent the fastest-growing population in U.S. institutional corrections facilities. In the past four decades, the number of women incarcerated has increased by more than 475%, rising from 26,326 in 1980 to 152,854 in 2020. Because the majority of imprisoned women are mothers, a conservative estimate indicates that at least one million American children have experienced maternal incarceration, and a substantial portion of them are adolescents.
Thank you for all of the prayers and notes of support as I recover from last week's double-knee replacement surgery.
Stanford University recently compiled a database of the most cited researchers in higher ed history — specifically, those who ranked among the top 2% all-time. It’s an incredible undertaking — and one that found 34 Baylor professors among the honorees.
Baylor has accomplished a lot in President Linda Livingstone‘s six years at the helm: R1 recognition, a successful $1.1 billion fundraising campaign, faculty growth, campus updates, athletic success, and more.
Her leadership here at Baylor has attracted attention across higher education, leading to national leadership opportunities for President Livingstone — and incredible opportunities for Baylor University to have a seat at the table in helping shape the future of higher ed.
WACO, Texas (June 6, 2023) – Caleb Martin, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor, and a team of international researchers set out in 2022 to determine first-ever challenge of elemental analysis validity, which has sparked conversations among journal editors and chemists about reevaluating this current threshold.
WACO, Texas (June 2, 2023) -- Heidi Pullmann-Lindsley, a doctoral candidate in biology, has been selected to make a presentation about her mosquito research at the Rising Stars in Entomology Symposium at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting.
I have enjoyed reading about the summer plans of many of you, whether it’s studying abroad, serving on a mission trip, getting ahead academically through our Summer of Discovery program or an internship or simply catching up with friends and family.
Dr. Pack joins Baylor after seven and a half years as Dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Previously, he was Mary Clarke department Chair and Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). He became a full professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds electrical engineering and engineering science degrees from Purdue, Harvard, and Arizona State.
How did a Baylor professor play a role in adjusting what scientists thought they knew about Africa’s historic timeline — by 10 million years?!?
It all comes down to a lot of digging, a decade’s worth of research, and the definitive presence of warm-weather grasses.
WACO, Texas (May 31, 2023) – For the second year in a row, Baylor University has been named among the nation’s top 10 Most Trusted Universities, according to global research firm Morning Consult as part of its Most Trusted Brands project, the definitive measure of consumer brand trust across industries, including higher education.
Every year, U.S. News unveils its annual ranking of American colleges and universities to the world. Last fall, Baylor came in at No. 77 in the nation — again among the top 20% of national universities — and was one of just eight schools to make the outlet’s top 25 for both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research opportunities. (Baylor was also named among the nation’s top 10 for first-year student experiences and top 20 most innovative schools.)
Based on the volume of responses and comments I have heard over the past few days, I know many of you have already seen and shared in my excitement over two of the newest additions to the Baylor Family: Judge Belle and Judge Indy!
WACO, Texas (May 19, 2023) – During its regular May meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents elected new leadership and approved the 2023-2024 operating budget, three renovation projects and two new degree programs – a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies and a Bachelor of Science/Master of Science degree in Biology of Global Health.
Campus sure is a little quieter this week! We’re in the midst of Baylor’s quarterly Board of Regents meeting, so I will get right to a few updates:
It seems like just yesterday we began the spring semester, yet here we are – at Commencement! Tomorrow and Saturday, we will celebrate more than 4,000 graduates, which is the largest graduating class in Baylor history.
WACO, Texas (May 9, 2023) – Twelve Baylor University professors have been honored with Outstanding Faculty Awards for teaching, scholarship and contributions to the academic community for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Every spring, the Baylor Family bids happy retirement to professors and staff who have dedicated their professional lives to the university and its students. It’s always a bittersweet mix — sadness in seeing them go, happiness for a well-deserved next step — but we wish them all well in the next phase of their lives.
Here, we honor some of the longest-serving and most recognizable professors who are retiring this year — men and women whose faces will be missed, but whose impact will not be forgotten:
WACO, Texas (May 4, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from Charlie and Cindy Fuller of Woodway, Texas, and their family, establishing an endowed faculty chair position to support innovative research and teaching within the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.
I hope you will join me tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the Paul Powell Chapel at Truett Seminary for “Lift Up Your Hearts,” a semester-ending service of prayer and worship not only for faculty and staff, but also for students and friends of the University.
Last year, Baylor set a school record when 13 Bears earned prestigious Fulbright scholarships — almost twice the previous BU record! — as part of the nation’s flagship program for international graduate student and education. The year also included a Truman Scholar (BU’s first in 15 years), a Goldwater Scholar, a Churchill Scholar, and two Critical Language Scholars.
And yet — 2023’s student honors may be even more impressive.
WACO, Texas (May 3, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million challenge grant from the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation of Midland, Texas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College. The grant will fund a significant portion of the more than $7 million needed in philanthropic support to complete the project, one of many capital projects funded through the Give Light campaign.
WACO, Texas (May 3, 2023) – Noted Baylor University smartphone researchers Meredith E. David, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing, and James A. Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in the Hankamer School of Business, have investigated the correlation between the “flow states” – or happiness experienced by individuals – while using Instagram and TikTok and psychological well-being.
WACO, Texas (May 2, 2023) – Andrea L. Dixon, Ph.D., The Frank M. And Floy Smith Holloway Professor in Marketing and executive director of the Center for Professional Selling at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, has been honored as a Piper Professor of 2023 for the state of Texas by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
Baylor biological anthropologist Michael Muehlenbein, Ph.D., seeks to understand the medical, social and psychological factors involved in a long-term pandemic response.
As you are making plans for the summer, I encourage you to consider Baylor’s Summer of Discovery. This program offers tuition-discounted courses for students across multiple summer sessions.
WACO, Texas (April 25, 2023) – Highlighted by the graduate entrepreneurship program breaking into the Top 10 nationally, several Baylor University graduate and professional programs were among those ranked in the 2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings, released today by U.S. News & World Report.
WACO, Texas (April 24, 2023) – Baylor University students from across the disciplines have continued their strong momentum into the 2022-2023 academic year by receiving some of the most prestigious – and highly competitive – scholarships and fellowships at the national and international levels for public policy and diplomacy, critical language study, STEM research and more.
I hope you had a chance to see the news about an exciting addition to our Spring Commencement roster – our very own Lady is graduating!
WACO, Texas (April 19, 2023) – Baylor University is inviting students, alumni and all associated with the Baylor Family to join in celebrating the graduation of the University’s beloved American black bear, Lady, as she moves from the campus habitat to a private, auxiliary facility fully maintained by her Baylor Bear Habitat caregivers, staff and veterinary team.
WACO, Texas (April 19, 2023) – Thomas D. McGrath, Ph.D., senior lecturer of chemistry and undergraduate program director in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Baylor University, has been selected as the 2023 Collins Outstanding Professor, an honor voted on annually by the senior class.
Kevin A. Morrison, professor of British Literature at Henan University, will present his lecture on Robert Browning’s 1855 poem, The Guardian Angel: A Picture at Fano, exploring how Browning "refined his sensory alertness to and perceptual engagement with historical materiality."
WACO, Texas (April 17, 2023) – Richard Rankin Russell, Ph.D., professor of English and graduate program director of English at Baylor University, was presented with the 2023 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year at the annual Academic Honors Convocation on April 14.
WACO, Texas (April 13, 2023) – Something as simple as a grass can fundamentally change the understanding of life in the prehistoric world. A pair of studies funded by the National Science Foundation and published in the journal Science document the earliest evidence for locally abundant C4 grasses in eastern Africa and how C4 grasses and open habitats influenced early ape evolution.
Greetings from a warm Washington, D.C., as I am beginning my first meetings today as the new chair of the American Council on Education.
As we approach the promise of Easter Sunday, our hearts anticipate its glory with great eagerness.
WACO, Texas (April 4, 2023) – Before a celebratory crowd in front of the iconic Tidwell Bible Building, Baylor University today unveiled and dedicated statues honoring the University’s first Black graduates, the late Rev. Robert L. Gilbert, B.A. ’67, and Barbara A. Walker, B.A. ’67.
WACO, Texas (April 4, 2023) – Baylor University's collegiate recovery program, Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center, known as BARC, is celebrating National Collegiate Recovery Week and National Collegiate Recovery Day with a line-up of engaging activities for students April 11-15, including daily lunches, games, puppy therapy and a formal dance.
WACO, Texas (April 3, 2023) – Following a six-month internal candidate search, Baylor University Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., announced today that DeAnna Toten Beard, M.F.A., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Theatre Arts and professor of theatre history and dramaturgy, has been selected as vice provost for faculty affairs, effective July 1, 2023.
This Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. will be a historic moment in the life of Baylor as we unveil and dedicate the statues honoring the first Black students to earn their undergraduate degrees from the University – the late Rev. Robert L. Gilbert, B.A. ’67, and Mrs. Barbara A. Walker, B.A. ’67.
WACO, Texas (March 29, 2023) – Baylor University is again joining universities and communities around the country to increase public awareness and prevention education about sexual assault and interpersonal violence during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in April.
WACO, Texas (March 30, 2023) – Baylor University announced today that its Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies (CCMS) in the School of Music has been awarded a four-year, $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative.
There are a lot of ways to know how students are feeling on campus – from formal means (like our campus climate surveys) to more informal methods.
From music to literature to television and more, Baylor women have elevated the game for more than a century.
The Baylor women's basketball team begins its 19th-consecutive NCAA Tournament run on Saturday when it faces Alabama in the opening round at Gampel Pavilion.
The Baylor women's tennis team hits the road and continues Big 12 play this weekend with matches against No. 19 Kansas and Kansas State.
It’s March Madness time at Baylor University! Did you know that Baylor is among only 26 universities that have BOTH their men’s and women’s basketball teams competing in the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships? That is some pretty select company.
Coming off easily its most complete game of the season, Baylor baseball (6-11) will open Big 12 Conference play with a three-game series against Kansas State (12-5) that starts with Friday's 6:30 p.m. game at Baylor Ballpark.
Baylor Softball is set to host Houston for its first three-game weekend series of the season. The Bears are playing the Cougars for the 38th time in program history and BU leads the all-time record, 22-15.
WACO, Texas – Baylor men's tennis opens the Hurd Tennis Center again for the final time before conference play begins next month to No. 19 Illinois, No. 16 Wake Forest and Prairie View A&M on Friday and Sunday.
Champions' TriBUne is a special feature through Baylor Athletics that gives you the student-athlete's perspective and the chance for them to share their own story. Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi, who goes by Juampi, is a fifth-year senior from Mar del Plata, Argentina, who is in his second season at Baylor after three years at UCF. Part of the Bears' 2022 Big 12 Tournament championship squad, Juampi paired with Finn Bass to reach the doubles semifinals at the ITA Fall National Championships in San Diego. Baylor (8-9) hosts a pair of ranked teams this weekend, facing No. 22 Illinois at 6 p.m. Friday and No. 14 Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Sunday.
WACO, Texas – No. 21 Baylor softball split its Wednesday night doubleheader against South Dakota State at Getterman Stadium, falling to the Jackrabbits, 5-2, in game one and shutting them out, 3-0, in game two.
Baylor acrobatics & tumbling earned two of the three possible weekly awards from the NCATA, the organization announced Wednesday.
IRVING Texas – No. 9 Baylor equestrian has been tabbed as the No. 4 seed for the upcoming 2023 Big 12 Equestrian Championship, as previously announced by the league office.
Bears Spring Game to Kickoff at 12 p.m. on April 22
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (6-11) shut out Rice (8-9) 6-0 on Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco behind a strong performance on the mound and production from the top of the lineup offensively.
WACO, Texas – Baylor men's tennis added Devin Badenhorst to the 2023 signing class, head coach Michael Woodson announced on Tuesday. Badenhorst comes to American from Pretoria, South Africa.
AJ Steward sees coaching as a ministry and each stop on his journey as an assignment, not just another job.
WACO, Texas - Baylor men's basketball was well represented on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District team with Adam Flagler and Keyonte George honored by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division I.
WACO, Texas (March 13, 2023) – Saint Patrick (A.D. 385-461) is probably one of the Catholic Church’s best-known saints, at least in countries influenced by Irish emigration. He is even more popular due to a rise in Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations and revelry. But, despite his popularity, how much do most people truly know about Saint Patrick?
WACO, Texas (March 13, 2023) – The best hour of the week – Baylor University’s Dr Pepper Hour – is in the second year of its highly lauded Dr Pepper Hour Tour, delivering sweet treats and Baylor swag to high school students across the country. This week, the tour will make local stops at Waco High School, Live Oak Classical School and Baylor’s Wiethorn Undergraduate Admissions Center.
Baylor women's basketball earned the No. 7 seed in the Seattle 3 Regional of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.