News

Baylor University is mourning the death of Ronald L. Wilson, M.D., B.A. ’71, a beloved Waco physician, avid Baylor supporter and former member of the Baylor Board of Regents.

Planetary geophysicist Peter B. James, Ph.D., has been selected to serve on a prestigious NASA Science Definition Team charged with shaping the goals and design of a future robotic mission to the far side of the Moon.

Today is the last day of July, which means the countdown to the start of the new academic year officially begins tomorrow. 

Chemist and cancer researcher Liela Romero, Ph.D., has earned an Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to further the development of new tools for chemical synthesis and drug discovery. 

As Baylor’s Board of Regents holds its regular summer meeting this week, five new Regents are taking their seats at the table to start new terms: two serving at-large, plus one new Alumni-Elected Regent, one new BGCT Regent, and one new Student Regent:

Users taking their first steps into Canvas and veteran users alike can find tips, tricks, and essentials in an expanded Getting Started Guide

Tickets are on sale now for the inaugural Baylor University New Play Festival Sept. 26-28, as part of the Baylor New Play Initiative to champion a new generation of American theatre.

Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners to conduct a regular test of its Outdoor Warning System (tornado sirens) at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1. 

The Baylor Department of Theatre Arts doesn’t just nurture young talent; its members are also producing projects that are making waves — including an Oscar-qualifying short film!

ADO (as in “Much Ado About Nothing”) is the brainchild of Sam Henderson (BFA ’05), an assistant professor in both Baylor’s film & digital media and theatre departments. The film (which Henderson co-wrote and directed) follows a middle school theatre teacher caught in an unimaginable situation when her class’s rehearsal is interrupted by a school shooting.

Baylor esports signed professional Rocket League player Colby “hockser” James as the program’s first-ever student-athlete recruit, esports director and coach Adam Stanley announced Thursday.

Over the years, Baylor leaders have often noted that research growth would allow BU to bring its Christian voice to bear on meaningful issues through a “seat at the table” where decisions are made.

That’s now happening — and the ranks of Baylor leaders speaking into key national and international issues only continues to grow. Here are just a few recent examples:

Price increases for faculty, staff and graduate student dining go into effect Aug. 1, better aligning with University expenses while still providing an exceptional, all-you-care-to-eat value.

The Hill Country is a special place to Texans, including many in the Baylor Family. As news spread of the catastrophic July 4 weekend floods in and around Kerrville and the Texas Hill Country, the impact was felt far and wide. The flash floods claimed the lives of over 100 people, and many remain missing.

Throughout the Baylor Family, the desire to respond in a meaningful way was evident. In addition to the many Baylor alumni who reside in the Hill Country or have vacationed in the area, the region’s many camps have welcomed generations of Bears who retain those memories of friendship, recreation and spiritual development nurtured there. Quickly, the Baylor Family’s prayers were joined by action to support our neighbors to the south:

Dr. Karen Foli understands well the lives of the people her research impacts. As a longtime nurse and adoptive parent, Foli’s work sits at the intersection of mental health, nursing, and adoptive/kinship parents.

Foli came to Baylor last year from Purdue University to serve as the inaugural Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health Nursing, a new position created to advance mental and behavioral health research in Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing. In Foli, the school found one of those subjects’ top researchers.

Due to weather this past weekend, the northbound traffic shift has been rescheduled to Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Today, Baylor stands as a leading Christian research university with a global voice, unwavering in its commitment to faith, excellence and service. Our mission is clear: to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community — now and for the future.

Back when he was a student sportswriter for The Baylor Lariat, many of Shehan Jeyarajah’s professors and colleagues recognized his talent, and may have even used the words “rising star” to describe him.

But now, it’s official: The Football Writers Association of America named Jeyarajah (BA ’16) as its 2025 Edward Aschoff Rising Star award recipient, a highly coveted title presented annually to an elite young sportswriter.

Philip Borter, D.M.A., assistant professor of cello in the School of Music, has been selected for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to Brazil, where he will study the modern Brazilian cello repertoire.

Integration of the Graduate School and GPE, Carini Appointed Vice Provost for AI and Institutional Research

Two Baylor Bears were drafted in the first six rounds of the 2025 MLB draft — BU’s 32nd and 33rd picks in the last 35 drafts, dating back to 1991.

Sixth-year senior Gabe Craig, the Bears’ closer, was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round, while senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp was selected one round later by the Kansas City Royals.

Nationally recognized program uses iCivics online games for teaching civics concepts to middle school students

New research reveals how religious tattoos reflect a cultural – and generational – shift in how faith is expressed through permanent body art

A team of archaeologists, led by Baylor University’s Davide Zori, Ph.D., and the San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project, has uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb in central Italy.

Baylor University announced a $2.5 million gift from alumni Susan and Lee Bush of Athens, Texas, establishing, in part, the Lampsato Endowed Chair of Baptist World Missional Engagement and the Lampsato Endowed Fund at Truett Seminary.

The Baylor community, including incoming freshmen at Line Camp, joined Baylor Missions and BearAid to pack flood relief buckets for families in Kerr County, Texas.

Baylor's Mathematics for Early Learners Academy is a summer math program that establishes a solid foundation in “number sense” for early learners.

I want to provide an important update regarding a recent matter involving a grant awarded to the Center for Church and Community Impact within the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.

From Denney Willie to Davis Wendzel, no fewer than 48 Baylor Bears have reached baseball’s highest level over the last century-plus. Willie debuted in 1911, Wendzel in 2024, and there’s been a host of Baylor greats to reach Major League Baseball in between, including All-Stars, a Rookie of the Year, and a Hall of Famer.

So, who are the best Baylor alumni to reach the big leagues? That’s a question we first aimed to answer six years ago. Since then, five more Bears have reached the big leagues, and we’ve seen players stake their claim for a new spot (or a higher spot) on the list. So, we humbly present our new-for-2025 list of the nine best Bears in Major League history:

Baylor is welcoming not one, but two new deans this summer, following the retirement of longtime Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71) and the hiring of Hankamer School of Business Dean Sandeep Mazumder as president of Berry College.

Baylor University leaders, faculty and staff from across campus are taking part in the 23rd Baptist World Congress July 7-12 in Brisbane, Australia.

The Honor Code has been revised to change the quorum requirement for hearings. A quorum now consists of four Honor Council members, including at least one voting faculty member and one student member. Additionally, under the revised policy, any student requesting a postponement of a scheduled hearing fewer than three business days in advance must provide a valid reason, supported by documentary or other tangible evidence, at the time of the request. Otherwise, the request will not be considered, and the hearing will proceed as scheduled.

I am writing to you from Brisbane, Australia, where I am attending the Baptist World Congress, but my heart is back in Texas as I stay updated on the tragic flooding and heart-shattering loss of life along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country and in other areas of the state.

Happy Independence Day from Australia! It’s already July 4 over here in the “Land Down Under,” and the First Gent and I are a little sad that we’ll miss out on the Fourth on the Brazos concert and fireworks at Touchdown Alley next to McLane Stadium, as well as some Texas barbecue and homemade ice cream.

Baylor hosted 12 high school students from Waco-area high schools to study the works of Plato and Aristotle as part of the university’s inaugural Examined Life Scholars (ELS) Program.

Ahead of the 23rd Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, Australia, July 7-12, the Baptist World Alliance and Baylor University announced the establishment of a Baptist World Alliance Program to be housed at Baylor’s Truett Seminary.

Opportunities to celebrate Independence Day include Baylor's July 2 McLane Carillon recital and the City of Waco's annual Fourth on the Brazos event at Touchdown Alley.

One frequent criticism of higher education is that its findings often remain locked in the “ivory tower,” rather than being shared with the “real world.”

Dr. Thomas Hibbs is the counterpoint to that — a longtime dean (and even university president) who has consistently applied his knowledge to current events and popular culture and used mass media to share those insights.

Baylor Theatre's inaugural festival of the Baylor New Play Initiative Sept. 26-28 will feature four new plays by emerging & established artists, culminating in the $15,000 Kirk New Play Prize.

For the fifth straight year, a Baylor Bear was taken in the first round of the NBA draft — and this one went higher than any Bear before him.

With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe — making the Big 12 Freshman of the Year the highest draft pick in Baylor basketball history. The previous mark was held by Ekpe Udoh, who was selected at No. 6 by the Warriors in 2010.

Baylor University shared the following message with campus after today's shelter-in-place advisory (June 26, 2025).

More than 350 K-12 students are on campus for enrichment courses & immersive learning experiences at summer camps through the Baylor Talent Identification Program (TIP).

Dr. Leigh Greathouse is one of Baylor’s many cancer researchers, specifically focused on the relationship between diet, microorganisms and cancer. Her efforts are driven in part by her own experience fighting cancer while still in her 20s.

Her work is also driven by her faith. Earlier this year, she posted on social media about what it’s like to be a Christian working in science today:

A Baylor-led study analyzed the whiskers of leopard seals to challenge assumptions about the feeding behavior of these apex predators.

You may have heard friends or family members lament the ubiquity of technology, or bemoan that the ways it changes our interactions with the world could lead to “brain rot” or something similar. (Maybe you’ve even said that yourself).

Dr. Michael Scullin, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, set out to see if such fears are warranted — and his findings have earned international attention.

From one generation of students to the next, Baylor University has played a powerful role in shaping the lives of thousands of young men and women.

Baylor students just keep upping the school record for Fulbright scholarship recipients. In 2019, BU set a new high with 7 Fulbrights; in 2022, that jumped to 14; and last year, 18 Bears were so honored.

Given that trend (and Baylor’s continued national recognition as a top Fulbright producer), it should come as no surprise that that record has fallen again. This spring, 23 Baylor students and recent alumni won the prestigious Fulbright awards — and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the list of BU students winning top national and international scholarships and fellowships.

As we move into the heat of the summer in Waco, I am reminded of how blessed we were this past academic year. Amid turbulent times across all higher education, God was gracious to our students, faculty and staff. I am looking forward to seeing how God continues to bless us during the summer as many in the Baylor Family study and serve across the world.

Beginning Monday, June 23, 2025, crews plan to begin reducing both directions of I-35 in Waco from 12th Street to S Loop 340 to two lanes, starting with the southbound mainlanes. 

Three supply chain experts share their insights on how tariffs play a pivotal role in shaping global supply chains.

Among the many draws to Baylor University is the chance to learn from elite faculty members at a Christian research university.

There are plenty of ways to measure this, from having dozens of faculty recognized among the nation’s most cited researchers to the University’s attainment of a top-30 national ranking for both undergraduate teaching and research. Another sign of Baylor’s elite faculty: the many researchers recognized as fellows in their fields.

Baylor Track & Field’s legacy of Olympians, national champions and record-setters sets a high standard — a standard that this year’s athletes upheld and extended.

Two Bears claimed national titles in individual events this spring, Baylor won three of four Big 12 Performer of the Year honors, and a host of Bears brought home all-America honors as head coach Michael Ford’s teams closed out another successful season last week.

The advent of Artificial Intelligence is unequivocally reshaping every facet of our professional and personal lives. From automating complex legal processes to revolutionizing patient diagnostics and optimizing business strategies, AI's transformative power is immense. Yet, this rapid integration brings with it a complex tapestry of ethical dilemmas and societal ramifications. For leaders navigating this pivotal moment, a purely technical understanding of AI is no longer sufficient; success hinges on a profound ethical mindset and the ability to implement AI with foresight and integrity.

A phishing scheme was detected overnight on June 11, 2025, that targets Baylor faculty or teachers of record.

International prize recognizes CERN collaborators, including four Baylor physicists, for groundbreaking discoveries at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.

A second TSA PreCheck® enrollment event in collaboration with IDEMIA will be held July 7-11, at Baylor's Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.

Turnitin will launch the next generation of Turnitin Feedback Studio on July 15, 2025 with a focus on innovation and accessible design needed by the dynamic demands of 21st-century teaching and learning.

Happy June! I hope you all are enjoying your summer. As minds begin to turn to the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year, I wanted to share a brief update on faculty hiring as we celebrate the good work of deans, dean’s assistants, vice provosts, search chairs, and search committees bringing great pools of faculty candidates to campus. 

I hope you saw the news earlier this week that Rev. Dr. Charley Ramsey has been named Baylor University’s new University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, effective Monday, June 9. 

TxDOT is ramping up work on the My35 Waco South Construction project to reconstruct the final three-mile portion of Interstate-35 from South Loop 340 to 12th Street in Waco.

Thirty-four Baylor students and recent alumni have received some of the most prestigious awards for STEM research, public policy/diplomacy, critical language study and more. 

Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners to conduct a regular test of its Outdoor Warning System (tornado sirens) at 10 a.m. Friday, June 6.

Since graduating from Baylor four decades ago, Doug Rogers (BFA ’82) has truly had a fairy tale career.

From Friends and The Drew Carey Show, to Shrek and Tangled, to the castles at Disney Shanghai and Hong Kong (pictured above left), to Turning Point Ministries’ Why the Nativity?, he’s seen a myriad of projects come to life.

Sarah Walden, Ph.D., associate professor of rhetoric, researches digital humor that highlights the challenges of motherhood and the unrealistic standards women are often expected to meet.

Charles M. Ramsey, Ph.D., B.A. ’97, M.A. ’00, associate University Chaplain and director of campus ministries and church connections, has been selected as University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, effective June 9. 

We could write a month’s worth of posts about recent Baylor graduate Kristen Nakamura (BA ’25). She was a Getterman Scholar, and a University Scholar studying English and math with a minor in creative writing. An award-winning poet whose Honors thesis and undergraduate research included translating the post-WWII haiku shared between her Japanese-American great-grandmother and her twin sister. Tutor. Piano teacher. BRH Choir member. Mission trip veteran. HRC College Council. Summa cum laude graduate. Phi Beta Kappa. Fulbright ETA recipient to Indonesia.

But for all of those honors, what Nakamura really wanted to talk about was the community and sense of belonging she found at Baylor.

Baylor University, The Congregational Collective and Harvard Medical School partner to innovate equipping congregations to become community hubs for mental health engagement.

For some, college is just about getting a piece of paper that, after four years, will help land a job. And while that’s important, the Baylor experience is about so, so much more.

The first-ever Baylor CityLab brings lab experience to local high schoolers to introduce them to STEM through a fun one-day, hands-on laboratory experience. 

The first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study have attracted coverage from across the globe, including major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic.

Baylor graduates are highly sought after in the workplace, with an impressive 91% placement rate of recent graduates in either employment or grad school. This success is in part thanks to BU’s strong relationships with top employers, and the Baylor Career Center’s concierge-style approach to recruitment that benefits both student and employer.

Recent data shows these are the top 10 employers hiring the most Baylor grads right out of school:

You may remember the name Deonte Epps (BA ’13) from a post we wrote a couple of years ago, as the Baylor alum was working his dream job at ESPN as a content creator. Today, Epps is not only a content associate (a promotion from his last role); he’s also an Emmy winner, thanks to his work with ESPN’s NFL Live, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily.

The Baylor Board of Regents took several actions during its regular May meeting, including the budget, Board leadership and new Regents, Ferrell Center renovations and new master’s degree programs.

Supply chain expert Adé Oyedijo, Ph.D., explains the three primary ways tariffs are affecting the global supply chain and how tariffs can be used to promote ethical supply chain practices. 

We are in the midst of Baylor’s quarterly Board of Regents meeting, and a dedicated group of men and women are graciously volunteering their time to provide strategic guidance and direction for our beloved Baylor University. 

The academic year is complete: finals graded, books returned, students graduated — and Baylor faculty honored! Congratulations to this year’s Baylor professors of the year:

For someone who feels a personal mission to make the world a better place for children, there may be few better fits than Feed the Children, a global nonprofit which seeks to end childhood hunger. All of this made a significant opportunity at the organization just right for Emily Callahan (BA ’00), a Baylor alumna and longtime non-profit leader whose personal mission dovetailed with the organization she now leads.

Baylor University’s success for highly competitive fellowships and awards continues to skyrocket as a record 24 Baylor students and recent alumni have been selected for 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. 

Congratulations, Class of 2025 — you did it!

This weekend, more than 4,000 Bears — the largest class in Baylor history — celebrated earning their degrees, the culmination of the Baylor experience. Thousands of their friends and family filled the Ferrell Center for each ceremony, and countless more watched online and joined in the celebration via social media to honor BU’s newest graduates.

Will Critchfield’s student experience at Baylor led directly to working with cutting-edge technology in his field, then a connection with a prominent Baylor graduate, and finally, an impressive first job after graduation.

For Critchfield, a member of the Class of 2025 from Glen Rock, N.J., success has never been about coincidence; it’s been about faith, perseverance, and the unwavering support of his Baylor community. As he graduates from Baylor this week with a major in film & digital media and a minor in entrepreneurship, his next chapter will begin with a role at NBC.

David M. Szymanski, Ph.D., will join Baylor University on May 27 as The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of the nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business.

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 Baylor graduates, which is the largest class in University history. 

Harmon and Lea Kong's gift to Baylor establishes the Kong Family Endowed Presidential Fund for Student Care and the Kong Family Endowed Fund for Faculty Development.

When Carolyn Price’s mother told her, “There isn’t anything you can’t do,” she couldn’t have imagined the far-reaching those words would have on her daughter’s life — including becoming the oldest known doctoral recipient in Baylor history, at age 83.

Every spring, the Baylor Family bids happy retirement to professors and staff who have dedicated their professional lives to the university and its students. This spring, we say a special farewell to two prominent university leaders, Vice President for Student Life Kevin Jackson and Baylor Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71).

Michael E. Young, Ph.D., professor of psychological sciences and graduate program director at Kansas State, has been selected as Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School.

Legendary comedian Jeff Dunham will bring his new North American Tour ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE to the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, Waco’s new premier concert venue, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

Theologian Elisabeth Rain Kincaid, J.D., Ph.D., explains the significance of Pope Leo XIV's choice in name – a name not used for over a century.

“Bear-ly Used” is a campuswide initiative to divert donatable items from landfills and redistribute them towards community partners and families in need. 

It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of another spring semester at Baylor. Commencement is right around the corner for thousands of Baylor students, and I know many of you are working diligently on projects, papers and preparing for final exams.

One of the first stops for Baylor campus visitors is the Williams Bear Habitat, home of bear mascots Indy and Belle. The La Vega High School students visiting campus last week for the first-ever Baylor CityLab were no different; the Bear Habitat was tops on their tour agenda — and where their interactive science journey began.

As soon as the tour was over, Baylor students involved in CityLab set up the scenario. They drank from a stray water bottle, began “acting” strange, and soon developed zombie-like symptoms. Now it was up to the high school students to use real-world scientific methods — including DNA analysis and forensics — to determine what was causing this strange behavior and what exactly was in the water bottle.

Camille Watson, B.A. ’22, has won the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship – one of the U.S. State Department’s flagship initiatives for recruiting top-tier talent for Foreign Service careers. 

Last week, Baylor released the first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study — one of the most comprehensive studies of human existence ever undertaken, and the largest funded research project in Baylor history.

How big a deal is this study? The coverage it attracted is one indication; the results were widely covered in major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic to CNN to Christianity Today (and more).

Every summer, Baylor students head out on mission trips around the world, putting what they’ve learned in the classroom to use serving others. But the experience isn’t a one-way gift; these students also come back having learned about other people, places and cultures, and ways they can use their skills to help others in the future.

In late April, Baylor sent these Bears off with a special Student Mission Trip Commissioning Ceremony. Following the disciples’ example, Baylor representatives gathered to send these short-term missionaries off with prayer and encouragement (plus some treats to sweeten the celebration).

Baylor University will host its inaugural TEDx event, presenting ideas of “Innovation in Deeds” on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.

Today is the National Day of Prayer, an annual day of observance designated by the U.S. Congress in which people are asked to “turn to God in prayer and meditation.”

Baylor University faculty members Elesha J. Coffman, Ph.D., and T. Philip Nichols, Ph.D., have been selected to receive the 2025 Centennial Professor Awards for summer research projects.

What does it mean to be a Christian university? Certainly, it means that our Christian faith is infused into everyday life on campus. It’s also expressed in classrooms and labs across campus, by Christian faculty living out their calling at the highest levels.

In fact, Baylor’s growth as a Christian research university has been fueled in part by elite faculty drawn to BU precisely because here they can openly practice their discipline in a Christian context.

Here are just a few of the reasons Baylor professors say the institution’s Christian mission is meaningful to them: