News

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.

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.

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.

It's hard to believe it’s already March and Spring Break is next week. I know many of you are looking forward to time away with family and friends and for rest and renewal during this busy time of year.

The Baylor University Board of Regents is on campus today and tomorrow for its quarterly meeting. As the official governing body of the University, our Regents have in common a genuine love for Baylor and a commitment to our Christian mission and their fiduciary responsibility. As is our custom, we will provide a summary of the Board meeting late Friday to the Baylor Family.

Even though Baylor has been classified as a “Research 1,” or R1, university only since December 2021, our recognition as a top research institution continues to grow.

In December during two Commencement ceremonies, we conferred nearly 1,300 degrees on newly minted Baylor graduates who now are flinging their green and gold afar as Baylor Alumni.

Texas weather is often described as, “Wait five minutes, and it’ll change!” Just a few weeks ago, our temperatures were in the 80s, but we know how quickly the weather can remind us that it is indeed winter.

In light of some recent crimes that have occurred off campus, I want to reassure you that Baylor takes the safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and visitors very seriously.

We've been welcomed back to Waco for the spring semester by spring-like weather, free-flowing I-35 traffic and food-delivery robots traversing campus. I hope all are signs for a fun, transformational semester!

Greetings from the River Walk in San Antonio, where I am participating in the annual NCAA Convention this week.

It’s been nearly a month since my last weekly Presidential Perspective, and I hope you had a wonderful (and restful!) Christmas break and are ready for all 2023 has in store for Baylor University.

This is our last Presidential Perspective of the semester as we begin final exams. This fall has just flown by, but what an exciting semester we’ve had together as we fully emerged from the long effects of the pandemic.

As we wind down the fall semester, we also begin the Christmas season at Baylor. This is truly a special time on our campus that prepares our hearts in celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday and look toward the light of Christ to be celebrated at Christmas, I wish to express my personal gratitude – as well as to extend the gratitude of everyone on the faculty and staff of Baylor University – to the Baylor Family for your support of our outstanding students and your contributions to fulfilling the mission of Baylor.

You don’t want to miss Saturday’s football game at McLane Stadium! We’ll have great football weather for an increasingly rare night game, and our Bears will be playing with a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game on the line against No. 23 Kansas State.

The Baylor University Board of Regents will be on campus today and tomorrow for its quarterly meeting. This is an important group of Baylor volunteers, as they serve as the official governing body of the University and ensure alignment with our Christian mission and financial integrity.

We are heading into the final five weeks of the Fall semester, which is generally the toughest part of the academic year. Don’t let the weight of the semester bog you down.

We ushered in cooler temperatures earlier this week, just in time for our 113th anniversary of Homecoming on the Baylor campus. But you know how Texas weather is – high temperatures will be back in the upper 80s over the weekend, so plan accordingly!

This is one of those weeks in which I’ve had an opportunity to fling Baylor’s green and gold afar.

Election Day is one month away on Tuesday, Nov. 8, providing an opportunity for us to exercise one of our most important privileges and rights as Americans.

Did you know that Baylor’s iconic green and gold can be traced as far back as 1897? As legend has it, a member of the student committee selected to choose the official colors for the University was traveling to a debate tournament by train.

National Research Administrator Day is celebrated annually on Sept. 25 across the country, but we’ve adopted it as our own at Baylor over the past few years.

This has been a week of big news for the University, so let’s get right to the headlines!

I must admit that the First Gent and I are big fans of Baylor Athletics, especially during the week-long build up for a big football game like BYU this Saturday.

To conclude each week we celebrate Spirit Fridays on all Baylor campuses when we encourage the entire Baylor Family to fling their green and gold afar.

We're nearly through the first week of the fall semester!

The beginning of the fall semester is finally here! I cannot wait for the first day of class on Monday.

Yes, it's August, but this is certainly the most wonderful time of the year! We can feel the excitement and enthusiasm building for two seminal events next week in the lives of Baylor students: Move-in and Welcome Week.

You may have seen the exciting news from earlier this week that Baylor University has been recognized as one of the nation’s top-10 Most Trusted Universities, according to global research firm Morning Consult.

Greetings from San Antonio, where we are celebrating Baylor Board of Regents Days as declared by an official city proclamation. This week is the quarterly meeting of the Board, as we welcome several new Regents for their first official meeting and look toward the start of the fall semester.

With the record-breaking temperatures and drought conditions in the Waco area, many of you have asked how the Baylor campus is being impacted.

It's great to be back in Waco after some family vacation travel and spending yesterday at the Big 12 Football Media Days to officially introduce new Commissioner Brett Yormark on behalf of the conference's Board of Directors

As we look toward the July 4th holiday and a much-needed break for all of us, I am thankful for the sacrifices made by our veterans and current military to ensure the United States remains great and prosperous.

Summers are always a time of transition – from high school to college … residence halls to back home … college to work-life … and here in Texas, 85-degree temperatures to the 100s.

Serving as President of Baylor University and calling Waco my home brings me such great joy.

Earlier today I made the mistake of glancing at the long-range weather forecast for Waco. All I can say is that summer has definitely arrived.

Grief continues to fill my heart today. Like everyone in the Baylor Family, my heart broke on Tuesday as we learned about the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde — the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

This is my first official Presidential Perspective of the summer. While the foot traffic on campus is a little lighter this week, the University is still quite active with the minimester underway and students in the Law School and graduate and professional programs continuing their academic work.

Commencement is always a special time on the Baylor campus, and this year has added significance for the First Gent and me. Our daughter, Shelby, will graduate Friday night from Baylor's Truett Seminary with a master's of divinity degree.

It's hard to believe that today is the last class day of the spring semester! To celebrate the occasion and to provide students a little energy heading into final exams, I will be handing out FREE Gelato Mio from 1-2 p.m. today in the SUB. I would love to see you and wish you well as we conclude the spring semester and enter the summer season.

We enjoyed a wonderful night with Baylor faculty and staff Monday to say “thank you” to everyone who helped Baylor achieve R1 recognition as a research university. As we celebrate R1, we are really celebrating the entire Baylor Family, because this truly was a team effort.

Monday is going to be an exciting time to come together to celebrate the incredible accomplishment of Baylor becoming an R1 university.

I don’t think we could have asked for a better combination of warm sunshine and a full slate of activities for this week’s return of Diadeloso, or “Day of the Bear,” as we celebrated this great tradition’s 90th anniversary.

Dia is back! After two years without this annual spring celebration, I can't wait to enjoy a day of fun on campus with you this Tuesday, April 5.

The Baylor campus is a busy place during the spring semester, buzzing with students and visitors who come together for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the occasion is a lecture, a social gathering or a musical or theatrical performance. Sometimes the reason people gather here is an athletics event.

Welcome back from Spring Break – March Madness is finally here! I am sending this week’s email a little early, as I am en route to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth to watch Coach Scott Drew and our defending national champion men’s basketball team take on Norfolk State at 1 p.m. in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Then I will be back in Waco tomorrow for Coach Nicki Collen’s NCAA Tournament debut as our Bears face Hawaii at 3 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. Best wishes to our student-athletes, coaches and staffs as they shine in the spotlight, and let’s Sic ’em, Bears!

It was such a joy last week to experience the musical and dance talents of the more than 1,500 students who participated in Sing this spring.

One outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that we have the ability to temporarily pivot to remote instruction and operations when winter weather conditions threaten. Gone are the days of waking up at 5 a.m. to see if it will be an ice or snow day. Of course, I fondly remember those snow days from when I was in college!

Today we are announcing the rescission of the University's facemask policy for classrooms and labs when used in academic settings. In other words, facemasks will be optional at Baylor – other than when requested in private offices – effective this Monday, Feb. 21.

What an exciting time for Baylor as we’ve surpassed the $1.1 billion fundraising goal of the Give Light campaign!

My prayers have been with everyone as the winter weather has impacted our local community as well as Texans statewide.

The "Spring Sprint" is definitely underway, and it's hard to believe Feb. 1 is this Tuesday.

What a great start to the 2022 spring semester! I enjoyed greeting so many of you on the first day of class before heading to Indianapolis for the NCAA Convention this week.

As I've looked out my office window this week, I've enjoyed seeing our campus steadily come back to life with the return of more and more students. I am excited about the new semester and everything the next few months will bring.

It’s been nearly a month since my last weekly Presidential Perspective and so much has happened as we concluded 2021 and ushered in the New Year.

I am overjoyed to share with you some wonderful news we learned this morning. We have received notification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education that Baylor University has achieved Research 1 status, joining the nation’s top research institutions as a doctoral university with very high research activity and as a preeminent Christian research university.

It’s hard to believe the fall semester has drawn to a close. God has blessed Baylor in so many ways as we’ve managed the COVID-19 pandemic, from a Big 12 Football Championship and top-10 basketball, football and volleyball teams to beautiful music and theatrical performances, as well as significant progress toward R1 status and our $1.1 billion Give Light goal – all while holding firm to and advancing our Christian mission

Christmas is always a special time at Baylor, and I cannot wait for Christmas on 5th this evening from 5-10 p.m. It's one of my favorite Baylor traditions. I've even heard there's a forecast of snow tonight! Be sure to check out the full schedule of activities to get everyone in the Christmas spirit as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

In the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul encouraged the members of the Christian community he had founded in Thessalonica to be strong in their faith. He wrote, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Last week was big for Baylor as the Board of Regents affirmed the next five years of our Illuminate strategic plan.

This week marks the quarterly meeting for Baylor’s Board of Regents as it considers the next five years of our strategic plan Illuminate, which impacts the entire campus from academics to athletics.

As we look forward to the next five years of our strategic plan Illuminate, we have so much to celebrate.

What a great Homecoming we had last week! It was so good to celebrate “everything Baylor” with all of you, along with our friends, alumni and Wacoans.

Baylor hosted the nation’s first collegiate homecoming event in 1909, and even after a year “off” due to COVID-19, I can tell you that our campus is abuzz this week as current students are enjoying many Baylor Homecoming traditions and preparing for the return of tens of thousands of alumni and friends to Waco this weekend.

Next week is Homecoming 2021! We have a fun student tradition to kick off Homecoming Week called “Dinner with the Livingstones,” and I want to invite all students to join the First Gent and me at Allbritton House on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.

Earlier today I had the opportunity to testify before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington, D.C., regarding many of the challenges facing intercollegiate athletics.

Tomorrow will be an exciting time as we highlight Baylor research in a day-early celebration of National Research Administrator Day. Throughout Friday, you will see stories on social media highlighting our outstanding faculty, and I hope you will consider sharing some of them to amplify the news of Baylor’s incredible research.

I am officially declaring this week as “The Week of Good News” for Baylor! Beginning last Friday with the additions of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the Big 12 Conference, we’ve been on a roll with several positive developments related to the University:

Sept. 11 will forever be remembered as an important day in U.S. history as terrorists attacked our homeland and threatened our safety, security and the freedoms we hold dear.

I know the events of the past week — from the U.S. military’s departure from Afghanistan abroad to the devastation and hardships created by Hurricane Ida closer to home — have left many members of the Baylor Family feeling deep pain and heartache.

You may have seen Waco Mayor Dillon Meek's quote yesterday that our local healthcare system is near "the brink of collapse" due to COVID-19. As I participated in a call with our community leaders yesterday morning, it has become clear – the local hospital situation is indeed dire. As of Wednesday morning, all 54 intensive care unit beds in McLennan County were in use, with 45 being filled by COVID-19 patients. Health officials reported that 92.4% of the currently hospitalized patients were unvaccinated.