News

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:

The Institute for Global Human Flourishing places Baylor as an epicenter for global flourishing research/practice alongside research partners at Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program.

Baylor graduates truly do “fling their green and gold afar,” making an impact in virtually any field you can think of. This year’s Baylor Alumni Award winners are no different, with recipients leading the charge in areas ranging from the military and the ministry to the law and our nation’s legal systems.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees:

The Global Flourishing Study revealed its First Wave findings on human flourishing, results from one of the most comprehensive studies of human well-being ever undertaken. 

Karen J. Foli, Ph.D., The Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health Nursing, offers three suggestions for nurses to get support for substance use in healthcare organizations.

Baylor and Waco are at the center of the collegiate tennis world this year.

Last fall, the Hurd Tennis Center hosted the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. In January, men’s tennis hosted the ITA National Indoor Championship at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. Earlier this month, the Hurd was the home for the Big 12 Tennis Championship. And now, Baylor is preparing to host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships (every round from the quarterfinals to the title match).

The run to the championship begins this weekend for both the Baylor men and women.

Her work is also currently featured in a juried exhibition in NY.

On Saturday, Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling won its tenth — TENTH!!!!!!!!! — straight national title! The win extends a run that dates back to 2015 (there was no championship in 2020 due to COVID). Over those 11 seasons, head coach Felecia Mulkey’s squad has gone a mind-boggling 110-2, including a current 50-meet winning streak.

For context: The only longer NCAA D-1 championship streaks are in track and field, where the Arkansas men won 12 straight indoor titles from 1984-95, and the LSU women won 11 straight outdoor championships from 1987-97. (To be clear, Baylor’s current run is an NCATA streak, not an NCAA streak, because acrobatics and tumbling is currently classified as an NCAA Emerging Sport while it works its way toward full-fledged NCAA status.)

Since 2007, the Great Hall inside Brooks Residential College has provided a unique dining experience for the Brooks community and other Baylor students, faculty and staff. 

The 2025 Baylor Alumni Awards honor individuals who embody the distinctive mission of the University and their remarkable achievements.

Each year, when we select the remarkable men and women who will be honored as Baylor Alumni Award recipients, they remind us that the mission of Baylor University – to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service – remains at the heart of who we are as a Christian research university. 

Seven Baylor residence halls are more than just residence halls — they’re Living-Learning Communities, or LLCs for short. These LLCs are organized around specific degree programs or interests, such as business, science, even outdoor adventure and wellbeing, building intentional community for BU students with similar goals and callings in life.

Dr. Karenna Malavanti (BS ’10, MA ’12), senior lecturer of psychology and neuroscience, serves as faculty-in-residence at Earle Hall, where she leads the nearly 350 students in Baylor’s Science and Health Living-Learning Community.

She shared a few of the traits that make these communities so meaningful to students on a recent Baylor Connections podcast:

The Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University hosted the New Venture Competition March 28-29 at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.

Two takeaways from the Forrest Frank concert, the first public concert in Foster Pavilion:

1) If you get a chance to see Forrest Frank live, GO.
2) If you get a chance to see a concert at Foster Pavilion, GO.

Earning recognition as a Master Teacher at Baylor is a rare honor — the highest a BU professor can receive for his/her teaching. In January, President Linda Livingstone announced the lifetime designation for four Baylor professors, increasing the roll of Master Teachers to 33 since the honor was first bestowed more than 40 years ago.

Among the newest honorees is Dr. Lenore Wright (MA ’95), an award-winning philosophy professor in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) and director of Baylor’s Academy of Teaching and Learning from 2011-24. Wright came to Baylor in 1994 as a graduate student, joined the Baylor faculty five years later, and has been a BU fixture ever since.

Baylor’s Model United Nations team earned the highest team award at the 2025 National Model UN competition in New York City.

Congratulations to Baylor University’s Bachelor of Science in Interior Design program for meeting the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Professional Standards, and as such, being awarded accreditation for a term of six years, effective 2025.

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business hosted the third annual HSB Research Symposium on Friday, April 4. The focus of the event centered on effective research publishing and the use of AI in research.

He is Risen! What beautiful words for Christians.

In 2009, a group of Baylor students decided to come together in one of their living rooms to pray on a weekly basis. Soon, others joined them to study scripture and worship — and the group outgrew the living room. It moved to a park, then a parking garage, then to the Waco Hippodrome.

Today, Vertical Ministries welcomes hundreds of Baylor students each week to its meetings. As it celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, Vertical is thriving as a non-denominational, student-led ministry that seeks to challenge college students to actively pursue an authentic, “vertical” relationship with God.

“FAT” isn’t always a good thing — but in the world of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s crucial.

The acronym stands for Fairness, Accountability, Transparency — three words at the heart of Baylor’s approach to AI, as BU seeks to lead the way in addressing major ethical questions surrounding AI’s rapid growth and its impact on humanity.

On Good Friday the death of Jesus unfolds and the Church bears witness. This day of sacrificial love awakens us to the very nature of God who is in us and with us and who always suffers with us. 

Maundy Thursday begins the last leg of the season of Lent. And part of Lent’s job is to provide a contrast to Easter. Sour before the sweet. Lament before the rejoicing. Dark before the light.

In cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, the economics of a nice night out can get overwhelming. Dinner costs, concert ticket prices, and parking fees all add up in a hurry. Waco residents (including Baylor students) then have to add over two hours of travel (and perhaps a pricey hotel stay) to the cost, making the expense of such a night on the town approach the price of a vacation.

Those days are now over.

With Foster Pavilion now serving as a live event venue, Baylor Bears (and other Central Texans) can now enjoy a proper night on the town with far fewer impediments and a much shorter time commitment.

A Baylor professor introduced an international audience at the Volta Foundation Battery Forum to advanced techniques that could drive future breakthroughs in energy storage science, leading to better and safer batteries.

A new study in Nature Human Behavior reveals that digital technologies are associated with reduced cognitive decline versus the assumed correlation to dementia. 

The Stations (or Way) of the Cross offer a way for us to pray imaginatively by tracing the story of Jesus's final hours, from betrayal to burial, through word, image, and song.

Baylor University and McLennan Community College (MCC) announced they will offer two new General Assembly training programs to learners interested in launching or growing tech career skills as part of their collaboration to close the cybersecurity talent gap in Texas and across the country.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. This is the week that matters.

We eagerly look forward to this weekend, the beginning of Holy Week for Christians (or as many Christians around the world know it, Pascha) and the beginning of Pesach, or Passover, for our brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith on Saturday evening. In both sets of high holy days, we celebrate a God of liberation. 

Research findings from three Baylor University professors debunk the common myths about break time in the workplace, revealing how “intentional rest” is a key factor in employee well-being.

For almost a century now, Diadeloso has provided Baylor students with a much-needed day off just as the spring semester reaches its crescendo — a day to rest and relax, to have fun with friends, and to make memories on campus that will last a lifetime.

Yesterday was a perfect day for Dia — sunny, high of 75, just absolutely beautiful weather. Traditional Dia activities like music performances, inflatables and rides were mixed with newer favorites like goat yoga — Dia’s new top attraction.

Highlighted by Top 30 graduate programs across disciplines. Baylor University graduate and professional programs were among those nationally ranked in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.

A Baylor-led roundtable of scientific experts in nutrition sciences conducted a comprehensive review of the current evidence on the health benefits of blueberries, with findings published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. 

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

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

Baylor undergraduate STEM researchers have kicked off the spring major fellowships and awards season by earning a record four Goldwater Scholarships, the preeminent undergraduate award that supports outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing STEM research careers.

Lauren Daigle, multi-award-winning country music singer, is set to perform in concert at Baylor University’s Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.

In a two-day event, the Charles Edmondson Historical Lecture Series will feature the award-winning Dr. Benjamin Cowan, Professor of History at UCSD. His lectures will cover Brazil’s Cold War and the rise of Christian conservatism in Brazil, linking each to contemporary issues in our hemisphere.

I truly enjoy this time of year at Baylor. Two of my favorite spring traditions are Steppin’ Out and Diadeloso (affectionately known as Dia), and they are both great – yet different – examples of how Baylor strives to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.

Baylor’s long history of military education dates back at least to 1888, just a couple of years after BU settled in Waco. Over the years, Baylor has prepared a long line of future military officers through the Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC programs; today, these programs offer students the option to earn their degrees while preparing for careers as officers in the U.S. military.

Baylor’s Air Force and Space Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC) recently added another milestone to its distinguished history. Earlier this year, Detachment 810 was named the No. 1 Medium Detachment in the country, outperforming 49 other detachments nationwide to claim the top honor.

The next session of the Baylor Libraries Author Series will spotlight Dr. Melody V. Escobar and her book, “Revelations of Divine Care: Disability, Spirituality, and Mutual Flourishing.” Escobar will be interviewed by Dr. Devan Stahl, Associate Professor of Religion. The session will be held at Noon on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in the Schumacher Flex Commons of Moody Memorial Library and online via Zoom Webinar. This event is free, open to the public, and co-sponsored by the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities. A reception with light refreshments and a book signing will follow.

On Friday, April 11, at 3 p.m., the annual Browning Day celebration will feature Joseph Phelan, Ph.D., professor of nineteenth-century literature from De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, for a lecture on Robert Browning’s poem, “Red Cotton Night-Cap Country” (1873). The event will take place in the Hankamer Treasure Room of Armstrong Browning Library & Museum and via Zoom Webinar. A reception in the Cox Reception Hall will follow. CAE Credit is available to Baylor students who attend in person.

Baylor University will host a TSA PreCheck® enrollment event in collaboration with IDEMIA, an authorized TSA PreCheck enrollment provider since 2013, at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center on the Baylor campus from April 7-11, 2025.

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Music Monique Ingalls, Ph.D., who has been named the School of Music’s Ammann Endowed Chair in Church Music and Worship. The role will provide vital support for Ingalls's research on the congregational music of Christian communities around the world.

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences internal seed funding award recipients! In addition to the Robbins College Research Program, this year saw the introduction of two new internal funding programs: the Pedagogical Scholarship Award Program and the Dr. Mike and Mrs. Micki Maris Endowed Seed Fund for Student Research.

WACO, Texas (March 31, 2025) – Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary announced today that Steve Bezner, PhD, has been appointed to serve as associate professor of pastoral theology and ministry beginning in fall of 2025.

Baylor students today have dozens of options to choose from when it comes to Chapel. Some prefer a large-group worship setting (similar to traditional Chapel services); others, a small group setting — perhaps one with friends from their residence hall, or one focused on how faith plays out in their field of study, or one connected to a campus ministry.

One of the more unique options available this semester: Chapel with the First Gent.

March is Women’s History Month, so all month long we’ve been celebrating the history of Baylor women — notable individuals such as Dr. Diana Garland, Angela Kinsey, Ann Miller and Leah Moncure, plus the long lists of Baylor women who have left their marks in fields like science and engineering, law and politics, the arts, and education.

To cap the month, two Baylor experts on women’s history — Dr. Andrea Turpin, an associate professor and director of the Baylor history graduate program, and Amy Achenbach, a doctoral candidate and Baylor history teacher — sat down to answer the big questions, like: Why study women’s history? What kinds of unique sources are used in researching women’s history? And how did higher ed change as more women enrolled?

Noted Maya archeologist Julie A. Hoggarth, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology at Baylor University, has been elected to the rank of AAAS Fellow by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Next Wednesday the entire Baylor Family is invited to join in Giving Day. One day each year – on April 2 for 2025 – we focus our collective attention on giving to support students, programs, schools and colleges and many other areas. Gifts big and small combine to make a significant difference for our University.

On April 22, Baylor’s Foster Pavilion will host its first public concert event, featuring GRAMMY-nominated Baylor alum Forrest Frank (BBA ’17) — but Frank technically won’t be the first artist on the Foster stage that night.

That honor will go to Claire Leslie, a 23-year-old performer from San Antonio, who will perform as the concert’s opening act. In her day job, Leslie leads worship at Max Lucado’s Oak Hills Church, as she finds her way as an up-and-coming Christian singer-songwriter.