News

Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences has a firm foundation of excellence as it changes leadership this year.

Baylor University is proud to announce that the TEDxBaylor University talk – “The Eight-Hour Sleep Challenge During Finals Week” – by Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D., has been selected as an Editor’s Pick. 

A new certificate program in African Studies will assist students from academic units across the University to deepen their knowledge of the continent and expand their future career options.

In the science community, being named as a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is one of the more prestigious professional nods a researcher can achieve — not unlike election to a hall of fame in the world of sports.

Past AAAS Fellows include names like Thomas Edison and W.E.B. DuBois, along with a roster of scientists who have made significant contributions to their field. That list includes four current Baylor faculty, two of whom — Dr. Dwayne Simmons (biology) and Dr. Samuel Urlacher (anthropology) — were named among the 2025 class of AAAS Fellows.

Baylor graphic design students have been recognized in an international competition that highlights the work of artists from around the world.

It's National Cancer Research Month, and Baylor researchers are leading the way on trailblazing approaches to effective therapies for some of the most aggressive cancers.

Jay Pulliam, Ph.D., will explore Antarctic ice shelf dynamics and the ancient geological connection between Antarctica and Africa.

The new Center for Ethics at Baylor University in the College of Arts & Sciences will bring together people and resources to coordinate and expand the initiatives on campus that explicitly engage ethical issues.

The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences will make its formal debut on June 1, 2026. The new School involves an historic merger of two current departments within Arts & Sciences –– Geosciences and Environmental Sciences.

Twelve Baylor professors have been honored with Outstanding Faculty Awards for exceptional teaching, scholarship and contributions to the academic community.

Baylor anthropologist Duncan N.E. Stibbard-Hawkes, Ph.D., led a study of the Hadza and found that relatively equal outcomes are often maintained through “demand sharing.”

Baylor students took part in the Eugene Scassa Mock Organization of American States Eleventh Inter-American Court of Human Rights Moot Court Competition in Austin, Texas.

At Baylor’s Center for Microscopy and Imaging, the Transmission Electron Microscope is helping scientists visualize structures at an entirely new scale — aiding innovative research in fields from cancer and virology to materials science and environmental systems. 

Baylor graphic design students won top awards and gained valuable professional insight and experience at the 2026 National Student Show and Conference in Dallas, Texas.

Baylor’s Model Organization of American States team participated in the Washington MOAS Model at Trinity University in Washington, D.C.. 

Dr. Lee C. Nordt, outgoing dean of the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences, will serve as interim vice president and provost after Dr. Nancy Brickhouse steps down July 31.

Dr. Alexander J. McNair, associate professor of Spanish in the College of Arts & Sciences, is one of two Baylor faculty members who have been selected to receive the 2026 Centennial Professor Awards for their proposed research projects over the next academic year.

Top 10 Baylor graduate programs - from physical therapy & nursing to trial advocacy & health care management - are highlighted in the 2026 U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Baylor alumnus Dr. Stephen J. Spann has devoted his life to providing and advancing compassionate, family medical care to underserved populations from Texas to Latin America and beyond.

One of Baylor’s own is now commander of the service’s oldest continuously serving numbered Air Force, the 5th Air Force, based in Japan.

Lt. Gen. Joel Carey (BA ’92), recently promoted to a three-star general, took command earlier this week at a ceremony in Tokyo. The move was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in January, the latest promotion in Carey’s distinguished career since he got his start at Baylor more than 30 years ago.

Recipients of the Vardaman Awards, named in tribute to Professor Elizabeth Vardaman, are Baylor faculty members who go above and beyond in mentoring undergraduate students.

Baylor researchers Corey P. Carbonara, Ph.D., and Michael Korpi, Ph.D., led university-industry team to develop 6P’s revolutionary Full Color Range display system

Dwayne D. Simmons, Ph.D., and Samuel S. Urlacher, Ph.D., have been elected to the rank of 2025 AAAS Fellow, a lifetime honor announced today by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Baylor University has added to its Fulbright success, this time with cancer researcher and molecular biologist Jonathan Kelber, Ph.D., named to the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Program.

Twelve faculty members have received Outstanding Faculty awards from the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences for the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Sociologist Christopher M. Pieper, Ph.D., examines how rapidly advancing technologies may reshape the foundations of social life. 

When researchers complete a study and share their work, they hope it will have impact: to help people, advance understanding, develop technologies and more. 

Such impact is important — but can be hard to measure. There’s no one way to do it, but Stanford University has annually compiled a prestigious list that captures one important measure of impact: citations. And Baylor researchers do very well there.

The Baylor University Office of the Provost has announced tenure and promotions within the College of Arts & Sciences for the 2025-2026 academic year.

New research shows how a natural plant compound flips a built-in “avoid” switch in the mosquito brain and why that could lead to better repellents

Three Baylor graphic design students have brought back top awards in the student category at the Dallas chapter of the American Advertising Awards (ADDYs).

Hyewon Jung earns national scholarship supporting mentorship, professional development and pathways to compassionate healthcare careers.

Baylor’s Army ROTC program is growing in both size and influence, with an enhanced status and new leadership.

Two teams from Baylor have qualified to compete in this year’s national tournament in March against the best debaters from around the country. It’s the University's 22nd consecutive year to qualify at least one team in the National Debate Tournament, and the 66th time since 1948 that Baylor has been represented there.

In the fourth installment of our series providing a brief overview of the more than a dozen different Baylor campus buildings which house programs within the College of Arts & Sciences, we look at three structures –– the Marrs McLean Science Building, the Sid Richardson Building and the Baylor Sciences Building.

The new engaged learning requirement in the College of Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum is encouraging Baylor students to serve their communities.

Waco Mayor Jim Holmes proclaimed Feb. 17, 2026, as Robert Doyle Day, recognizing the Baylor University researcher for his decades of service to Waco’s water systems. 

Students gaining experience at the award-winning Baylor Psychology Clinic are promoting mental health care throughout Central Texas.

Baylor University, University of South Bohemia scientists measure bioaccumulation in Czech Republic freshwater system above acceptable thresholds.

Few Christian programs have garnered the level of critical acclaim and multi-platform viewership as The Chosen. The show — a historical drama of the life of Christ through the eyes of those around him — has appeared on the IMDb Top 250 list, and reviewers have lauded the program’s storytelling and production. Such success made the chance to serve in professional roles on the show all the more appealing to Baylor Film & Digital Media (FDM) students.

Baylor's internationally known art historian and professor Heidi J. Hornik, Ph.D., is among the 16 recipients of the Big 12's Faculty of the Year Awards, which celebrate top faculty for excellence in innovation and research on their campus. 

Biology major and Goldwater Scholar Ava Frescura is the only student from Texas selected for the 2026 undergraduate honor

Baylor researchers have published a novel approach to fight colorectal cancer, using modified bacteria as a courier to deliver potent cancer-killing proteins into tumor cells. 

Baylor faculty and students are doing important scientific research each year in the Galápagos Islands.

New insights published in the journal Science explain how a paper-thin layer of clay powered Japan’s most destructive earthquake

When David J. Negrón Sr. (BA ’61) walked the halls of Baylor University, he was majoring in mathematics — but his creative spark was impossible to ignore. During his time on campus, Negrón was actively involved with Student Activities and found support (both emotional and financial) from Marie Mathis, director of the Student Union Building, who recognized his artistic talent.

That encouragement proved pivotal. His passion led him to pursue professional art training after graduation, ultimately launching a remarkable career as a conceptual painter, illustrator and storyboard artist in the motion picture industry.

Baylor historian Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson is embarking on a research project to expand and share the recorded history of early Black Baptists in North America.

Dr. James R. Brockmole, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, will begin as Baylor's new Arts & Sciences dean on July 1.

Lt. Col. Kimber Nettis, the first female commander of Baylor’s Air and Space Force ROTC, is fulfilling a longtime dream by returning to her alma mater.

Students on Baylor’s Model of Organization of American States team represented the Dominican Republic and Cuba in discussions among students from 22 other universities on issues of human rights and development in the Americas.

Baylor's Future Church Leadership Certificate provides practical tools for ministry leaders and faith communities to navigate the challenges of ministry in a changing world.

Meet the 2024-25 Baylor University Outstanding Graduate Student award recipients in instruction, research and dissertation.

Baylor philosopher Dr. Alexander Pruss has received the 2025 Aquinas Medal, a prestigious honor presented to philosophers who exhibit outstanding teaching, valuable research and significant influence on American philosophical thought. 

Baylor Social Sciences Professor George A. Yancey, Ph.D., has been invested as a member of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters in recognition of outstanding scholarly achievement.

Commemorating its 20th anniversary with Wave 7 results, the Baylor Religion Survey has evolved into the most comprehensive national survey studying the role of faith in American life.

Students from Baylor’s Japanese language program have once again brought home major awards in a national competition designed to show off their presentation skills.

A new clinical trial led by Baylor's Gary R. Elkins, Ph.D., demonstrates that self-guided hypnosis can decrease hot flash frequency and intensity by over 50%, offering a nonhormonal option for the millions of women.

Watch the latest video in our Arts & Sciences “Degree of Interest" series, which looks at the studio art disciplines in the Department of Art and Art History. 

Study challenges long-held assumptions, finding late-surviving dinosaurs lived in vibrant, regionally distinct communities.

Amid rising antibiotic resistance, the MIGHTY initiative unites top academic and industry partners to develop a rapid, AI-powered platform for precision phage therapies – starting with oral health and expanding to chronic diseases

For many Baylor students, summer is a chance for special experiences — whether through internships, study abroad or or mission trips, or research opportunities.

Baylor senior Greatness Adewumi is an example of that last group — a psychology/neuroscience major on the pre-med track whose experience this past summer in Houston has only fueled her desire to delve into medical research.

Daniel J. Watkins, Ph.D., is one of 20 educators nationwide selected as a member of the National Humanities Center's (NHC) Teacher Advisory Council for the 2025-26 academic year. 

When Tiffany Jones‑Smith (BA ’95) graduated from Baylor, she couldn’t have known that her future would involve leading a statewide health initiative. Still, her heart for service and community was already clear. Today, as president and CEO of the Texas Kidney Foundation and chair of the Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, she’s become a fierce advocate for health equity, early screening, and life-saving policy. Her work reaches thousands of Texans each year, especially in communities where access to care has been historically limited.

Robert Elder, Ph.D., professor of history at Baylor, has received the prestigious $60,000 Public Scholars grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). 

Ten Baylor faculty members have been selected as 2025-2026 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and desire to advance the University’s commitment to transformational education.

Francis Joseph Beckwith, Ph.D., has been appointed by the White House to serve on the Advisory Board of Legal Experts for the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission.

Baylor's Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory is using the findings of researchers about rest and human flourishing and sharing those with visitors of all ages in a new Mayborn Museum exhibit.

By taking part in national ethics bowl competitions, Baylor students are learning and defending strategies that will help them live purposeful lives guided by a system of values.

Baylor's Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research (CRASR) uses a multidisciplinary team of faculty and student researchers to understand, conserve and sustain water systems throughout Texas.

In the third installment of our series providing a brief overview of the more than a dozen different Baylor campus buildings which house (totally or in part) programs within the College of Arts & Sciences, we look at three structures –– the Draper Academic Building, the Speight Plaza Parking Facility, and the Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center.

Baylor students are learning to use the University’s Book Arts & Letterpress Lab to give new dimensions to their creativity.

By now, you probably recognize the photo above. It was a powerful moment from last year’s Texas Bowl that resonated across social media — Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson stopping to pray for an injured opponent.

The person who captured that meaningful moment was not a professional sports photographer (at the time), but a Baylor student. Joaquin Torre (BA ’25) was on the sideline, advancing toward his dream of becoming a full-time sports photographer. He was moved by the response to his photo, which represented a meaningful moment for him as well.

Baylor's University Writing Center and Graduate Writing Center have merged, and the new Center for Writing Excellence is even better equipped to help students and faculty of all collegiate ranks and academic disciplines put their best words forward.

A team of astrophysicists led by Baylor's Benjamin Rose, Ph.D., has released a powerful new simulation previewing the extraordinary discoveries expected from the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope.

The Medical Humanities Program is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Ekaterina Lomperis to the Inaugural Orr Family Chair in Medical Humanities & Christian Faith.

Dr. Lee Nordt, the longest-serving dean of the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences, has announced he will step down from that role following the Spring 2026 semester and return to the classroom.

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.

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. 

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.

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’s Castellaw Communications Center, home to the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media, is set for renovations as early as 2026. The Department of Communication's relocation to a new building last spring opened up more opportunities for the Film and Digital Media and JPR&NM departments, which will continue to share the Castellaw space.

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.

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 History Department Chair and Associate Professor, Dr. Julie deGraffenried, was recently named a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Historical Society.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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 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.

Watch the latest video in our Arts & Sciences "Research Roundup" series, which looks at the founding and mission of CRASR -- Baylor's Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research.

Baylor University students were awarded scholarships and fellowships, including Boren Awards, Critical Language Scholarships and a Fulbright UK Summer Institutes award.

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.

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

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.

The Baylor Model Organization of American States team represented the Republic of Costa Rica at the 2025 Washington, DC MOAS Summit, discussing issues including religious freedom, rising sea levels and migrant populations.

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

Students of modern languages in the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences are gaining an empathetic understanding of other cultures.

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.