News

WACO, Texas (Oct. 8, 2021) – A new study, led by Baylor University researcher Julie Hoggarth, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, evaluates the major impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on professional archaeologists, particularly women and those early in their career.

Cape Canaveral has long been synonymous with space launches in the United States — from the earliest space flights (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo) through the space shuttle era to today. What many don’t realize is that Cape Canaveral is part of a larger unit — Space Launch Delta 45, part of the U.S. Space Force. […]

Peter Campbell, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and international security scholar, penned a column for City Journal, in which he discusses who deserves scrutiny following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 15, 2021) – Ten Baylor University faculty members have been selected by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., to serve as 2021-2022 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and desire to transform student thinking through innovation.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2021) – Baylor University moved up to No. 75 among National Universities – with several academic programs and opportunities for undergraduates highly rated – in the latest rankings for 2022 released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Everyone who lived through 9/11 has a story about where they were that fateful morning. This week, Baylor has been sharing those stories from a variety of Bears (see below). President Linda Livingstone recalls dropping off her daughter at kindergarten before heading to work in Hankamer/Cashion. Tommy Marshall (now Air Force Lt. Col. Marshall, BS […]

WACO, Texas (Sept. 10, 2021) –The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon continue – 20 years later – to have profound effects on everything from America’s political, religious and cultural polarization to American entertainment choices, said Baylor University faith and culture expert Greg Garrett, Ph.D., professor of English.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 18, 2021) – Baylor University’s internationally recognized researcher in water quality, Bryan W. Brooks, Ph.D., is one of the collaborative partners of the Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, which was recently endorsed by the United Nations (UN).

Whether you’re a space buff or simply watching the news, you’ve likely seen or read about America’s endeavors in space recently. From research taking place on the International Space Station, to a future return to the Moon, to commercialization of space closer to home, there’s plenty to highlight — and there’s a good chance a […]

WACO, Texas (July 28, 2021) – Baylor University alumna Katerina Levinson, B.A. ’17, has been awarded the Barry Scholarship, funded by the Canterbury Institute, becoming the first Baylor graduate to receive the organization's most generous scholarship available for study at the University of Oxford.

Viewers of the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind were introduced to the story of mathematician John Nash, who dramatically extended the field of game theory — the study of a set of agents, making decisions simultaneously, whose decisions impact one another. Dr. Jameson Graber, an assistant professor of mathematics at Baylor, is among the many […]

In about a month, Baylor’s Class of 2025 will arrive on campus for Move2BU, Welcome Week and the start of classes. But we can’t wait; here’s your first look at some of the members of #BU25: Tremane Smith will have a head start on many of his classmates, having earned his associate’s degree at the […]

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2021) – Climate change mitigation efforts have led to shifts from fossil-fuel dependence to large-scale renewable energy. However, renewable energy sources require significant land and could come at a cost to ecosystems. A new study led by Ryan McManamay, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental science at Baylor University, evaluates potential conflicts between alternative energy strategies and biodiversity conservation.

WACO, Texas (July 1, 2021) – Baylor University is seeking artists and foundries to create life-sized bronze statues of the University’s first Black graduates – the Rev. Robert Gilbert, B.A. ’67, and Mrs. Barbara Walker, B.A. ’67. The statues will ultimately reside in front of Baylor’s historic Tidwell Bible Building.

There’s nothing like the view of Earth from space, according to the astronauts who have witnessed it — the aqua blues of the oceans, the subtleties of the browns and reds of the continents. They also say that pictures and videos simply don’t do justice to what they’ve witnessed. Drs. Corey Carbonara and Michael Korpi, […]

Mosquitoes are a fact of life each summer, and they’re far more than an annual annoyance. Globally, they’re a leading source of the spread of diseases like Zika, West Nile Virus and malaria, claiming nearly a million lives each year. We all fight them — but these four Baylor professors have taken the fight to […]

WACO, Texas (June 22, 2021) – Benjamin “Jack” Young, B.A. ’21, has been selected as one of 10 Lilly Graduate Fellows for 2021.

WACO, Texas (June 21, 2021) – A new analysis of Venus’ surface shows evidence of tectonic motion in the form of crustal blocks that have jostled against each other like broken chunks of pack ice. Published in PNAS, the study — which includes contributions by Baylor University planetary physicist Peter James, Ph.D. — found that the movement of these blocks could indicate that Venus is still geologically active and give scientists insight into both exoplanet tectonics and the earliest tectonic activity on Earth.

WACO, Texas (June 21, 2021) – Baylor University students Kate Rojales, a senior chemistry major from Milton, Georgia, and Alexis Simmons, a senior physics and mathematics major from Houston, Texas, have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

When it comes to teaching STEM, instructors and students alike rely heavily on viewing images and physical models. But what about students with blindness or visual impairments — how are they to learn these important aspects of the field? Baylor researchers may have found an answer. Earlier this month, a Baylor-led study published in the […]

WACO, Texas (June 9, 2021) – Patterns in American religious attitudes, behaviors and beliefs just after the 2020 presidential election and during the coronavirus pandemic are the latest focus of the Baylor Religion Survey, the most comprehensive national survey studying religion in America.

WACO, Texas (June 9, 2021) – Most people listen to music throughout their day and often near bedtime to wind down. But can that actually cause your sleep to suffer? When sleep researcher Michael Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, realized he was waking in the middle of the night with a song stuck in his head, he saw an opportunity to study how music — and particularly stuck songs — might affect sleep patterns.

WACO, Texas (June 8, 2020) – Jameson Graber, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics at Baylor University, has earned a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award will provide nearly $430,000 in funding over five years to support his research, which lies at the intersection of partial differential equations, game theory, economics and political science.

If you stroll past a newsstand or checkout counter that has the latest issue of TIME magazine for sale (June 7-14, 2021), stop and take a closer look. That painting that’s used as an accent piece, in the upper-left corner? That’s the work of a 2020 Baylor graduate. Specifically, it’s the work of John Singletary […]

WACO, Texas (June 3, 2020) – Baylor University researchers have unveiled a new color imaging system - called 6P - that has the capacity to dramatically increase the palette of colors a digital screen can display with transcendent implications for television and cinema storytelling.

WACO, Texas (May 28, 2021) – About 36 million people have blindness including 1 million children. Additionally, 216 million people experience moderate to severe visual impairment. However, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education maintains a reliance on three-dimensional imagery for education. Most of this imagery is inaccessible to students with blindness. A breakthrough study by Bryan Shaw, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University, aims to make science more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired through small, candy-like models.

WACO, Texas (May 20, 2021) – Brian Raines, D.Phil, associate dean for research and strategic planning in the College of Arts & Sciences and professor of mathematics, was confirmed as a Faculty Regent by the Baylor University Board of Regents during its regular May meeting.

WACO, Texas (May 20, 2021) – Three Baylor University seniors — Amanda Sutton, University Scholar and Russian major; Anne Walker, economics and international studies major; and Daniel Burch, political science major — have been awarded the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship. Additionally, Maria Torres, B.A. ’20, master’s student at the George Washington University Elliot School of International Affairs, has been awarded the Boren Fellowship.

Another academic year has come to an end. Final grades have been posted, books returned, students graduated — and Baylor’s professors of the year have been awarded! The Collins Outstanding Professor Award, which is voted on by the outgoing senior class, awards the recipient a $10,000 cash prize. Past Collins professors include Rachel Moore, MA […]

“Make sure to put on sunscreen.” How many times did you hear that growing up? How many times will that phrase be uttered by parents this summer? There’s a reason why parents have offered that advice for decades, as we know that too much sunlight can lead to problems like skin cancer. That’s where Dr. Jung-Hyun […]

WACO, Texas (May 12, 2021) –– Brett Gibson, assistant director of College of Arts & Sciences Advisement (CASA), has won the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award for 2020-2021 at Baylor University.

WACO, Texas (May 12, 2021) – Robert F. Darden III, B.S.Ed. '76, M.J., professor of journalism, public relations and new media, Master Teacher and founder of the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project at Baylor University, has been honored as a Piper Professor of 2021 for the state of Texas by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.

WACO, Texas (May 11, 2021) – Paul Zinke, Ph.D., senior lecturer in chemistry at Baylor University, has been selected as the 2021 Collins Outstanding Professor, an honor voted on annually by the senior class.

WACO, Texas (May 6, 2021) - Baylor University is mourning the passing of current faculty member, Scott C. James, Ph.D., associate professor of geosciences, who died May 2, 2021, while visiting family in California.

WACO, Texas (May 5, 2021) – Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., professor and chair of journalism, public relations and new media at Baylor University and a nationally recognized author and expert on race and culture, has been named the 2021 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year.

WACO, Texas (May 5, 2021) – Baylor University faculty members Michael-John DePalma, Ph.D., associate professor of English in the College of Arts & Sciences and coordinator of the professional writing and rhetoric program, and Lesley McAllister, D.M.A., professor of piano and director of piano pedagogy in the School of Music, have been selected to receive 2021 Centennial Professor Awards for summer research projects.

WACO, Texas (April 20, 2021) –– Rodney Sturdivant, Ph.D., associate professor of statistical science, has won the Army Wilks Memorial Award, which is given each year to a statistician based primarily on their contributions to the advancement of scientific or technical knowledge in Army statistics.

WACO, Texas (April 20, 2021) –– Michael Gallaugher, Ph.D., assistant professor of statistical science, has won the 2021 Distinguished Dissertation Award from the Classification Society.

WACO, Texas (April 19, 2021) — Baylor University’s department of religion has announced that Wemimo Bright Jaiyesimi of Lagos, Nigeria, has been named the recipient of the inaugural Robert L. Gilbert Scholar in Religion Graduate Fellowship.

Late last month, Baylor announced the finalists for the university’s 2022 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching. (If you’re unfamiliar with the Cherry Award, it’s a unique honor — not only honoring professors for great teaching, but investing in their work with a gift of $250,000. It’s the largest monetary gift for teaching presented […]

WACO, Texas (April 6, 2021) – Ryan A. McManamay, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental science at Baylor University, is among the recipients of the Sustainability Science Award announced today by the Ecological Society of America (ESA).

WACO, Texas (March 29, 2021) – United Methodist churches — whether the congregation is white or not — have higher attendance when located within white neighborhoods. But racial diversity within a church is associated with higher average attendance over time, according to a study led by Baylor University.

March is Women’s History Month, a time for intentionally celebrating and studying the vital roles women have played in American history. That makes this the perfect time to dive into new books, podcasts and other resources to learn more about this often under-considered side of our country’s past. Dr. Andrea Turpin is an associate professor […]

Baylor graduates make 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 everything from medicine and the arts to community and public service. Congratulations to this year’s honorees (click on each name to learn more): Alumnus of the Year: […]

WACO, Texas (March 17, 2021) — A research team that includes a Baylor University scholar on race and religion will help establish Churches that THRIVE for Racial Justice, a national effort to help congregations confront structures of racism in their communities. Lilly Endowment Inc. is funding the project with a $1 million grant to Davidson College, which will coordinate the project.

WACO, Texas (March 12, 2021) – Baylor University senior biology major Emily Schultz of Plano, Texas, is among 16 recipients of the prestigious Churchill Scholarship in mathematics, science and engineering, announced today by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States.

WACO, Texas (March 9, 2021) – Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from the Prichard Family Foundation and Ella Wall Prichard, B.A. '63, of Corpus Christi, to establish an endowed faculty position that will further the research and work of the nationally renowned Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, as well as scholarship in the areas of Black worship, preaching and studies.

Dr. Devan Stahl’s call to bioethics began with her own experience as a patient. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a young woman, she recognized aspects of the healthcare system that could be improved — most notably, the ways doctors and decision-makers communicated with (and considered) people with disabilities. Stahl, an assistant professor of religion, joined […]

WACO, Texas (March 8, 2021) – Baylor University today announced plans for summer classes through Accelerate, the University’s pre-college program for rising high school juniors and seniors, and a second year of Baylor’s innovative Summer of Discovery program with discounted summer course offerings for current students as well as incoming freshmen and transfers.

“Stones, bones, and Indiana Jones.” That’s what many people think of when they hear the word “anthropology,” says Baylor anthropology department chair Michael Muehlenbein. But the discipline — better summarized as “the study of humans” is a broad field, as demonstrated by Dr. Muehlenbein’s own expertise in infectious diseases (including COVID-19). Muehlenbein came to Baylor in […]