News

WACO, Texas (June 2, 2019) – In celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month in June, Baylor University journalism professor Robert F. Darden, former gospel music editor for Billboard Magazine and founder and director of Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, has compiled the “Heaven 11” – a list of the 11 most influential black gospel songs, from Freedom Songs to hit singles to the great old spirituals.

WACO, Texas (May 20, 2019) – Today, the National Environmental Health Association’s (NEHA) Journal of Environmental Health published the article “Uncovering Environmental Health: An Initial Assessment of the Profession’s Health Department Workforce and Practice.”

WACO, Texas (May 20, 2019) — Two Baylor University professors are equipped to conduct research they hope will result in two new books after being named 2019 Baylor Centennial Professors by the Centennial Faculty Development Review Committee.

WACO, Texas (May 14, 2019) – Baylor University has partnered with four Department of Energy laboratories and more than a dozen universities in a research alliance to address the country’s water security issues through desalination.

WACO, Texas (May 13, 2019) – The movie-watching experience continues to evolve. And while directors wish all people could experience their movies on the silver screens in theaters, they know most people these days will be watching on the big screens in their living rooms or on the small screens in their hands.

Waco, Texas (May 8, 2019) — Baylor scientist Jeff Levin, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been invited to become a Fellow of the prestigious International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), a multidisciplinary learned society based at Cambridge University.

WACO, Texas (May 8, 2019) – Baylor University students Micheal Munson, a junior University Scholar from Cupertino, California, and Ben Sepanski, a junior mathematics major from Waco, Texas, have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

WACO, Texas (May 8, 2019) – Twelve Baylor University professors have been honored with Outstanding Faculty Awards for teaching, scholarship and contributions to the academic community for the 2018-2019 academic year.

WACO, Texas (May 6, 2019) – Alexander R. Pruss, Ph.D., professor and director of graduate studies in philosophy in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, has been invited to give the highly regarded Wilde Lectures at Oxford University, beginning May 9, with a series of five lectures on “God, Human Nature and Mathematics.”

WACO, Texas (May 2, 2019) — A Baylor University study published in Science, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, found that recent hybridization of the Gulf killifish — a large minnow common in the heavily polluted Houston Ship Channel — has enabled the species to adapt rapidly to extreme pollution.

WACO, Texas (April 26, 2019) – Baylor University seniors Garrett Williams, a physics and chemistry major from Norman, Oklahoma, and Catherine Arndt, a physics major from Highland Village, Texas, have been selected to participate in the 2019 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), the oldest graduate fellowship program in the science field.

WACO, Texas (April 25, 2019) – Baylor University today announced a $15 million leadership gift from The Sunderland Foundation of Overland Park, Kansas, that will provide significant support for one of the University’s highest priority endeavors within its $1.1 billion Give Light philanthropic campaign: the renovation and restoration of the iconic Tidwell Bible Building. The project is among the nearly $300 million in capital improvements planned as part of the campaign that will support Illuminate, the University’s academic strategic plan.

WACO, Texas (April 24, 2019) — A new chemical synthesis strategy to harvest the rich information found in natural products — organic compounds isolated from natural sources — has led to the identification of novel, simpler derivatives with potential to selectively protect neurons, important for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, or to prevent the body’s immune system from rejecting organ transplants, according to a Baylor University-led study.

WACO, Texas (April 15, 2019) — The discovery of an ancient painted vase, which bears one of the longest hieroglyphic texts uncovered in the Central America lowlands, is offering new clues into the mysterious breakdown of ancient Maya civilization, says a Baylor University scholar who led the excavation.

WACO, Texas (April 11, 2019) – Seven Baylor University students have been selected to receive prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, including awards for international graduate study and as English Teaching Assistants (ETA) in classrooms worldwide. The seven Fulbrights are the most ever for Baylor in a single year.

WACO, Texas (April 11, 2019) – As 10 teams of Baylor University students, faculty, staff and friends embarked over spring break on Baylor Missions throughout the world, one new journey allowed students to combine their faith and academic disciplines on a first-ever trip to Japan.

WACO, Texas (March 20, 2019) – Bryan W. Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Biomedical Studies in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences, received international recognition for his contributions and scholarly research on environmental sustainability.

WACO, Texas (March 18, 2019) – Sara L. Dolan, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, has been awarded a five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – for a project aimed at improving clinical practice for children who have been victims of abuse and trauma.

WACO, Texas (March 14, 2019) — After a rigorous review process, Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex has achieved a significant milestone: accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums.

WACO, Texas (March 12, 2019) – Baylor University graduate programs in law, business, nursing and health disciplines, education, engineering, the sciences and social sciences and humanities were among those nationally ranked in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, released today.

WACO, Texas (March 8, 2019) – Maxey Parrish, senior lecturer of journalism, public relations and new media in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences, was named as a member of the 2019 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame class.

WACO, Texas (March 7, 2019) – Members of Baylor University’s nationally ranked debate program, the Glenn R. Capp Debate Forum, will be spending their spring “break” researching and fine-tuning their arguments for the 73rd National Debate Tournament (NDT), which begins March 20 at the University of Minnesota.

WACO, Texas (March 4, 2019) – The Score, a flagship newsletter for the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 5, the Division for Quantitative and Qualitative methods, dedicated a recent issue solely to Roger E. Kirk, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Statistics and Master Teacher at Baylor University, in celebration of 60 years in the statistics field and his formal retirement at the end of this spring semester.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 28, 2019) — Long before there were therapists, there were biblical psalms — many of them praise to God and pleas for forgiveness. But there are more laments in the biblical book of Psalms than any other type of psalm, says a Baylor University scholar of the Old Testament. And they go a long way toward dealing with reality as opposed to the way we wish things were.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 28, 2019) – Before an overflow crowd that included the daughter of the late Vivienne Malone-Mayes, Ph.D., Baylor University recognized the exceptional life and achievements of the University’s first African-American faculty member during a special ceremony Feb. 26 on the third floor of the Sid Richardson Building.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 27, 2019) – Baylor University has named Nancy W. Brickhouse, Ph.D., as provost following a national search to help lead the institution toward its goal of becoming the next preeminent Christian research university. Dr. Brickhouse will assume her new role May 1.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 19, 2019) – “Black Twitter” is a social media phenomenon that is changing the national conversation, but many people – including professional and strategic communicators – do not understand what it is or how it works, says Baylor University’s Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., professor of journalism, public relations and new media.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 19, 2019) — Fossil fuel combustion is the main contributor to black carbon collected at five sites around the Arctic, which has implications for global warming, according to a study by an international group of scientists that included a team from Baylor University.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 18, 2019) – Jiajun (Dylan) Jiang, teaching assistant and Ph.D. candidate in the department of geosciences in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, was selected as a recipient of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) Outstanding TA Award for demonstrating excellence in his teaching assistant position.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 18, 2019) — Women are more likely than men to believe the Bible is literally true, but a recent Baylor University study finds this may have more to do with how people relate to God than it does gender. Both men and women who report high levels of closeness to God take the Bible more literally – and this confidence grows stronger as they seek closeness to God through prayer and Bible study.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 15, 2019) – The Baylor University Model United Nations team participated in the Fifth Annual Texas Model United Nations Conference (TexMUN) Friday, Feb. 1, to Sunday, Feb. 3.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 13, 2019) – Samantha Yruegas, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University, has been named to the Periodic Table of Younger Chemists by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The program celebrates the International Year of the Periodic Table by recognizing 118 young chemists – one for each element of the Periodic Table – who embody the mission and core values of IUPAC through their research, teaching and outreach.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 29, 2019) – Baylor University is mourning the passing of Thomas Charlton, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History, who served the University for 40 years, including most notably as founding director of the University’s Institute for Oral History and director of The Texas Collection. Dr. Charlton died Jan. 25 in Fort Worth at the age of 82.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 28, 2019) – For the second year, Baylor University will co-sponsor a special conference in Washington, D.C., during Black History Month that brings together educators, filmmakers, theologians and policymakers to explore ways that film and culture can spark important discussions about race and justice.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 23, 2019) – The John Templeton Foundation has awarded a $2.6 million grant to Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, and co-principal investigator Benjamin Houltberg, Ph.D., director of research at the University of Southern California Performance Science Institute. The grant aims to galvanize widespread scientific development of virtue interventions for adolescents across a diversity of contexts – such as athletic teams, religious organizations, youth community centers and online – that attend to spirituality and transcendent purpose.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 16, 2019) — A type of mosquito that transmits malaria has been detected in Ethiopia for the first time, and the discovery has implications for putting more people at risk for malaria in new regions, according to a study led by a Baylor University researcher.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 7, 2019) – Baylor University is mourning the passing of beloved Professor Emeritus of Physics and Master Teacher Robert G. Packard – “Waco’s Mr. Wizard,” as one newspaper called him – who blazed a unique trail for nearly 60 years in how thousands of students related to physics. Dr. Packard died Jan. 5 in Waco at the age of 94.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 4, 2019) — Americans are happier in states where governments spend more on public goods, such as libraries, parks, highways, natural resources and police protection, a Baylor University study has found.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 3, 2019) - The American Association of Teachers of Japanese has honored Yuko Prefume, Ed.D., senior lecturer in Japanese in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, with the association’s annual Teacher Award presented at the AATJ Fall National Conference Nov. 16-18 in New Orleans.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 17, 2018) – As 2019 approaches, many Americans are considering ways to improve themselves via New Year’s resolutions.

Whether it’s personal, like losing weight or clearing clutter, or it’s professional, such as being a better manager or breaking away from smartphones, the options are wide-ranging. Here is a listing of Baylor University research that might help advise those seeking positive change in the coming year.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 10, 2018) – John Haldane, Ph.D., The J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Distinguished Professor of Philosophy in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, was named to “Fifty Minds that Matter: artists, scientists, philosophers, theologians, musicians and architects who are shaping the modern world,” a list published by The Tablet. This follows his being named one of “The Fifty Most Influential Living Philosophers” by TheBestSchools in 2016.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 10, 2018) – Sara Dolan, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences and director of the doctor of clinical psychology (Psy.D.) graduate program, has been recognized as one of 30 “Citizen Psychologists” by the president of the American Psychological Association.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 3, 2018) — Students given extra points if they met “The 8-hour Challenge” — averaging eight hours of sleep for five nights during final exams week — did better than those who snubbed (or flubbed) the incentive, according to Baylor University research.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 12, 2018) — In a follow-up to their groundbreaking study, Baylor researchers were able to reconstruct baleen whales’ lifetime stress response to whaling and other manmade and environmental factors spanning nearly 150 years.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 18, 2018) – Award-winning author and historian Thomas S. Kidd, Ph.D., has been named the inaugural holder of The James Vardaman Endowed Professorship of History at Baylor University.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 3, 2018) – The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports researchers at every level of experience, but the agency also places a high priority on cultivating the work of promising scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians through Early Career Development Grants, known collectively as CAREER grants. Five Baylor University faculty members have received these grants that dramatically develop their research paths early in their academic careers.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 30, 2018) – More than 80 Baylor University faculty who share their knowledge, research and expertise with the news media were honored Sept. 27 by Baylor Media Communications during the inaugural Newsmakers Luncheon.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 27, 2018) – Baylor University’s Martin Museum of Art will celebrate its reopening after a summer renovation project with an exhibit featuring “John James Audubon: Life, Work and Legacy.” The exhibition will open Saturday, Sept. 29, and run through Nov. 11.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 14, 2018) – Baylor University religion doctoral candidate Joshua Smith traveled to Germany for two months over the summer to improve his language skills, further his dissertation research and gain networking opportunities.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2018) – Baylor University’s 25 inaugural McNair Scholars are ready to soar, like the program’s namesake Dr. Ronald E. McNair, a laser physicist and NASA astronaut who was inspired to work hard and persevere in his studies by his family and by a teacher who recognized and believed in his scientific potential.