News

WACO, Texas (Aug. 9, 2023) – Baylor University’s McNair Scholars Program, along with the Baylor Graduate School, hosted the fifth annual national McNair Research Conference on Aug. 3-4 on the Baylor campus. More than 200 undergraduate McNair Scholars and non-McNair students presented their faculty-mentored research, participated in professional development and engaged with some of the nation’s top graduate schools.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 3, 2023) – Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners – in cooperation with the Waco/McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – to conduct a regular test of outdoor tornado sirens, beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 3, 2023) – During its regular July retreat meeting last week, the Baylor University Board of Regents approved an agreement with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) to convey a parcel of land adjacent to campus to the Texas Baptists for construction of a Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) center.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 3, 2023) – Benjamin Rose, Ph.D., who joined Baylor University Aug. 1 as an assistant professor of physics, will serve as one of four project leaders for a research team which recently earned $11 million in NASA funding to investigate infrastructure solutions for the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope.

WACO, Texas (July 31, 2023) - On Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, the Baylor University Department of Public Safety (BUDPS) and its branches, including the Baylor University Police Department (BUPD), along with 19 other local and federal law enforcement partners and emergency responders, will conduct a joint active threat training exercise in and around Baylor Law School and McLane Stadium on the Baylor campus.

WACO, Texas (July 31, 2023) – Nearly 60 rising middle school students will attend Baylor University’s nationally recognized iEngage Summer Civics Institute July 31-Aug. 4, with campers on the Baylor campus daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WACO, Texas (July 27, 2023) – Daniel Romo, Ph.D., The Schotts Professor of Chemistry at Baylor University and co-director of the Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Lab, is providing synthetic chemistry leadership on an international team of researchers in pursuit of a groundbreaking drug to treat hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) in newborns.

WACO, Texas (July 26, 2023) - Baylor University announced today the appointment of Garritt J. Tucker, Ph.D., as the inaugural Eula Mae and John Baugh Chair in Physics with a focus on innovative research and teaching in the area of materials science.

WACO, Texas (July 23, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about how the evolution of Barbie reflects changing roles and perceptions about gender and  American culture, the role of Quakers in the women’s suffrage movement in the U.S., and how the Baylor University Career Center plays an important role helping students build a successful approach to their careers.

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the second-highest fundraising year in Baylor’s history, with more than $179 million given by alumni, parents and friends during the 2023 fiscal year (FY23). This achievement came during the penultimate year of fundraising for Give Light, Baylor’s comprehensive philanthropic campaign that has seen more than $1.37 billion given to support the University’s endowment, capital priorities and current funds.

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the appointment of Stephen Newby, D.M.A., as the inaugural holder of The Lev H. Prichard III Chair in the Study of Black Worship. Newby brings a background in music, scholarship and ministry to the new position, which provides interdisciplinary leadership, research and scholarship efforts associated with the growth of Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Program.

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Mark and Paula dreamed of creating a space where prospective and current students, alumni and visitors would be able to learn about the University, visit for homecoming and games, celebrate events and find top-notch Baylor gear, all in one location. 

WACO, Texas (July 16, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about how worship leaders pick music for services, narrowing the gap between SNAP benefits and the increasing cost of a meal and the history of tie-breaking votes in the Senate by the Vice President.

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2023) – Baylor University researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work have earned a significant federal grant to bolster mental health services to school children by preparing licensed mental health providers for work in schools.

WACO, Texas (July 12, 2023) – One of the most striking features of Baylor University’s new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center is the four massive columns that start on the interior floor of Carlton Hall and extend 96 feet high, stretching through the building’s roof and into the sky. The columns are more than a striking architectural feature, though; they represent a deep symbolic connection to Baylor’s history while providing a unique technology-rich and interactive experience for the entire Baylor Family.

WACO, Texas (July 12, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the appointment of Felipe Hinojosa, Ph.D., as the inaugural Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America, expanding Baylor’s international footprint and providing additional leadership to advance the priorities of the Baylor in Latin America initiative. 

WACO, Texas (July 9, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about a Guinness World Record attempt at Baylor helping homeless veterans across Texas, what historians are discussing ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding and amid crumbling faith in U.S. institutions, and the impact of workday breaks on both productivity and health.

WACO, Texas (July 6, 2023) – Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners – in cooperation with the Waco/McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – to conduct a regular test of outdoor tornado sirens, beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, July 7.

WACO, Texas (July 6, 2023) – Numerous details throughout the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center honor Baylor's history while simultaneously pointing toward its bright future. Some details are subtle nods to the campus, while others shine the Baylor light for all to see.

Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), will be held at the Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus July 5-28 for students ages 4 to 6.

WACO, Texas (July 2, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about sabbaticals as a professional practice but also a crucial spiritual one, automated warfare and Just War Theory and how the fear of missing out on social activities negatively affected the mental health of adults at high risk of serious disease during the COVID pandemic.

If you have questions about financial aid, you’re not alone. One Stop is where students and families can turn for all financial aid questions at Baylor.

WACO, Texas (June 25, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about the first-ever challenge of elemental analysis validity that has sparked conversations among journal editors and chemists, the relationship between church and state in America and the Ukraine counteroffensive to regain territories.

In 2018 and 2019, Sarah Kienle, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Baylor University, and her colleagues collected movement and dive behavior data and samples from leopard seals off the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Their goal was to compile crucial baseline data on the ecology and physiology of this enigmatic species.

WACO, Texas (June 22, 2023) – Russell H. Dilday, Ph.D. a 1952 graduate of Baylor University, died June 21, 2023. From 1994 to 2000, Dilday served as distinguished professor of homiletics in Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Dilday also briefly served as acting dean of Truett Seminary in 1995-1996.

Women represent the fastest-growing population in U.S. institutional corrections facilities. In the past four decades, the number of women incarcerated has increased by more than 475%, rising from 26,326 in 1980 to 152,854 in 2020. Because the majority of imprisoned women are mothers, a conservative estimate indicates that at least one million American children have experienced maternal incarceration, and a substantial portion of them are adolescents. 

WACO, Texas (June 18, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about ordaining women ministers, changing your metabolism, and historical buildings in Waco.

WACO, Texas (June 16, 2023) – More than 5,000 Baylor University students have been named to the Spring 2023 Dean’s Academic Honor List, which recognizes Baylor undergraduates for their outstanding academic work during each semester. 

WACO, Texas (June 15, 2023) – Baylor University is well-represented on a prestigious list compiling the top most-cited researchers in the world. In a database compiled by Stanford University, 36 current or retired Baylor faculty members appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across 22 disciplines.

WACO, Texas (June 13, 2023) – Baylor University Health Services, an on-campus primary care ambulatory clinic that provides medical care and patient education to Baylor students, has been awarded three-year accreditation again by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).

WACO, Texas (June 12, 2023) As an avid sports fan, historian, and pivotal member of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor’s Truett Seminary, Paul Putz, Ph.D., never dreamed that a message he shared at a Truett Chapel service would create a connection between Baylor and the family of the inventor of basketball. 

WACO, Texas (June 11, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about the use of artificial intelligence to help people interact with a loved one after death, engaging fifth graders in STEM to spark the next generation of scientists and the connection between baseball and spirituality.

WACO, Texas (June 8, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift establishing the first endowed chair position in the history of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing from the family of the School’s namesake, Louise Herrington Ornelas. The Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health will support innovative research and teaching within the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, with a special focus on the areas of mental and behavioral health research, including the need for more mental health professionals.

WACO, Texas (June 6, 2023) – Caleb Martin, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor, and a team of international researchers set out in 2022 to determine first-ever challenge of elemental analysis validity, which has sparked conversations among journal editors and chemists about reevaluating this current threshold.

WACO, Texas (June 6, 2023) – As the need for EV charging stations grows, Baylor University is getting ahead of the curve by bringing EV charging stations to campus, starting with installing a flagship charging station at the new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center in time for its grand opening in September.

WACO, Texas (June 4, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about mosquitos in Waco, the monopoly of Christian music and two new novels written by Baylor faculty.

WACO, Texas (June 2, 2023) – Blasting off this summer is Baylor University’s STEM+ Camp Launch, designed for incoming fifth grade students from three Transformation Waco schools. Sponsored by the Baylor School of Education, with collaboration from the School of Engineering and Computer Science and funding from Waco’s Cooper Foundation, the program consists of three one-week sessions, taking place June 5-23 at the Mayborn Museum.

WACO, Texas (June 1, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $5 million gift from John and Helen Carona of Dallas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College, as well as the University’s other major capital priorities through the Give Light Capital Fund.

WACO, Texas (May 31, 2023) – Baylor University will join City of Waco and McLennan County partners – in cooperation with the Waco/McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – to conduct a regular test of outdoor tornado sirens, beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, June 2.

WACO, Texas (May 31, 2023) – For the second year in a row, Baylor University has been named among the nation’s top 10 Most Trusted Universities, according to global research firm Morning Consult as part of its Most Trusted Brands project, the definitive measure of consumer brand trust across industries, including higher education.

WACO, Texas (May 30, 2023) – Baylor University’s Department of Religion has announced that Ba Wool (Paul) Kim has been named the recipient of the 2023 Robert L. Gilbert Scholar in Religion Graduate Stipend. Kim has been accepted to the University’s Ph.D. program in religion with a concentration in Old Testament studies.

WACO, Texas (May 28, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about the Institute for Oral History’s support of the Uvalde memorial project, the new black bears coming to Baylor and a breakthrough toward reducing the energy consumption in supercomputers.

WACO, Texas (May 24, 2023) – As families prepare to travel to grandma’s house over the summer or gather with extended family at reunions, we often are regaled with tales about an older relative’s fascinating life story or their firsthand experience as an eyewitness to history. So how do you capture and preserve those precious memories?

WACO, Texas (May 23, 2023)  – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $7.2 million to the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty to operate its innovative Meals-to-You summer meals program for a fifth summer.

WACO, Texas (May 22, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the addition of two American black bear cubs to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. The cubs, named Judge Indy and Judge Belle, will join the Baylor Family in the on-campus habitat as early as mid-summer.

WACO, Texas (May 21, 2023) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories about the efficacy of hypnosis, college students and their need for sleep and the Baylor Board of Regents May meeting.   

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.

WACO, Texas (May 17, 2023) – Baylor sleep researcher Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, and Blake Barley, doctoral candidate in psychology in Scullin’s sleep lab, examined how institutional factors, biological factors and behavioral choices play a role in sleep problems for college students and if these "chronotypes" may more flexible than current theories suggest.

WACO, Texas (May 16, 2023) – For most of U.S. history, tattoos have been associated with sailors and bikers, but not church-going people. As tattoos have become more popular, with nearly one-third of U.S. adults sporting at least one tattoo, religious-themed tattoos have also increased. A recent study examined the behaviors of college students with tattoos, including religious tattoos.

Baylor University researcher Jay Yoo, Ph.D., associate professor of apparel merchandising in Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, found that the social and cultural influences on the desirability of tanning – which has been associated with good health and an active lifestyle since the 1920s – is often stronger than the dangers of harmful UV exposure.