Baylor in the News – May 24-30, 2020
Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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WACO, Texas (May 31, 2020) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in local and national media stories as they shared their research on monitoring software, a new paleontological discovery and the effect of some chemical compounds in consumer products, while adding their expertise on new topics ranging from the emotional and spiritual impact of the loss of rites of passage and using film to start conversations about race. In addition, a number of national media outlets shared the heartwarming story of a mother's special backyard Baylor graduation ceremony for her son.
May 26, 2020
KTRK-TV (Houston/ABC): Single Houston mom gives Baylor graduate at-home graduation ceremony
VIDEO: The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing people to celebrate milestones in some very creative and unconventional ways, including for Ayanna Tatum, who celebrated her son Derrick's graduation from Baylor with a surprise ceremony in the family's backyard. The video went viral with coverage ranging from People to Good Morning America to BET. Derrick will begin medical school at UT McGovern in Houston to become an orthopedic surgeon.
May 27, 2020
Fast Company: Surveilling employees who work from home could do more harm than good
With many employees working remotely, a company's use of electronic monitoring of employees may be counterproductive. Research by Baylor Business professors John R. Carlson, Ph.D., and Dawn S. Carlson, Ph.D., found that monitoring software correlated with greater employee tension and less job satisfaction, indicating higher turnover intent.
Baptist News Global:Is the pandemic-era church a church without baptisms, funerals and other major rituals?
Baylor sociologist Kevin Dougherty, Ph.D., is quoted in this article about how going without baptisms, funerals, weddings and other milestone ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic has led pastors and laypeople into some unfamiliar territory. The interruption or loss of these rites, Dougherty said, can disrupt the individual and group identity.
KWTX-TV: Local assistance programs ramp up, as evictions resume
VIDEO: Baylor Law professor Bridget Fuselier is interviewed for this story on the moratorium on evictions in Texas ended this week for many renters, but local assistance programs are ramping up to help those still struggling as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Waco Tribune-Herald: Stakes high for McGregor, McLennan County as SpaceX prepares first crewed flight
Baylor space physicist Truell Hyde, Ph.D., director of CASPER, which has NASA research contracts to prepare for moon travel, is quoted in this article about the impact of SpaceX sending NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on the nation’s first crewed private spacecraft.
May 28, 2020
BYU Radio “Top of Mind with Julie Rose”: Using Film to Start the Conversations We Need to Have About Race
AUDIO: Baylor English professor, theologian and film scholar Greg Garrett, Ph.D., author of “A Long, Long Way: Hollywood’s Unfinished Journey From Racism to Reconciliation,” joins host Julie Rose for a discussion about using film can prompt scrutiny, outrage and change to the way white Americans think about race.
Baptist News Global: COVID-19 pandemic creating long-lasting food shortages for poor
Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of the Texas Hunger Initiative and the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, is quoted in this article about the COVID-19 pandemic leaving lasting impact on food-insecure Americans and organizations that combat hunger.
May 29, 2020
Baylor Connections: Dr. Ramon Lavado
AUDIO: On Baylor Connections, Baylor environmental scientist Ramon Lavado, Ph.D., shares important information from his research, which found that chemical compounds in many household products can be major contributors to obesity and other lipid diseases.
Waco Tribune-Herald: Brice Cherry: Baylor's first family reveals fun, competitive side in online videos
This sports column features Baylor’s first family, President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., along with the First Gent Brad and daughter Shelby, who have through the sheer charisma of their personalities become viral stars among Baylor fans and students.
May 30, 2020
The Washington Post: Camera, selfie stick and fishing rod help to find answers on extinct marine reptile
A Russian paleontologist using a homemade “selfie stick” to study an extinct aquatic reptile on the wall at London’s Natural History Museum turned to Baylor paleontologist Megan L. Jacobs, a doctoral candidate in geosciences, for her expertise on the dolphin-like ichthyosaurs. Together, they made a fascinating discovery.
ABOUT BAYLOR MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Baylor's Office of Media and Public Relations (M&PR) supports the University’s Illuminate strategic plan as a top Christian research university by proactively placing high-profile stories about faculty research and expert opinions, innovative teaching, major awards and recognition, and community involvement. The Baylor M&PR team develops faculty experts to effectively communicate the impact of their research or, as subject-matter experts, speak into national trends and conversations with media outlets, in Hot Topics and on the Baylor Connections podcast. Our faculty expert directory is available on the M&PR website at www.baylor.edu/news/experts.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.