Baylor in the News – Sept. 12-18, 2021

September 19, 2021

Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961

WACO, Texas (Sept. 19, 2021) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories as they shared their thoughts and expertise on using handwritten text recognition to enhance preserved documents, why the pandemic has caused mental health changes and the skills students need to be successful in their future endeavors.

Sept. 12, 2021

The Age: Centuries on, the relevance of Dante’s Divine Comedy remains

A Baylor program to provide videos and discussion three times a week on Dante’s “Divine Comedy” opened Wednesday with 8,000 participants.

Sept. 13, 2021

Wired: ‘Neurograins’ Could be the Next Brain-Computer Interfaces

Vincent Leung, Ph.D, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is acknowledged for his work in helping develop a system that uses dozens of silicon microchips to record and transmit brain activity to a computer.

Baptist News Global: Want to help slow immigration to the U.S.? Address global hunger

David Beasley, the former Republican governor of South Carolina who now serves as executive director of the United Nations World Food Program, was keynote speaker for the “Forum on Global Hunger” organized by the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and hosted virtually and in-person by the university’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. This article discusses his speech and its key points as they address world hunger.

Baptist Standard: UN official links global conflict and acute hunger

A speech delivered by David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme, at the Forum on Global Hunger, sponsored by the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, is highlighted in this article about world hunger.

Library Journal: Advances in HTR technology make handwritten documents even more accessible and discoverable

Baylor is using handwritten text recognition with transcription to enhance its Armstrong Browning Collection. Darryl Stuhr, director of digitization and digital preservation services at Baylor, calls the technology a “game changer” for researchers.

Sept. 14, 2021

Campus Rec: Campus Rec Remembered 9/11

From Sept. 8-11, students gathered at Baylor University’s Student Life Center as part of a national challenge to remember 9/11. Baylor’s Campus Recreation and Wellness departments set up a platform, and participants stepped on and off it 581 times to take the 2,071 steps it took to reach the top of the Word Trade Center.

Sept. 15, 2021

CHRI: The Wednesday Bookmark - The Making of Biblical Womanhood

AUDIO: Beth Allison Barr, Ph.D., professor of history and associate dean of graduate studies, is interviewed about her book “The Making of Biblical Womanhood”.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor's "Last Night of Ballyhoo" heart-warming search for identity

Baylor’s Theatre production opens their mainstage season on Tuesday with Alfred Uhry’s “The Last Night Of Ballyhoo”.

Sept. 16, 2021

BYU Radio: Earworms

Many pop songs these days are so catchy they can be torture—stuck in your head on a constant loop. Michael Scullin, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience, has been studying how memorable music affects sleep. He discusses his findings on Top of Mind with Julie Rose.

Baptist Standard: Research shows pandemic takes toll on emotional health

Findings from the latest national Baylor Religion Survey found the pandemic has made Americans significantly angrier, sadder, lonelier and more worried. Wave 6 of the religion survey provided Baylor University researchers with an opportunity to examine the mental health of the American public by asking individuals to reflect on their emotional state during the pandemic compared to their life before.

Technology Networks: Finding a Fix for Archeology's Dating Problem

Julie Hoggarth, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, is quoted in this article on radiocarbon analysis that is used to date artifacts.

Christianity Today: Evangelical Colleges Join Effort to Promote Faith in the Vaccine

Anu Agbi, student ambassador at Baylor, is quoted in this article about how colleges are encouraging students to get vaccinated.

The Rheumatologist: Management Experts Share Tips for Supporting Virtual Workforce Teams

Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, is quoted in this article detailing ways to support employees during the changing times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sept. 17, 2021

Baylor Connections: Linda Plank, Ph.D., RN

AUDIO: COVID-19 has further highlighted the need for nurses who fill a critical care role in a public health crisis. Linda Plank, Ph.D., RN, is a 30-year nursing veteran and longtime educator who was named Dean of Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) this spring. In this Baylor Connections, Plank discusses the impact of the pandemic on nursing and nursing education, examines the growth of Baylor nursing and shares what makes LHSON distinct in higher education.

The Dallas Morning News: What employers need that colleges don’t teach well

Thomas Hibbs, Ph.D., the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Philosophy and dean emeritus, argues that students need solid writing skills as they enter the workforce.

WalletHub: Totaled Car Guide: Key Things to Know in 2021

J. Franklin Potts, Ph.D., associate professor of finance, insurance and real estate, was interviewed in this article detailing actions to take after totaling a vehicle.

Aleteia: 100 Days of Dante: Heeding Pope Francis’s call to rediscover the ‘Divine Comedy’

100 Days of Dante is a free online reading group developed by Baylor University’s Honors College that will guide participants through the “Divine Comedy” and “inspire new and life-long readers to celebrate Dante’s enduring legacy.”

Thrive Global: The Perfect Workday Hours to Maximize Motivation

Research from Emily Hunter, Ph.D. and Cindy Wu, Ph.D., associate professors of management, is used in this article in support of taking a coffee break in the mid-morning.

KXXV-TV: Supporters push to get #IAmVanessaGuillenAct passed with NDAA

VIDEO: Patrick Flavin, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, is quoted in this article addressing support of the #IAmVanessaGuillenAct.

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 focusing on faculty research and expert opinions, innovative teaching, major awards and recognition, and community involvement. Through its media training workshops, the Baylor M&PR team develops faculty experts to effectively communicate the impact of their research or speak as subject-matter experts into national trends and conversations with media outlets, through 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 20,000 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.