Baylor in the News – June 2-8, 2024

Baylor Connections talks with Steven Fernandez about Baylor's McNair Scholars program which serves undergraduates from low-income, first-generation and other underrepresented backgrounds through mentorship, research opportunities and other scholarly activities (Baylor Photography: Matthew Minard).
Contact: Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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Note: The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of the University.
WACO, Texas (June 9, 2024) – The connection between sleep and gratitude, the importance of faith-based higher education and Baylor’s McNair Scholars program were some of the topics discussed by Baylor University researchers and faculty experts in the news this week.
June 2, 2024
The Good Men Project: Dr. Hermina Nedelescu on Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse
In this Q&A, Dr. Hermina Nedelescu, a neuroscientist involved in state efforts to protect adults from clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse, cites research from Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work that showed that 3.1% of adult women who attended a place of worship at least once a month said they were victims of clergy sexual misconduct as adults.
June 3, 2024
National Catholic Register: On Tap at 2024 Society of Catholic Scientists Convention: AI, Evolution, and the Nature of Faith
Alexander Pruss, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and mathematician at Baylor, spoke on the topic of artificial intelligence and human souls (why the human mind is not a machine) at the annual convention of the Society of Catholic Scientists June 7-9 at Mundelein Seminary northwest of Chicago.
Waco Tribune-Herald: Christianity, business
CEOs, company founders and researchers flocked to Baylor University this past month for the inaugural the Armes Family Christian Leadership in Business Summit, which featured keynote speakers and interactive panel discussions on the integration of faith and topics like innovation, inclusion and ethics.
June 4, 2024
EurekAlert: Getting more sleep leads to increased gratitude, resilience and flourishing
A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that healthy sleep has a positive impact on gratitude, resilience and flourishing in adults. Michael Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor and principal investigator, noted that experimentally increasing sleep improved these positive attributes, which are at the core of well-being and among the underpinnings of prosocial behaviors.
Deseret News: Calling faith critical to higher education, educators launch new Commission on Faith-based Universities
The American Council on Education’s Commission on Faith-based Universities convened its inaugural conference with presidents, including Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., from 35 religious-affiliated institutions — Catholic, Jewish, Baptist, Latter-day Saint, and more – who countered the narrative that faith is receding among young people and helped others understand why American youth are responding to education at faith-based institutions. Inside Higher Ed also covered the commission’s inaugural meeting.
June 5, 2024
Duke Today: Hard Conversations on Campus
Elizabeth Corey, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Baylor, who attended a 2023 seminar at Duke on facilitating discourse across political lines, co-taught a class in the spring with her husband, David Corey, Ph.D., also a professor of political science, called “The Hardest Issues of our Age: A Course in Political Philosophy and Civil Discourse.” The Coreys are also involved in a Baylor civil discourse initiative, started by another colleague.
Associated Press: A court ruled embryos are children. These Christian couples agree yet wrestle with IVF choices
Matthew Lee Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor of ethics and theology at Baylor, is quoted in this article about Christian families wrestling with questions about IVF treatment.
Vox: Is TikTok breaking young voters’ brains?
Research from Baylor smartphone researchers Meredith E. David, Ph.D., and James A. Roberts, Ph.D., is featured in this article on the addictive nature of TikTok and how it can influence the political leanings of Gen Z.
KCEN-TV (NBC/Waco): Baylor's Give Light campaign raises historic $1.5 billion for university
VIDEO: Baylor University has raised $1.5 billion through its Give Light comprehensive philanthropic campaign, far surpassing its goal of $1.1 billion and making it the most successful comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history. KWKT-TV (FOX/Waco) also reported on the milestone.
June 6, 2024
Waco Tribune-Herald: Art Center Waco taps local collectors for Tapas show
VIDEO: Numerous art pieces owned by Waco collectors are on exhibit at Art Center Waco in a show featuring a variety of artists and mediums. The exhibit includes a painting by Winter Rusiloski, MFA, associate professor of painting at Baylor, as well as other Baylor alumni.
Waco Tribune-Herald: Yormark, Livingstone preparing for big financial changes in Big 12
Baylor President Linda Livingstone, Ph.D., in her role as chair of the Big 12 board of directors, is quoted in this article on the multibillion-dollar settlement that will pave the way for revenue sharing in college sports.
June 7, 2024
Baylor Connections: Steven Fernandez
AUDIO: Baylor's McNair Scholars program serves undergraduates from low-income, first-generation and other underrepresented backgrounds through mentorship, research opportunities and other scholarly activities. Steven Fernandez serves as director of Student Opportunity and Achievement Resources (SOAR) at Baylor. In this Baylor Connections, he shares how the McNair program fosters relationships and opportunities that have helped propel students to elite academic posts when their time at Baylor is through.
The Conversation: New database features 250 AI tools that can enhance social science research
MacKenzie Paul, doctoral candidate in psychology at Baylor, coauthored research with colleagues at Mississippi State that created a database of AI tools that can be beneficial for social scientists in data analysis, gaps in knowledge and summarizing research findings.
Waco Tribune-Herald: Experts: Precaution better than panic as mosquitoes swarm Waco after soggiest month
VIDEO: Jason Pitts, Ph.D., associate professor of Biology and director of the Texas Mosquito Control Association, talks about the prevalence of mosquitos in the Waco area after the high levels of rain experienced recently, the risk of West Nile fever caused by mosquito bites and ways to protect against bites.
Waco Tribune-Herald:Mayborn exhibit 'Sacred Places' finds common threads in world faiths
VIDEO: “Sacred Places” is a new exhibit at the Mayborn Museum focusing on six primary sites representing some of the world’s most followed religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Rapa Nui Indigenous Spirituality and Buddhism.
Innovation Map: Houston-area schools score spots on of annual list of top universities for patents issued
Baylor University is noted for its inclusion in a new list from the National Academy of Inventors of the top 100 U.S. universities granted utility patents in 2023.
June 8, 2024
The Dallas Morning News: A guide for political detox
Thomas S. Hibbs, Ph.D., The J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy and Dean Emeritus of the Honors College, offers some practical advice for detoxing from today’s politics as derived from Michael Wear’s new book, The Spirit of Our Politics.
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