Baylor in the News – June 23-29, 2024

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.

Baylor University faculty and staff made news across the country this week, providing their expertise on the health benefits of fish oil supplements in Men’s Health, whether private equity can help – or hurt – the Big 12 on Houston Public Media and human preaching in an AI age in Sight Magazine.

June 23, 2024

Baptist News Global: DaySpring’s Naomi House demonstrates opportunity for welcoming asylum seekers

W. Dennis Tucker, Jr., Ph.D., professor of Christian Scriptures at Baylor’s Truett Seminary, co-led a session at DaySpring Baptist Church in Waco on a hospitality house for asylum seekers. 

June 24, 2024

Waco Tribune-Herald: Mike Copeland: Master Lube's new wordplay master; Jorge's in July; Popeyes on 11th; Neighborly CEO

Baylor Office of Investments has been named a finalist for the Team of the Year by The Allocator Prizes, which celebrates the most successful institutional investing. Chief Investment Officer David Morehead is praised for his dedication to his team by creating “the best place to work for mothers in the investment industry.”

Waco Tribune-Herald: As SBC cracks down on female pastors, Baptist women in Waco continue to lead

AUDIO: Beth Allison Barr, Ph.D., The James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History at Baylor and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth, is quoted in this article about Baptist women in Waco and their leadership in ministry in light of the SBC vote on women pastors.

Voice of America News: How the presidential candidates see top foreign policy issues 

Serhiy Kudelia, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Baylor, provides his expertise in this article about the two U.S. presidential candidates’ differences in their approach to foreign policy.

Men’s Health: Should You Take a Fish Oil Supplement? It Really Depends.

Baylor nutrition professor LesLee Funderburk, Ph.D., R.D., whose research identifies the best practices to promote good nutrition, is quoted in this article about the potential health benefits of fish oil, saying the “science isn't quite there if you're looking at things like mood improvement.” 

June 25, 2024

Sight Magazine: ChatGPT in the pulpit: Australian conference hears about AI’s possibilities – and limitations

Truett Seminary doctoral candidate Alison Gerber was the keynote speaker at the Authentic Preaching in an Artificial Age conference in Sydney, Australia. She spoke about ChatGPT, what it can and cannot do and how to “embrace the special human attributes that pastors bring to preaching.” 

Waco Tribune-Herald: Waco author finds webs of connection in 2nd 'Historic Homes' book

AUDIO: Kenneth Hafertepe, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Museum Studies at Baylor and a Waco architectural historian, penned his second book on More Historic Homes of Waco, Texas, which details 88 historic homes and the people who lived in them. 

June 26, 2024

Houston Public Media: Would private equity help or hurt the Big 12 and its schools? Experts say it’s hard to predict

As the Big 12 explores a partnership with a private equity company, which would increase cash into the conference, Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., The Edwin W. Streetman Professorship in Retail Marketing and Baylor’s executive director of the Curb Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program, said that while it can be lucrative, it is hard to predict how it will affect other non-revunue generating sports. 

June 27, 2024

The Dallas Morning News: Why haven’t we heard from extraterrestrial life? Plate tectonics may hold clue, study says

Peter James, Ph.D., assistant professor of planetary geosciences, is among the experts who weigh in on new research suggesting new approaches to detecting plate tectonic activity across the galaxy that may increase chances of identifying an advanced species.

June 28, 2024

Baylor Connections: Julie Ann Sweet

AUDIO: In this Baylor Connections, a Baylor history professor transports listeners to Revolutionary times. Julie Anne Sweet, Ph.D., Professor of History and Director of Military Studies, has been featured on C-SPAN as she lectures in full Revolutionary War-period military gear. As we approach Independence Day, she shares why that period is so meaningful to her, gives insights on making history come alive, and recounts some of her favorite people and moments from the times surrounding the founding of the United States.

Spectrum News 1: Study: People who played youth sports into adulthood have better mental health than those who didn't

A new study from sociology researchers at Baylor University and The Ohio State University shows that adults who continuously played organized sports when they were younger have better mental health, specifically less depression and anxiety, than those who either never played or dropped out. The study – led by Laura Upenieks, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology – was published in the Sociology of Sport Journal.

The Christian Century: Praying the hours with W. H. Auden

Philip Jenkins, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History and director of the Program on Historical Studies of Religion at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, writes about W. H. Auden’s poetry collection “The Shield of Achilles,” recently republished with an introduction and commentary by Alan Jacobs, Ph.D., The Jim and Sharon Harrod Endowed Chair of Christian Thought at Baylor.

Love to Know: What Are the Disadvantages of Mobile Phones?

Cellphones are here to stay, but they have their negatives, too, including how phones take away from the intimacy and connectedness of romantic relationships. Nearly half of participants in a Baylor University study indicated that their partners used or were distracted by their phones while in their company. The study coined the phrase, phubbing (phone snubbing).

June 29, 2024

KXXV-TV (ABC/Waco): Sensory-friendly showing allows people with disabilities to go to see a movie

VIDEO: The Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities hosted a sensory-friendly showing of Inside Out 2 at Cinemark Waco by creating a comfortable environment for individuals with disabilities. BCDD director Kristen Padilla, Ph.D., clinical associate professor in educational psychology, said “There are typical behaviors you expect to see at a movie theater and we are trying to change that norm, so that way everyone can just be who they are.”

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday: A day off the grid, from a finalist of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge

AUDIO: James A. Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing at Baylor and a noted smartphone addiction researcher, was interviewed by Northwestern University journalism student Brandon Kondritz for his entry in the NPR College Podcast Challenge. Kondritz spent an entire day unplugged – no scrolling, no staring, no swiping and no typing – and made a podcast about this.

ABOUT BAYLOR MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Baylor's Office of Media and Public Relations (M&PR) supports the University's Illuminate strategic plan as a premier Christian Research 1 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.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 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 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.