Baylor in the News – May 26-June 1, 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.

WACO, Texas (June 2, 2024) – With summer underway, Baylor University researchers and faculty experts shared insight on summer meals for children facing food insecurity, what’s new at the Mayborn Museums (including the installation of life-size bronze mammoths) and research on the potential water needs for a future moon base. 

May 27, 2024

Christian Century: How empires spread religion

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 how the wider influence of empires has created the means for religions to expand globally. 

May 28, 2024

Waco Tribune-Herald: Waco-area school districts roll out free summer meal sites for kids

Grace Norman, chief of staff and senior director for public affairs ands partnerships at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, is quoted in this article on local school districts providing summer meals through the Seamless Summer Feeding Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Texas A&M University College of Arts & Sciences: Texas A&M To Host TexSyn VI Conference In Celebration Of Synthetic Chemistry
Liela Romero, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry and Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas Scholar at Baylor, is one of the keynote speakers at the biannual TexSyn Conference hosted by Texa A&M University. The conference presents a rich legacy of synthetic chemistry around the Lone Star State through a combined display of excellence across academic and industry sectors.

Patheos: Forgetting Martha Stearns Marshall: Women’s Roles In The SBC

Baylor history Ph.D. student Jordann Heckart is guest author of this column about Martha Stearns Marshall, one of the few colonial women noted for helping establish the Separate Baptist tradition in the South, predecessors to the Southern Baptist Convention, and who is all but forgotten in Baptist histories. 

May 29, 2024

Universe Today: How Much Water Would a Self-Sustaining Moonbase Need?

A recent study from Baylor’s Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics & Engineering Research (CASPER) has researched possible water management scenarios for a self-sustaining moon base. Lead author, Jeffrey Lee, Ph.D., assistant adjunct professor at CASPER, is interviewed about the motivation behind the study, the importance of having a self-sustaining moonbase and what implications this study could have for the upcoming Artemis missions.

American Council On Education: ACE Launches New Commission For Faith-Based Colleges And Universities

The first meeting of the American Council on Education Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities featured a panel discussion with Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., and presidents from other faith-based universities about religious mission as a driver of scholarly excellence and innovation in research.

Christianity Today: Boy Meets Girl, Fans Meet Jesus?

Baylor history Ph.D. student Emma Fenske writes about the progress of Christian romance writers, how their stories are being translated for the screen and how they can use their writing to share evangelical messages. 

Irish Examiner: Preparing the world now for the next Disease X

Tom Achoki, Ph.D., a former Sloan fellow at MIT, adjunct faculty member at Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences and co-founder of the Africa Institute for Health Policy in Nairobi, Kenya, is among the co-writers of this article about how health systems in resource-constrained countries and regions can prepare for and respond to a potential “Disease X” scenario.

Mission Critical: Best US colleges to pursue a career in AI

Baylor University is ranked No. 7 as one of the top 10 colleges in the U.S. to receive a bachelor’s degree in computer science, which can lead to finding a lucrative career in artificial intelligence (AI). 

May 30, 2024

Waco Tribune-Herald: ‘Living in Light’ finds hope for abuse survivors through Waco-crafted play

AUDIO: Geneece Goertzen, doctoral candidate and Center for Church & Community Impact (C3i) PhD Research Fellow at Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, and playwright Trent Clifford collaborated on a play about domestic abuse survivors based on Goertzen’s research. Both were influenced by their own histories and hope the play can offer healing and hope to survivors. 

The Conversation: Outside Supreme Court justice’s home, a Revolution-era flag, now a call for Christian nationalism

Baylor Communication faculty Leslie Hahner, Ph.D., and Scott J. Varda, Ph.D., , both experts in visual and political rhetoric, write about the symbolism and meanings of the Appeal to Heaven Pine Tree Flag and how it has been used both historically and today.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Invasive beetle now in McLennan County could doom local ash trees

AUDIO: Baylor biology professor Joseph White, Ph.D., is quoted in this article about the emerald ash borer beetle, an invasive species that has killed millions of ash trees in the Midwest that has been confirmed in McLennan County.

May 31, 2024

Baylor Connections: Mayborn Museum

AUDIO: The Mayborn Museum celebrates 20 years of serving Central Texas in 2024. This spring, the Mayborn unveiled signature bronze mammoth sculptures to welcome visitors. Rebecca Nall serves as Assistant Director of Exhibits, Communication, and Visitor Services. In this Baylor Connections, she shares more about the sculptures, takes listeners on a tour of the museum and highlights new summer exhibits.

June 1, 2024

Wacoan: Charlie Walter

Charlie Walter, M.B.A., adjunct lecturer and director of the Mayborn Museum Complex, talks about the new bronze mammoths sculptures installed in front of the Mayborn, the connection to Waco Mammoth National Monument and the success of the museum. 

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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.