Baylor in the News – Nov. 3-9, 2024

Contact: Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-710-1961
Follow us: @BaylorUMedia on X and LinkedIn

Note: The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of the University.

Featured News

Religion News Service: Gateway Church congregants take up Morris' offer to get 'money back' on tithes

Theologian, lawyer and business ethics scholar Elisabeth Rain Kincaid, J.D., Ph.D., director of the Institute for Faith and Learning at Baylor and associate professor of ethics, faith and culture in Baylor’s Truett Seminary, is quoted in this article about the ethics of pastors’ “money-back offers” regarding tithes. Kincaid said how tithes are used can impact a congregation’s trust in its leadership.

National/International

Deseret News: The power of gratitude: 5 ways practicing gratitude benefits the body and mind

Baylor University psychology research is cited in this article about the mental and physical benefits that come from the regular practice of gratitude. Publishing their findings in the Journal of Positive Psychology, the Baylor researchers found that getting 46 minutes of extra sleep every night is “linked to improvements to overall well-being, including a beneficial impact on a person’s gratitude, flourishing, resilience and prosocial behaviors.”

The New York Times: Truth Social May Be the Company With the Most at Stake This Election

Mike Stegemoller, Ph.D., The Harriette L. and Walter G. Lacy Jr. Chair of Banking and Finance at at Baylor, is quoted in this article about the ramifications of the outcome of the presidential election on Truth Social, former President Trump’s social media company.

Top1000Funds: How an iterative strategy shapes success at Baylor university endowment

Baylor University’s chief investment officer David Morehead spoke with Top1000Funds.com about the “guiding ethos” that shapes investment strategy for Baylor’s $2.2 billion endowment that distributed $91 million to the University last year to support students, professors and academic programs.

HuffPostUK: Sleeping This Many More Minutes Per Night May Boost Well-Being

Michael Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory, is quoted about a new study from Baylor University that shows 46 extra minutes of sleep per night can increase well-being and have a positive impact on gratitude, flourishing and resilience. 

TVP World (Poland): Trump cutting off aid to Ukraine not a forgone conclusion, experts say

VIDEO: Sergiy Kudelia, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Baylor, was interviewed about the impact that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election will have on Ukraine. 

Interfaith America: Announcing the 2024-2025 Advancing Campus Pluralism Grantees

Baylor University was one of nine institutions selected as a 2024-2025 Advancing Campus Pluralism grantee by Interfaith America. The grantees will have the opportunity to implement pluralism training, curriculum integration, modeling difficult dialogues and pluralism programming over the next academic year. 

American Horse Publications: Horses and Humans Research Foundation Awards up to $150,000 to Team from Baylor University Studying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Cory Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor of health, human performance and recreation at Baylor, is quoted about a $150,000 grant to research how therapeutic horseback riding can improve social and behavioral outcomes in youth with autism spectrum disorder through novel neurophysiological monitoring.

The Student Life (Claremont McKenna College): CMC talks religion, race and gender in preparation for 2024 election

Jerry Park, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at Baylor, was among panelists at Claremont McKenna College that discussed “Religion and White Christian Nationalism among Asian American Voters in 2020.” Park spoke about his research that found that religious affiliations and religiopolitical ideologies mattered for Asian American voters in the 2024 election.

State/Local

Baptist Standard: Strategic plan advances Baylor’s Christian mission

Baylor University’s new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, offers multiple opportunities to advance its mission to be a distinctively Christian research university, President Linda Livingstone said following the November Board of Regents meeting. The Baylor Lariat also reported on Regent action, which included approving a Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering in the Graduate School and a Master of Science in Learning Design and Technology in the School of Education.

Waco Tribune-Herald: EPA grant of nearly $18M aids Waco homeless village, composting, lead removal

Baylor University has received $900,000 as part of a $17.9 million EPA grant to local nonprofits and the City of Waco to train teachers and faith leaders in gardening and composting as well as interdisciplinary projects on food justice and climate resilience. Other “community change” projects in Waco include solar panels and battery storage as well as lead abatement, community gardens and composting.

KWTX-TV (CBS/Waco): Baylor students are excited to cast first ballot

VIDEO: This article about the upward tick in registration of voters 18-30 includes comments from first-time Baylor students and Patrick Flavin, Ph.D., interim chair of political science and The Bob Bullock Professor of Political Science at Baylor.

KWTX-TV (CBS/Waco): Election Day 2024 on KWTX@4: State & National Races breakdown

VIDEO: Patrick Flavin, Ph.D., interim chair of political science and The Bob Bullock Professor of Political Science at Baylor, joins KWTX@4 to break down state and national races on Election Day.

ABOUT BAYLOR MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Baylor's Office of Media and Public Relations (M&PR) supports the University's Baylor in Deeds 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. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.