Baylor in the News – Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2025

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.

Baylor University faculty experts and researchers shared insights with national and regional media on the effects of Return-to-Office mandates, education and community involvement with honoring Black History and tips to avoid jet lag.  

Featured News

The Wacoan: Baylor University’s Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson expands historical narratives to recognize critical contributions of Black Americans

Ronald Angelo Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Baylor, discusses his journey to teaching and the importance of recognizing Black Americans’ role in American history. As someone who has studied both race and diplomacy, Johnson wants to givee students more than basic facts, noting his “role is to point out areas where our American ancestors could have done better.” 

National/International

CNN Newsource: Return-to-Office debate heats up

VIDEO: Baylor University management expert Sara Jansen Perry, Ph.D., who studies employee stress and well-being, including the role of remote/hybrid work and leadership, was interviewed for this national story about the top 3 challenges of Return to Office Mandates for employers and employees.

Deseret: 5 tips for beating jet-lag 

A tip to avoid jet lag from Baylor’s Michael Scullin, Ph.D., director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory and associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, is featured, advising travelers to avoid “quick fixes, like naps.” 

ARS Technica: Dell risks employee retention by forcing all teams back into office full-time   

Dell’s new Return-to-Office mandate could cause them to lose some top employees based on a study using LinkedIn data from a group of researchers, including Baylor’s Betty Bin Xing, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting and business law. The study determined that the average turnover rates increased by 14% after companies issued RTO policies. 

Local/Regional

KWBU-FM (Waco/NPR): Black Gospel Archive receives $2.48 million grant to add oral history, increase space

AUDIO: Baylor’s Black Gospel Archive is featured, with Baylor music professor Stephen Newby, D.M.A., and retired founder and Professor Emeritus of Journalism Robert Darden discussing the importance of the collection and how it will expand due to new grant money.   

Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor pianists to showcase Black composer's forgotten works

AUDIO: Baylor University will host Rediscovered Gems: Works by Florence Price featuring 14 piano majors performing 20 pieces by the underappreciated 20th-century Black composer. The event will include performer insights and a talk by Baylor piano professor Michael Clark, D.M.A., who edited the piano book, Florence Price: Rediscovered Gems for Piano Solo.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Biography highlights Waco composer Kurt Kaiser's role in early contemporary Christian music

A new book by retired Truett Seminary church music professor Terry York, D.M.A., focuses on composer, arranger and pianist Kurt Kaiser, who played a key role in the rise of contemporary Christian music. In the book, York explores Kaiser's lasting impact and contributions to Christian music by helping establish Waco-based Word Music as a major force, discovering influential Christian artists and co-writing the 1969 musical Tell It Like It Is, which helped shape modern Christian music.

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 coaching 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.