Provost Honors Faculty Members as 2025-2026 Baylor Fellows

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
Follow us: @BaylorUMedia on X and LinkedIn

Ten Baylor University faculty members have been selected by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., to serve as 2025-2026 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and desire to advance Baylor’s commitment to transformational education. Under this year’s theme – Ethical Technology Use and Improved Digital Literacy – each Baylor Fellow was selected for their work in the emerging technology space and commitment to student learning.

“This year’s Baylor Fellows cohort will take on the timely and highly practical theme of Ethical Technology Use and Improved Digital Literacy,” said Toby Brooks, Ph.D., director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) and clinical professor in health and human performance at Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. “As our classrooms and research continue to be transformed by emerging technologies, these 10 faculty leaders will explore responsible, creative and effective ways to integrate digital tools into teaching and learning. Their work will not only strengthen Baylor’s commitment to academic excellence but will also work to equip our students with the discernment and skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex digital world."

The 2025-2026 Baylor Fellows are:

• Kevin Russel Magill, Ph.D., associate professor of curriculum and teaching and director of graduate programs, School of Education, and the 2025-26 Senior Fellow
• Halli Carr, D.N.P., clinical associate professor and DNP-Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Track coordinator, Louise Herrington School of Nursing
• Emily Clark, M.A., lecturer in museum studies, College of Arts & Sciences
• Matthew Cordon, J.D., director of the Legal Writing Program and The A. Royce Stout Chair of Law, Baylor Law School
• Ivy Hamerly, Ph.D., senior lecturer of political science and director of the international studies B.A. program, College of Arts & Sciences
• Ginger Hanchey, Ph.D., senior lecturer of English, director of the Core and undergraduate program director for literature and creative writing, College of Arts & Sciences
• Ben Johansen, Ph.D., senior lecturer in composition and computer music, School of Music
• T. Philip Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor of English education, School of Education
• Meredith H. Palm, Ph.D., lecturer of psychology and neuroscience and psychology advisor, College of Arts & Sciences
• Michael W. Thompson, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering, School of Engineering and Computer Science

Launched in 2011, the Baylor Fellows program – sponsored by ATL – honors faculty members who exhibit excellence in teaching and desire to further transform student dispositions, thinking, knowledge and skills through teaching innovations. Selected faculty members receive an award of $1,845 in honor of the year of Baylor’s founding and the title of “Baylor Fellow” for the year of their appointment.

Incubator classrooms

As digital tools become more integrated into classrooms and daily lives, questions of ethical technology use and digital literacy have become increasingly important, Brooks said. With students needing guidance to navigate both the opportunities and the challenges that digital tools present, faculty members play a critical role in modeling thoughtful use of technology and helping students become more discerning digital citizens.

Baylor Fellows choose how to design and implement the theme in their teaching. Each Fellow will identify one course as an “incubator” or “lab” classroom, then facilitate course innovation by developing activities and assignments that that promote ethical engagement with technology, improve students’ digital literacy and encourage responsible, critical use of digital tools in academic contexts and beyond. Following best practices of evidence-based scholarship in teaching and learning, the Fellows develop means to assess their projects.                                                

Through the program, Baylor Fellows also can share ideas, collaborate and forge interdisciplinary networks. Cohort discussions are held monthly alongside conversational events open to the University.

“The nomination list for this year’s cohort of Baylor Fellows was, as always, tremendously strong. I am very proud of the 10 faculty who have been selected to share their knowledge and experience across campus,” said J. Wesley (Wes) Null, Ph.D., vice provost for undergraduate education and academic affairs. “One of the main purposes of the Fellows program is to recognize high-quality teaching, and, without question, this year’s cohort deserves this recognition. On top of that, the theme could not be more timely. I am excited to learn from these outstanding teachers and scholars throughout the year.”

All full-time faculty members, regardless of rank, are eligible to serve as Baylor Fellows. Nominations are solicited from academic deans, former Baylor Fellows and the ATL Advisory Council. Baylor Fellows are selected by the Office of the Provost.

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.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

Baylor University’s Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) exists to inspire, support and advance a flourishing academic community where every educator is equipped for success, committed to growth and teaching with care.