Baylor Announces Lead Gift to Fund Bear Habitat Enhancements

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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Baylor University today announced a lead gift from Jeff (B.B.A. ’92) and Shelley (B.B.A. ’92) Vosburg of Flower Mound, Texas, to fund renovations and improvements to the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. Construction has broken ground on the donor-funded project, which will elevate habitat grounds, enhance the live mascot program’s educational outreach resources and provide improvements to technology and infrastructure.

“For more than 100 years, Baylor University has benefited from our live mascot program that supports education efforts and conservation of the American black bear,” said Sharra Hynes, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Life at Baylor. “We are grateful for the support of Baylor’s alumni, parents and friends in building one of the elite live mascot programs in the country. The Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat welcomes more than 250,000 visitors per year, including over 5,000 children visiting on educational trips for schools, camps and other groups. These improvements allow us to widen our welcome, so that we can help our guests and the Baylor Family to learn more about the program, its history and about our current beloved bears, Indy and Belle.”

The Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat serves as the campus home to Indy and Belle, American black bears who joined the Baylor community in 2023. As improvements to the Bear Habitat continue, the construction will necessitate at times the transfer of Indy and Belle to their off-campus center, to ensure their flourishing. Enhancements to the Bear Habitat include a new education pavilion, seating, updated landscaping, new technology, and improvements to some operational infrastructure.

Through their gift, the Vosburgs hope to honor a beloved Baylor tradition, while creating a space where the Baylor Family can come together to celebrate the program’s rich history and connect with the next generation of Baylor Mascots.

Jeff and Shelley are proud parents of four children, all of whom are Baylor alumni or current students. Jeff Vosburg is the executive commercial director at Ready Seal, and the Vosburgs have been long-time volunteers within Baylor’s Baylor Parents program, hosting Dallas/Fort-Worth-area send-off parties and Parents in Prayer events.

The planned improvements and the years-long efforts to create this welcoming space for the community to gather was sparked by a pioneering gift from Drs. Adam (B.S. ’04, D.O.) and Kelly (B.A. ’04, Ph.D.) Ylitalo, of Waco, Texas. The inspiration for the gift came from Adam’s experiences as a Bear Trainer for former Baylor Mascot, Lady, and his time caring for the bears as a member of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce. Adam, a local urologist, and Kelly, an associate professor in Baylor’s Public Health program, are active members of the Waco and Calvary Baptist Church communities, where they raise their two children.

“We are incredibly excited to give back to a program and school that gave so much to us over the last 26 years,” Adam Ylitalo said. “This unique, student-led tradition really sets Baylor apart and serves as a consistent and unifying bright spot for our university.”

Through the generosity of the Vosburgs and Ylitalos, the Bear Habitat expansion will feature a memorial plaza honoring past Baylor Bears, including Baylor’s mascots, Joy and Lady, who were beloved on the Baylor campus for more than 20 years until the sisters passed away in 2022 and 2025, respectively. The memorial will pay special tribute to Joy and Lady, who were the first live mascots to spend their full natural lives under the care of Baylor’s mascot program. The memorial also will honor all of Baylor’s live mascots who have represented the University during the program’s 109-year history.

The lead gift from the Vosburg family and the pioneering gift from the Ylitalo Family – alongside additional support from other Baylor alumni, parents and friends – fully funded the renovation and enhancement costs, allowing the project to proceed with its expected completion in early 2027.

To track construction progress and learn more about Indy and Belle, follow the Bear Habitat on Instagram. 

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 nearly 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 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.