News

The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing celebrated the 15th anniversary of FastBacc®, a 12-month accelerated track for a post-baccalaureate Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Commemorating the milestone moment, a reception was held after the FastBacc® Summer 2024 White Coat Ceremony on Monday, July 8, 2024. The festivities, attended by many alumni and faculty, included recognition of key donors and past FastBacc coordinators.

A Baylor bond that spans three generations and two families: the story of Linda Willingham Dean (BS ’70), Bonnie Luft (BS ’71, MS ’74) and their daughters Amanda Dean Hosni (BS ’01) and Amanda Luft Christian (BS ’00).

After 40 years as one of the faces of San Antonio’s KSAT, Jessie Degollado (BA ’72) is stepping out of the spotlight.

Degollado was one of a host of KSAT veterans to retire July 1, ending an era in San Antonio. Whether reporting on issues affecting San Antonio, South Texas or both sides of the Rio Grande, Degollado used her journalistic nose, her knowledge of Hispanic culture and language, and just plain hard work to keep the people of San Antonio informed for four decades.

Baylor University’s Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center is hard to miss as the campus’s spectacular front door right off Interstate 35 in Waco. Throughout July, the Hurd Welcome Center will serve an additional purpose for road-weary travelers: a convenient daytime Travel Stop offering a cool place indoors to take a break.

In 22 seasons as head coach of the Baylor women’s tennis program, Joey Scrivano has built a record of success as the winningest coach in program history. This spring, he added a new title to his resume: Baylor graduate.

Scrivano walked the stage at Commencement in May after earning his master’s degree in sport pedagogy. For a coach who consistently encourages his players to be lifelong learners, it was a chance to live out what he preaches — and it provided a deeper appreciation for the experience his student-athletes receive at Baylor.

Throughout the summer, Baylor head football coach Dave Aranda will join alumni and fans across the state of Texas on the Texas Tour.
 
Fans can join Coach Aranda for an opportunity to learn more about the culture of excellence that Baylor football is developing and what fans can expect to see on the field this fall. The following dates and locations are listed below:
 
July 16 – Houston Texas Tour
July 18 – DFW Texas Tour
July 22 – San Antonio Texas Tour

Earlier this month, the Baylor Facebook page asked its nearly 250,000 followers a simple question: “What’s the most random place you’ve met another Bear?”

More than 500 answers later, a couple of things became clear:

Something special happened in April when the Texas Rangers hosted the Oakland Athletics. Former Baylor standout Davis Wendzel had just been called up, joining a Baylor teammate, Cody Bradford, on the Rangers. In the opposite dugout, another of their former teammates, Shea Langeliers, was preparing to play for the Athletics. This is believed to be the first time three Baylor alums were all on active rosters in the same game.

That series highlighted just how special of a time this is for Baylor baseball fans, as five Bears have played in the big leagues this year, tying the single year high-water mark for Baylor alums.

For almost 20 years, legendary music executive Mike Curb has supported what was previously known as the Sports Strategy and Sales (S3) program in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. In honor of his longtime support, the S3 program has been renamed the Curb Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program.

Last week, business leaders and business researchers came together at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business to dive into an important topic. They weren’t there to discuss revenue or industry disruptions; instead, they came to talk about faith — specifically, what it means to be a Christian leader in the workplace.

Over parts of two days, businesspeople of all levels took part in the first-ever Armes Family Christian Leadership in Business Summit, which featured presentations from a series of keynote speakers along with interactive panel discussions on the integration of faith and topics like innovation, inclusion, and ethics. Held May 16-17 inside Baylor’s Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, the event brought together CEOs, founders, leading researchers and others to talk about living out one’s faith in the workplace.

The Air Force ranks include more than 61,000 officers; only 108 of those have reached the rank of brigadier general. In December, Baylor graduate Randall Cason Jr. (BS ’95) joined that esteemed group — and he chose to return to his alma mater to mark the occasion.

Sixty families in rural northern Sierra Leone’s Tonko Limbo Chiefdom have seen their lives and livelihoods transformed, due in large part to Paul Conteh, M.S.W. ’15

After Jimmy Garza, Jr., B.B.A. ’97, ran into someone wearing a Baylor T-shirt in Washington, D.C., he saw it as a sign to reconnect with his alma mater. 

Before Matthew Pierce (BBA ’09) enrolled at Baylor, he and his mother had a conversation about how they would fund his undergraduate education. Unsure of where the money would come from, Pierce’s mother reassured him that God would give him more on the journey than at the start.

Looking to make it to the big leagues? Sure, you could be a first-round pick… or, you could earn a graduate degree from Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.

Not one, not two, but three recent Robbins College grads have reached the pinnacle of pro sports just a few years after earning their Baylor diplomas — in athletic training, nutrition sciences and physical therapy:

Congratulations, Class of 2024 — you did it!

This weekend, more than 3,500 Bears walked the Ferrell Center stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. Thousands of their friends and family filled the Ferrell Center for each ceremony, and countless more watched online and joined in the celebration via social media to honor Baylor’s newest graduates.

The first time Auldynn Chambers heard someone suggest he consider pursuing his doctorate after graduating from Baylor, his immediate thought was, “Only really smart people get Ph.D.s. I’m not smart enough to do that.”

Soon, Chambers will be doing just that, and pursuing a passion he discovered at Baylor — artificial organ development.

When Stephanie Mendoza (BBA ’21) was in high school at Waco’s University High, she had no idea where she wanted to go to college, or what she wanted to do when she got there.

The first question seemed solved after she attended a two-week overnight camp at Baylor — but unfortunately, her family couldn’t make the finances work, and she headed to McLennan Community College instead. There, she discovered her way into Baylor: a full-ride transfer scholarship from the Waco Foundation, given to three top MCC students each year.

Anjelica Elizondo, who is on track to becoming a Baylor University graduate three times over, looks back on her life and her time at Baylor, reflecting on what swayed her choice to remain a Baylor Bear over the past eight years. She believes the answer lies with the people she has met along the way, both professors and peers within Baylor's Department of Public Health.  

Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing is proud to have twenty-six nurses recognized over the years as DFW Great 100 Nurses. For 2024, we congratulate nurse leaders, Dr. Laura Zebreski (pictured) and Dr. Halli Carr. The prestigious event was held on May 03, 2024 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. As stated by the DFW Great 100 Nurses, more than 50,000 nurses practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and it helps raise the awareness of the contributions of nurses to patient care, research, leadership, education and community service.

Looking for practical training that will prepare you to practice as a lawyer? You can’t do any better than Baylor Law School — literally.

So says a new ranking from preLaw Magazine, which put Baylor at No. 1 in the nation for practical training.

Baylor Law’s advocacy team secured the title of National Champions at the 2024 American Association for Justice’s Student Trial Advocacy Competition in Chicago. The team of Ameyali Sanchez, Duncan Robinson, Anderson Tittle, and Robby Holland, guided by coaches David Deaconson, Mason Dunnam, and Claire Harbert, defeated returning champions from UCLA School of Law in the final round to take home the 2024 title. 

Baylor University mourns the death of beloved alumna and unofficial Independence historian Lanella Spinks Gray, B.A. ’54, of Houston on April 6. Gray, who was known as ‘Miss Baylor,’ became well known among Baylor’s students while serving as host to Baylor Line Camp groups visiting the University’s original campus site in Independence, Texas.

Two Baylor Law Moot Court teams excelled at the 31st Annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Law Competition hosted in Seattle from April 11-13, 2024. Competing against 32 teams nationwide, Baylor Law’s representatives clinched the prestigious Oar Trophy for Most Outstanding Law School for the second time in four years. 

🥔👯 Over 50 years ago, Alpha Beta Potato, a self-coined "sorority," was formed in the hallowed halls of Collins over a love of potatoes, Jesus, and Baylor. 

Baylor sports fans who have driven around Waco recently have likely noticed some familiar names on signs outside buildings under construction, lots for sale, or other new developments heralding business growth in Waco.

Raynor Campbell (BSEd ’10), Clay Fuller (BBA ’15) and Gregg Glime (BBA ’10) all spent time in green and gold on the baseball diamond or gridiron. When it came time to pursue their next phases of life, each of them chose to call Waco home, and each found their niche in real estate. Today, all three are partners with Waco’s Cromwell Commercial Group and play a meaningful role in commercial development and new business growth in their adopted hometown.

Olivia J. Schoffstall, a third-year law student and Managing Senior Executive Editor at Baylor Law Review, recently tied for second place in the highly competitive Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference held at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

Gathering on Baylor University’s historic Founders Mall alongside members of the University and Waco communities, the Baylor Board of Regents concluded its regular quarterly meeting today with a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons, one of the recommendations in the final report from the University’s Commission on Historic Campus Representations.

When he came to Baylor from the Philippines in the 1990s, Peter Gape (MA ’91, MA ’94) knew broadly that he wanted to serve internationally. But his time in Waco helped focus that desire, and sparked a calling that led him to leadership in one of the globe’s largest international service organizations — World Vision.

Baylor University announced today its new comprehensive partnership with FC Dallas as the club’s exclusive and official higher education sponsor. Included in the partnership, Baylor enters as an associate of the STEAM FC classroom program, FC Dallas’ School of Excellence Camps, and the FC Dallas Soccer Tour. 

Bears have been playing in the NBA since the Association’s early days shortly after World War II, and there’s been a Baylor alum on an NBA roster every year since the 1979-80 season — but there’s never been more than there are this season.

With construction set to begin this summer on the Memorial to Enslaved Persons, Baylor University held a symbolic ceremony today on Founders Mall to transfer custody of its Centennial Time Capsule from the Class of 1945 to The Texas Collection at Baylor.

Baylor University is mourning the death of Baylor alumnus, former Regent and Board Chair and dedicated philanthropist Thomas R. “Tom” Powers of Houston, who passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with his family by his side. 

Baylor graduates make an impact in virtually any field you can think of; this year’s Baylor Alumni Award winners are no different, with recipients leading the charge in areas ranging from financial stewardship to fighting hunger and poverty to chaplaincy.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 9, 2024) – Every year, Americans join together on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – this year on Monday, Jan. 15 – to serve their neighborhoods and communities and through week-long events celebrating the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader. NOTE: Sub-freezing temperatures and dangerous wind chills have canceled some events or altered dates/locations. Monday's community and Truett MLK Day events have been canceled due to the weather.

Before finding his current passion, Omari Head (MDiv ’12) interned for the Seattle Seahawks as an athletic trainer, then worked in student life, earned his master’s of divinity from Truett Seminary, and served as a college pastor and worship leader at a local church. But entrepreneurship was always in his blood — and now he shares his joy right here in Waco through a series of local favorites.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 6, 2023) – Baylor University has been named to TIME Magazine’s inaugural list of the 100 Best Colleges for Future Leaders, a new ranking that measures universities that excel in nurturing some of the nation’s most highly influential leaders. 

WACO, Texas (Nov. 30, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the recipients of the 2024 Baylor Alumni Awards, which honor individuals who embody the distinctive mission of the University and their remarkable achievements. A celebration honoring this year’s recipients will be held on campus Feb. 23, 2024.

Debbie Chou, B.S.Ed. ’23, is the fifth Baylor student teacher in recent years to be named the state’s Clinical Teacher of the Year.

Baylor University’s alumni are making an impact in their communities, in their professions, in the world. They also are making an impact at Baylor, keeping their ties to this community through philanthropy, service on advisory boards and through their prayerful support of our administration, faculty and students.

Climbing Mount Everest is, obviously, an impressive feat. But doing so after having survived ovarian cancer? That’s a truly incredible story.

Meet Baylor alumna Jess Wedel (BSW ’11).

WACO, Texas (Sept. 28, 2023) – Baylor University researchers along with City of Waco leaders in sustainable infrastructure are among the 19 teams advancing to stage 2 of the Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), a national research and action competition focused on rapidly transitioning emerging technologies and concepts into a local community to address their long-standing challenges.

A Baylor group, led by students and a professor in the School of Education’s MSEd Sport Management program, set out to help homeless veterans — and in the process, set a Guinness World Record!

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Baylor student over the last 30 years who hasn’t set foot in Common Grounds at least once. Blake (BA ’08) and Kimberly (BA ’07) Batson were once among those students; many years later, they’ve made Common Grounds — and the Waco community — integral parts of their adult lives.

Coffee, books, pizza, ice cream — those are just a few of the offerings the Batsons have added to Waco through an entrepreneurial spirit and community focus.

The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) joined together in celebration of its annual LHSON Alumni Reunion. Hosted on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at the LHSON Academic Building, over 75 alums gathered for a heartfelt luncheon and fellowship.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 8, 2023) – Baylor University today dedicated the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – the new front door to the University’s Waco campus – during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house commemorating the spectacular building’s official opening. The dedication recognized the Hurd Welcome Center’s namesake and lead donors, Paula Hurd and her late husband, Mark Hurd, and their daughters, Kelly, B.B.A. ’14, and Kathryn.

The Baylor Family turns out in droves to meet Baylor’s new cubs for the first time.

A year in the life of one of Baylor’s most cherished traditions

Alumni in Music City are connecting and lifting up their community as they fling their green and gold afar

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Mark and Paula dreamed of creating a space where prospective and current students, alumni and visitors would be able to learn about the University, visit for homecoming and games, celebrate events and find top-notch Baylor gear, all in one location. 

Richa Sirohi (BS ’18) serves as an end-to-end information systems engineer at the Jet Propulsion Lab, working on a project called NISAR — a spacecraft that utilizes radar imaging to understand how the Earth is changing. The work has implications for climate science, resource management, and more back on Earth.

Baylor University researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work have earned a significant federal grant to bolster mental health services to school children by preparing licensed mental health providers for work in schools. That project, Partnering for Heart of Texas (H.O.T.) Mental Health, was awarded more than $2.5 million in Department of Education funding over a five-year period, and provides for internship positions, training and certificate program development, Spanish-language training and more.

Baylor Alumni make their local recommendations for fans visiting the new Big 12 regions.

When Dr. Alan Keister (BA ’92) began offering free health screenings in Amarillo schools 10 years ago, the overwhelming response made it plain: People in his community were suffering and in need of health care resources. Those early services grew into what is now Heal the City, a healthcare organization with clinics providing free services to Amarillo’s uninsured.

This fall, Baylor University will open the doors of the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the newest addition to its growing Waco campus. Many spaces, rooms and balconies of this show-stopping building carry with them the names of the alumni, parents and friends whose generous support of the Give Light Capital Fund fueled the construction and design of the many capital priorities of the Give Light Campaign.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic partnership of 10 countries in Southeast Asia, together representing more than 660 million people — roughly 8.5% of the world’s population — and a combined GDP around $10 trillion.

A $1.5 million gift from the family of Louise Herrington Ornelas has established the Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health, the first endowed chair position in the history of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

WACO, Texas (June 2, 2023) – Blasting off this summer is Baylor University’s STEM+ Camp Launch, designed for incoming fifth grade students from three Transformation Waco schools. Sponsored by the Baylor School of Education, with collaboration from the School of Engineering and Computer Science and funding from Waco’s Cooper Foundation, the program consists of three one-week sessions, taking place June 5-23 at the Mayborn Museum.

Baylor University today announced a $5 million gift from John and Helen Carona of Dallas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College, as well as the University’s other major capital priorities through the Give Light Capital Fund. In recognition of their transformational gift, Baylor will name the Carona Family Commons at the Honors Residential College and the Carona Family Premium Entry in the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

For the second year in a row, Baylor University has been named among the nation’s top 10 Most Trusted Universities, according to global research firm Morning Consult as part of its Most Trusted Brands project, the definitive measure of consumer brand trust across industries, including higher education.

For the first time in over two decades, the Baylor Bear Habitat welcomes two new live bears to the Baylor Family! The two American black bear cubs are cousins, born earlier this year. The rescue cubs will begin their gradual move to the AZA-accredited Williams Bear Habitat on campus this summer.

More than 4,000 new Baylor alumni — the largest class in BU history — crossed the Ferrell Center stage over the weekend as Baylor celebrated Commencement for the Class of 2023! Join us in welcoming the newest members of the Baylor Alumni Family.

An exhibit of selected works from the Jessica and Kelvin Beachum Family Collection, Narrative as Reality: Constructing an Identity, is on display May 6 through Nov. 5 at Baylor’s Martin Museum of Art.

Baylor University is inviting students, alumni and all associated with the Baylor Family to join in celebrating the graduation of the University’s beloved American black bear, Lady, as she moves from the campus habitat to a private, auxiliary facility fully maintained by her Baylor Bear Habitat caregivers, staff and veterinary team.

Baylor University is mourning the passing of longtime University benefactor and dedicated alumnus William K. “Bill” Robbins of Houston. Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Jo Robbins, with whom he shared a passionate love of Baylor and a deep commitment to its Christian mission.

The honor recognizes Rev. Robert Gilbert (BA ’67) and Barbara Walker (BA ’67) — Baylor’s first two Black graduates for the trails they blazed in helping integrate Baylor more than a century after its founding.

Like many sports fans, Deonte Epps (BA ’13) grew up watching SportsCenter, dreaming of someday being a part of the network. Unlike many sports fans, Epps has actually made it happen.

Baylor fans can’t wait to see what’s in store one of the best defensive players in program history and one of the most promising young players in the NFL.

Humanities Texas honored Ashley Gibson, EdD ’21, as one of 15 recipients of the 2022 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award. Gibson received a $5,000 cash award, with an additional $1,000 for her school to purchase instructional materials. Gibson is a graduate of Baylor’s online EdD in Learning and Organizational Change. With a classroom career spanning 15 years, Gibson teaches English at Galena Park High School in Galena Park ISD.

Babies in green & gold. Toddlers donning their favorite Bear’s jersey. You can’t deny it: There’s nothing better (or cuter!) than kiddos in Baylor gear. So, we’ll cut to the chase. Here are some of our favorite #FutureBear photos from Baylor’s Instagram over the past year: “Alexa, play ‘Circle of Life.’” View this post […]