This spring, Bryan W. Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Biomedical Studies and director of the Environmental Health Science Program at Baylor, was elected to the rank of AAAS Fellow. The honor is given by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.

As a high school student, preparing for college is no easy feat. Thankfully, Accelerate, Baylor University’s pre-college program, allows high school students to get a jumpstart on college courses and prepare for college-level rigor. 

Chapel has been a significant part of the Baylor experience throughout its 178-year history, and it remains an important part of each Baylor student’s experience. The size and form of Chapel looks different than it did in 1845, evolving and growing alongside the campus community that nearly 20,000 students call home each semester.

Baylor’s online M.B.A. program through the Hankamer School of Business was ranked No. 11 nationally among the 2023 Best Online M.B.A. Programs by Poets & Quants, the definitive online publication for business education news.

While there are theologians who study architecture, there are few who have been or are licensed architects, a unique point of view that has served Elise Edwards, Ph.D., assistant professor of religion, well. Edwards’ research combines her interests in theology, ethics, architecture and aesthetics to consider how Christian beliefs are expressed through the built environment. 

Baylor University’s recent classification as a “Research 1,” or R1, university has been widely and fittingly celebrated throughout the Baylor Family. To be sure, such recognition forms a landmark achievement in Baylor’s long history and positions the University to shine more brightly as a beacon of hope in a world facing many pressing challenges.

This spring, Baylor released the first detailed renderings of an addition to Founders Mall called the “Memorial to Enslaved Persons.” A report by Baylor’s Commission on Historic Campus Representations recommended the new memorial as an opportunity to honor the enslaved persons “who were instrumental in constructing the original campus where Baylor University began its journey” and whose identities remain unknown.

On Jan. 25, Dr. Rufus Spain celebrated his 100th birthday. Spain became a history professor at Baylor in 1957 and had an incredibly impactful career regarding 19th and 20th century history. 

A total of 14 Baylor students were selected for Fulbright awards for academic year 2022-23, a record number for the University.

In January, Daniel J. Pack, Ph.D., was named dean of Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). He begins his role June 1. 

This spring, the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Baylor University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). The program addresses the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace.

This February, Kendall Scarlett began as a fellow for the 2023 Knauss Fellowship Program. She is one of 84 fellows placed in federal government offices in Washington, D.C. Scarlett is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the environmental sciences program and, as a Knauss Fellow, she has a seat at the table concerning national policy that impacts our environment.

This spring semester, two deans announced the end of their tenures in their current roles. Gary Mortenson, D.M.A., will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year, and Bradley J. B. Toben, J.D. ’77, will transition from dean of Baylor Law School to faculty this summer. 

At its regular February meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents took action on several committee recommendations and received reports on a number of strategic University matters, including Baylor’s pioneering Faith and Character Study. Study findings from the first full cohort of students revealed that over a four-year time frame, Baylor helps the majority of its students grow in faith and character while providing evidence of growth and the factors that predict it.