Welcoming Inaugural Faculty Chairholders
In Fall 2023, Baylor welcomed three new faculty chairs to campus to support core areas of research that highlight the University’s R1 status and Christian identity. These endowed positions are made possible by the generosity of Baylor Family members who come alongside Baylor’s research goals and Christian mission.
The Lev H. Prichard III Chair in the Study of Black Worship
Inaugural Chairholder:
Stephen Newby, D.M.A.
Areas of Expertise, Research: Composer of classical, gospel, jazz and chamber music
About Newby: Newby brings a background in music, scholarship and ministry to the new position, which provides interdisciplinary leadership, research and scholarship efforts associated with the growth of Baylor’s Black gospel music preservation program, housed within University Libraries. Newby will serve in the Baylor University School of Music. While serving as a full-time faculty member, Newby has built a parallel career as a renowned composer, fusing elements of Black gospel and jazz in churches, symphony halls, musical theatre stages and more.
About the Prichard Chair: Established in 2021 through a leadership gift from the Prichard Family Foundation and Ella Wall Prichard, B.A. ’63, the Prichard Chair honors the memory of Ella’s late husband, Lev H. Prichard III. The Prichard Chair received matching support through the Foster Academic Challenge, which provided resourcing for chairs identified as advancing strategic research efforts identified within Illuminate.
In the Donor’s Words: “Having met Dr. Newby at the Pruit Symposia, where he was a featured speaker, I was thrilled that he has been named inaugural Prichard Chair,” said Ella Wall Prichard. “Since he knows Baylor, the Black gospel music program and its founder, Professor Emeritus Robert Darden, I am confident that Dr. Newby will build on what is already in place, increasing its depth and breadth and expanding its impact across the country. I am grateful to the Foster family for their matching gift that makes this possible.”
Eula Mae and John Baugh Chair in Physics
Inaugural Chairholder:
Garritt J. Tucker, Ph.D.
Areas of Research: Physics, Materials Science
About Tucker: Tucker’s research ambitions in the field of materials science are aimed at integrating high-performance computing and theory to discover the fundamental structure-property relationships of materials that will enable the predictive design of advanced materials with tunable properties. As Baugh Chair, he will support the College of Arts & Sciences with a focus on innovative research and teaching in the area of materials science.
About the Baugh Chair: The Baugh Chair was established in 2021 through a gift from the estate of John and Eula Mae Baugh, with additional support from the Foster Academic Challenge program. The Baughs’ philanthropy was made possible through the support of their daughter, Barbara “Babs” Nell Baugh of San Antonio, and her daughters, Jackie Baugh Moore, B.S.Ed. ’86, and Julie Strathe Baugh, B.A. ’89.
In the donor’s words: “Babs, Eula Mae and John Baugh were awed by the spark of the divine in the world,” said Jackie Baugh. “They understood that faith and science coexist harmoniously and offer comprehensive understanding of our existence by addressing both the how and the why in a complementary dance of exploration and belief. We hope this chair will be an asset to the future scientists who will study under Dr. Garritt Tucker and go on to join the effort of unraveling the mysteries of the natural universe.”
Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America
Inaugural Chairholder
Felipe Hinojosa, Ph.D.
Areas of Research: Latina/o, Chicana/o, Religion, the Civil Rights Movement
About Hinojosa: A civil rights historian, Hinojosa researches Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, American religion, race and ethnicity and social movements. Growing up as the son of a Mennonite pastor in the Texas/Mexico borderlands, Hinojosa was exposed to the power of the Gospels and how communities can harness religion and politics at the grassroots level to do good and implement change.
About the Jackson Family Chair: The Jackson Family Chair was established in 2019 by John, B.B.A. ’79, and Nancy, B.S.Ed. ’79, Jackson, of The Woodlands, Texas, with additional support from the Foster Academic Challenge.
In the Donor’s Words: “Nancy and I support Baylor’s efforts to expand our presence in Latin America through the Baylor in Latin America initiative,” said John Jackson. “We hope the Jackson Chair can elevate this concept and reinforce the University’s commitment to the people within this critically important part of the world. We look forward to Dr. Hinojosa’s leadership and perspective as the inaugural holder of the Jackson Chair.”