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In 1909, Baylor hosted the first collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation. This week, we again renew that tradition, as the Baylor Family returns to campus to “catch that Baylor spirit again,” as President Samuel Palmer Brooks famously wrote more than a century ago.

Homecoming, more than any other weekend of the year, is all about family. It’s about seeing old friends, recalling fond memories, sharing those stories with the next generation, and celebrating together as one. It’s the very best example of why we call this “the Baylor Family.”

Dr. Mona Minkara, a bioengineering professor at Northeastern University in Boston, was in Waco last week — a long way from the campus she calls home.

The reason for her trip? To join Baylor Chemistry’s Dr. Bryan Shaw in his lab, demonstrating to students from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) what she longed to hear at their age.

Since the very beginning, Chapel has been an integral part of the Baylor experience — but naturally, Chapel doesn’t look the same as it did 175 years ago — or even 25 years ago. After all, 20,000 students now call Baylor home, each at different steps along their faith journey — so one size definitely doesn’t fit all.

That’s why Spiritual Life is creating a wide variety of Chapel opportunities that are built around students — working to meet them where they are: in their interests, in their majors, in their giftings, etc. The ideal Chapel is a combination of great content and experience that takes students beyond the classroom; in these spaces, students find people who care about them, not about what they can achieve.

Thousands of Baylor alumni descend upon Waco each fall for Homecoming. Some have returned every year since graduation; others are setting foot on the Baylor campus for the first time in five, 10, even 20 years or longer. Regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve visited Baylor, there’s likely something new you haven’t seen or done before — and at the same time, plenty of old favorites to revisit and traditions to enjoy.

Presenting: 100+ things to see and do during #BaylorHomecoming — updated for 2023:

Last year, Baylor appeared for the first time on a prestigious list for university innovations, debuting at No. 99 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents. The list, published by the National Academy of Inventors, highlights the role of universities in American innovation.

This year, Baylor jumped all the way to No. 75 among the top 100 — a 24-spot jump that highlights a busy 12 months for Baylor researchers. 

WACO, Texas (Oct. 16, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the launch of the Baylor Research in Growth and Human Thriving Science (BRIGHTS) Center, a multidisciplinary center designed to catalyze research related to the science of human flourishing.

As Baylor pursued and received R1 research recognition, leaders across the university noted it was about more than mere prestige; it was about having a “seat at the table,” where Baylor professors could bring a Christian research university’s viewpoints and ideas into settings where real impact can take place.

The litany of significant awards, appointments and assignments Baylor sciences faculty have received in recent months suggest that dream is coming true.

Over the last decade or so, Baylor has put out nearly a dozen different Christmas ornaments. Past years’ designs range from popular icons like Sailor Bear and the interlocking BU, to ornaments honoring traditions like Diadeloso and Christmas on 5th Street — and my personal favorite, the one celebrating Baylor men’s basketball’s national title.

But this year’s ornament is already blowing all the others away when it comes to demand. (Not that that’s any surprise, of course, when you see the design.)

WACO, Texas (Oct. 11, 2023) – Baylor University has received its first-ever Fulbright-Hays grant that will assist the University in strengthening its East Asian language programs (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) and Asian Studies program.

Nothing gives a visitor a taste of the Baylor experience like actually visiting campus in-person — exploring the campus, getting to know current students, and meeting with Baylor faculty and staff to see what life at BU is all about. And with the opening of the new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, high school students visiting Baylor get a welcome like never before.

Baylor isn’t just beloved by its students and alumni; it’s also a special place for the faculty and staff who work here.

The latest evidence comes in the results of the annual “Great College to Work For” survey, which — for the 12th time in 13 years — found Baylor earning honor roll status.

As the son of a Mennonite minister along the Texas/Mexico border, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa grew up in a family that exposed him to the power of the Gospel in a community.

Now a historian and higher education leader, he’s long channeled those early experiences into research and scholarship on Latino/a and Chicana/o studies, civil rights, religion and society. After years at universities like Texas A&M, Houston, and Emory, he chose to come to Baylor this summer as the first Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America.

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 (Oct. 2, 2023) – The noonday sky will put on a spectacular show Saturday, Oct. 14, as the annular solar eclipse will be visible in North America for the first time since 2012. Unlike a total solar eclipse, an annular eclipse means that the outer corona of the sun will be visible, producing a beautiful “Ring of Fire.” 

WACO, Texas (Sept. 28, 2023) – Baylor University will serve as the originating site for the 2024 Collegiate Day of Prayer broadcast, the University announced on Thursday. The Collegiate Day of Prayer is an evening worship and prayer service focused on college-aged students, traditionally held on a university campus and live-streamed around the world.

For so many people, college is the time of life when they first fall in love with coffee. Early morning classes, various student activities, dozens of new friends, and test after project after test… All can quickly lead to coffee being an absolute necessity. Lucky for us, the Waco coffee scene is exploding — this list has doubled since our last update two years ago!

So, whether you’re a new student whose love for the bean is just beginning, or a Waco visitor looking for the best brew, here are our 20 favorite Baylor-area coffee spots:

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.

Even after U.S. News made significant changes to its rankings formula — changes that heavily benefitted public universities — Baylor remains ranked among the top universities in the state, conference and country.

More importantly, Baylor jumped into the top five nationally for First-Year Experience (No. 5 overall) and the top 10 for Learning Communities (No. 10), while remaining among the top 25 in both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research opportunities. In other words, even leaders of other universities are recognizing the incredible college experience offered at Baylor.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 25, 2023) – Baylor University is celebrating National Research Administrator Day to highlight top-tier research throughout the University and the teamwork required to advance significant research projects. After attaining Research 1 recognition in 2021 from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, researchers and research administrators throughout the University have continued to elevate Baylor’s research output and impact, addressing complex global challenges in the process.

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!

It’s been almost two years since Baylor reached elite R1 recognition. But that milestone wasn’t a finish line; instead, it’s been a springboard toward accomplishing even more.

Here’s just a sampling of the major research projects and honors at Baylor from recent months, showing the wide array of disciplines and approaches found across the university:

This year’s Baylor-Texas football game will mark the 113th time the two teams have squared off on the gridiron — one of the 25 most-played rivalries in college football history. For most of that time — since 1916 — the two teams have been conference rivals, first in the Southwest Conference (1915-96) and then in the Big 12 (1997-2023).

Some of the greatest moments in Baylor football history have come against these rivals from 100 miles south: the Miracle on the Brazos, a Heisman Moment, Case Closed… and that’s just for starters. So as the Bears prepare to add one more memorable moment Saturday, let’s look back at a few of the games that stand out:

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.

This past weekend brought an influx of both Baylor parents and rain to the Waco area during Family Weekend 2023 — much-needed visits for families who have been apart for a month now, and much-needed precipitation after a dry, hot summer in Central Texas.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 18, 2023) –  Baylor University’s transformational undergraduate academic programs and experiences were Top 10 national highlights in the 2024 Best Colleges rankings, released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Dr. Bradley Bolen’s love of music has taken him around the world, and his excellence in sharing that love with others has been honored close to home.

Bolen, a senior lecturer of piano at Baylor, was named the 2023 Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA). Renowned on the piano, Bolen is a Steinway Artist with multiple recordings to his credit, and his desire to share the power of music with individuals in challenging situations has taken him to war-torn spots around the world — a variety of experiences that inform his teaching with Baylor students.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 12, 2023) – Baylor University moved up to No. 75 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2022, a list published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). This new list was created to highlight and celebrate American innovation and to showcase the universities that play a large role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within the U.S. and beyond.

For the fourth straight year, Baylor ranks among the top 20 universities in the country when it comes to social media engagement!

This year’s report from RivalIQ saw Baylor come in at No. 16 nationally — just behind schools like Tennessee and Ohio State, and just ahead of UConn and Virginia Tech. Baylor is one of just six schools to have ranked in the top 20 each of the last four years, having come in at No. 13 in 2020, No. 11 in 2021, and No. 8 last year.

On Friday, Baylor officially unveiled and dedicated the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center — the much-anticipated new front door to campus. From Friday morning’s ribbon-cutting to Friday night’s “Howdy at the Hurd,” the entire day took on a celebratory air.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 11, 2023) – For the 12th time in 13 years, Baylor University has attained elite Honor Roll status as a 2023 Great College to Work For, according to a new survey by The Great Colleges to Work For® program.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 8, 2023) – Under bright blue Texas skies, hundreds of special guests and members of the Baylor Family gathered for a significant moment in Baylor University’s history – the official dedication of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the University’s spectacular new “front door” to campus at the corner of Interstate 35 and University Parks Drive.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 7, 2023) – John L. Wood, Ph.D., The Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-director of the Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Lab, has received the Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products from the American Chemical Society.

United States Air Force First Lieutenant Marie Chiles first met her future husband, fellow First Lieutenant John Chiles (BBA ’50, JD ’52) while the two were stationed in England. At the time, she had never heard of John’s alma mater, Baylor University — and she certainly couldn’t have known how much her life would intertwine with the school over the next 70 years.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 7, 2023) – Baylor University today officially launched the Central Texas Cyber Range (CTCR), a multi-million-dollar center to provide comprehensive research in cybersecurity and cyber resilience and training for the cybersecurity workforce to address critical  needs at the local, national and international levels. The CTCR, in partnership with McLennan Community College (MCC) in Waco, will specialize in applied research and education.

For the second time in the last three years, a Baylor football non-conference opponent is about to become a conference opponent. In 2021, it was BYU; this time, it’s Utah.

As far as athletics goes, the two schools are practically complete strangers. Academically, however, Baylor and Utah have much more in common than you might think.

We all get the need for good medical health care. More and more people are becoming aware of the need for good behavioral health care, as well — treating mental health, substance abuse, and other stressors that often affect physical health.

Behavioral health care, however, can be hard to find — especially here in Texas, where more than two-thirds of counties qualify as behavioral health shortage areas. In Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work, Dr. Becky Scott (PhD ’19) is working to change that — to improve access to high-quality mental and behavioral healthcare for Texans.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 30, 2023) – Ten Baylor University faculty members across the disciplines have been selected by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., to serve as 2023-2024 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and commitment to pedagogical innovation, inspirational teaching and the cultivation of these areas among Baylor faculty.

The Baylor Family turned out in huge numbers Saturday to officially welcome Indy and Belle, BU’s two new live bears, to the Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat!

The “Meet the Cubs” event included food trucks, caricature artists, face painting, a bounce house, even a live woodcarving demonstration — but the main draw was many people’s first opportunity to see Indy and Belle up close, in person.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 28 , 2023) – Michael A. Trakselis, Ph.D., professor and director of graduate affairs for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, overcame two barriers to conduct his groundbreaking research on a novel DNA enzyme. 

WACO, Texas (Aug. 28, 2023) – Hot flashes are one of the most concerning and most reported symptoms among menopausal women and breast cancer survivors. In an article published this month in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers at Baylor University tested the efficacy of paroxetine by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of six clinical trials, finding that the benefits of paroxetine in the treatment of hot flashes to be comparable to that of the placebo response.

This Saturday evening, it’s all back: touchdowns and tailgates, the Baylor Line and the Golden Wave, first downs and third downs and a sea of green and gold on the Brazos. Yes, the 2023 season is almost here, and it officially begins Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Bears kick off the new year against Texas State.

What does 2023 have in store? That’s a story that has yet to be written, but a few numbers provide a meaningful look into areas that could impact the success of the year ahead:

With more than 160,000 living Baylor Alumni hailing from every state and more than 100 countries around the world, the Baylor spirit is active and growing.

The addition of so many new schools to the Big 12 — BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF this fall; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah in 2024 — means Baylor fans have plenty of new places to visit as they cheer on the Bears.

But you know what would make each of these places even better? A flood of green and gold!

Baylor has a new front door — a touchpoint welcoming current students, prospective students and alumni

Baylor University’s campus is brimming with excitement as we begin a new academic year!

Indy and Belle thriving in their campus habitat

A distinguishing part of the Baylor experience is the caring community on campus. One way we do that? Faculty-in-Residence!

These Baylor professors (many of them also BU alumni) don’t just work on campus; they live on campus, too, in designated apartment-style homes inside every residence hall, along with their families. Since 2004, more than 40 different Baylor faculty members have served in this role, helping foster students’ social, cultural, educational and spiritual growth. That can mean everything from hosting fun events and socials, to group Bible studies, to meeting one-on-one with students (even at odd hours).

Meet this year’s Faculty-in-Residence (FIR):

Jennifer Seiter, BA ’20, finds magic in the world of history. As a classroom resource specialist at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Seiter shares her love of history by connecting teachers directly to records of the life and legacy of Washington and the era of the Founding Fathers

When Hunter Harlow, BS ’10, graduated from Baylor University with a degree in geosciences/geology, he didn’t imagine taking the road less traveled.

After graduation, Baylor Alumni fling their green and gold around the world, including one family who still finds ways to rep the Bears, even while living over 8,000 miles and 15 time zones away in Australia.

Baylor Alumni have served at all levels of government throughout the United States and around the world, including mayors, governors, congressmen and ambassadors.

Let us know about the milestones in your life — weddings, births, promotions, retirements, honors and awards.

Excitement surrounding the start of the academic year is fueled by the verve of new students

Whether or not you’re a space buff, you’ve probably seen some of the stunning images collected by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble has unlocked hidden corners of the universe — which makes the possibilities of NASA’s next flagship mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, all the more exciting.

Among the people helping to prepare that telescope for launch? One of Baylor’s newest professors.

Earlier this summer, the Baylor University Board of Regents elected new leadership and approved the 2023-24 operating budget, three renovation projects and two new degree programs. 

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

A conversation with President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., on philanthropy and creating an unambiguously Christian educational environment

Images and data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have expanded our understanding of space, enhanced research opportunities and generated national news since Hubble’s launch in 1990.

Approximately two out of every 1,000 births in the United States can lead to permanent neurological damage due to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) in newborns.

Across the Nation, many schools and districts experience a gap between the mental health needs of their student body and the services they are capable of providing. 

WACO, Texas (Aug. 22, 2023) – Baylor University is hosting a “welcome home” party for Judge Indy and Judge Belle – the University’s new American black bear cubs – at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. The block party-style event will be held at the Bear Habitat from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 26.

Naismith family visits to celebrate sport’s Christian heritage

The next total solar eclipse in the United States will happen in 2024, and Waco will be the prime location in the middle of the path of totality.

While it’s common for incoming freshmen to be welcomed to college by campus leaders, it’s not so common for that encouragement to come in the form of a hymn — but that’s what we do here at Baylor.

Many Baylor fans may not realize that one of the key reporters they’re reading or watching in CBS Sports’ college football coverage is a fellow Bear — in fact, one whose work they may have read right here on campus.

Less than a decade after his days writing for The Baylor Lariat, Shehan Jeyarajah (BA ’16) has established himself as a leading national voice who now serves as a national college football writer for CBS Sports.

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

A brief history of Baylor Spirit

Baylor’s not the only school in the country where volunteers line up to help new students move into their residence halls — but it’s hard to believe any school does it better.

Wednesday and Thursday, 3,000+ new Baylor students (both freshmen and transfers) were helped into their new on-campus homes by a nearly equal number of student, faculty and staff volunteers — including President Livingstone, who was all across campus both days even after having double knee replacement (!!) this summer.

For a Baylor volleyball program that has reached the NCAA Tournament seven years in a row — including four straight Sweet 16 berths — expectations are always high, even with a team as young as this year’s squad. The relative youth of this year’s team may stand out, but the young talent up and down the roster poises the team for growth throughout the season, and with that the chance to continue the excellence displayed by the program under head coach Ryan McGuyre.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 16, 2023) –The first sample dataset from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is now available through the Center for Open Science (COS). The project, a groundbreaking five-year, $43.4 million longitudinal study of approximately 200,000 individuals in 22 countries, represents the largest funded research project in Baylor history.  

WACO, Texas (Aug. 15, 2023) – Hot summers in Texas are nothing new, but the excessive heat the state is experiencing this summer can quickly cause heat exhaustion and other serious complications. With temperatures expected over or around 100 degrees for the first few weeks of the semester, it is important for students, faculty and staff to take precautions to protect themselves and their friends and loved ones. 

It’s hard to believe, but the upcoming Baylor football season will be the 10th at McLane Stadium. How time flies!

After deciding on Baylor for college, new incoming Bears get their first in-depth introduction to BU during Baylor Line Camp. But once they make the move into their residence halls in mid-August, things begin to get really real — and that’s where Welcome Week comes in.

Since 2001, Baylor Line Camp has helped incoming new students make the transition to college life at BU. New Bears learn Baylor traditions and history, get to know their way around campus, and — most importantly — make new friends. (It’s one of the big reasons why U.S. News ranked Baylor’s first-year student experience among the top 10 in the country.)

Line Camp 2023 was one of the biggest in history — so before the new school year starts, we’re looking back at the top 7 moments from this summer:

WACO, Texas (Aug. 9, 2023) – Baylor University’s McNair Scholars Program, along with the Baylor Graduate School, hosted the fifth annual national McNair Research Conference on Aug. 3-4 on the Baylor campus. More than 200 undergraduate McNair Scholars and non-McNair students presented their faculty-mentored research, participated in professional development and engaged with some of the nation’s top graduate schools.

The Big 12 Conference is a growing family! Four new family members arrive this fall (BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF) — and now, another four partners will join the league in 2024: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah!

After years of planning and construction, the Hurd Welcome Center is a reality at last, now open to welcome Bears of all ages — prospective students visiting Baylor, alumni returning to campus, and faculty/staff and students looking for a place to meet or study.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 3, 2023) – Benjamin Rose, Ph.D., who joined Baylor University Aug. 1 as an assistant professor of physics, will serve as one of four project leaders for a research team which recently earned $11 million in NASA funding to investigate infrastructure solutions for the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope.

There’s no shortage of challenges that can impact a child’s mental health — but unfortunately, school districts often face a shortage of qualified mental health professionals to help meet those needs.

Baylor researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work are working to bridge this gap in Central Texas.

WACO, Texas (July 27, 2023) – Daniel Romo, Ph.D., The Schotts Professor of Chemistry at Baylor University and co-director of the Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Lab, is providing synthetic chemistry leadership on an international team of researchers in pursuit of a groundbreaking drug to treat hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) in newborns.

Allison Dickson’s life has been anything but easy.

At 15 months old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy called Werdnig-Hoffman disease, and her parents were told she would not live to see the age of 3. But Dickson defied all odds — not just surviving, but thriving. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Southwestern University, then was valedictorian of her class at Baylor Law School. Since graduation, Dickson (JD ’07) has served as a legal research assistant at Baylor Law and served of counsel with Fort Worth-based Patterson Law Group.