News

Planetary geophysicist Peter B. James, Ph.D., has been selected to serve on a prestigious NASA Science Definition Team charged with shaping the goals and design of a future robotic mission to the far side of the Moon.

Chemist and cancer researcher Liela Romero, Ph.D., has earned an Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to further the development of new tools for chemical synthesis and drug discovery. 

As Baylor’s Board of Regents holds its regular summer meeting this week, five new Regents are taking their seats at the table to start new terms: two serving at-large, plus one new Alumni-Elected Regent, one new BGCT Regent, and one new Student Regent:

The impact of a Baylor education often reaches beyond the walls of the classroom. For Cade Kegerreis (B.F.A. ’17), it remains visible on the walls of the University and Waco itself.

Residence halls at Baylor provide a foundation for student success in and out of the classroom through a caring community.

Charles Ramsey reflects on coming home, carrying forward a mission of faith, character and community.

The Baylor Department of Theatre Arts doesn’t just nurture young talent; its members are also producing projects that are making waves — including an Oscar-qualifying short film!

ADO (as in “Much Ado About Nothing”) is the brainchild of Sam Henderson (BFA ’05), an assistant professor in both Baylor’s film & digital media and theatre departments. The film (which Henderson co-wrote and directed) follows a middle school theatre teacher caught in an unimaginable situation when her class’s rehearsal is interrupted by a school shooting.

Over the years, Baylor leaders have often noted that research growth would allow BU to bring its Christian voice to bear on meaningful issues through a “seat at the table” where decisions are made.

That’s now happening — and the ranks of Baylor leaders speaking into key national and international issues only continues to grow. Here are just a few recent examples:

Baylor alumna Ashley Killough followed stories during her time at Baylor, during her Fulbright year in Armenia, and during the 2016 presidential campaign for CNN. Now, she's finding new stories at CNN Dallas.

The Hill Country is a special place to Texans, including many in the Baylor Family. As news spread of the catastrophic July 4 weekend floods in and around Kerrville and the Texas Hill Country, the impact was felt far and wide. The flash floods claimed the lives of over 100 people, and many remain missing.

Throughout the Baylor Family, the desire to respond in a meaningful way was evident. In addition to the many Baylor alumni who reside in the Hill Country or have vacationed in the area, the region’s many camps have welcomed generations of Bears who retain those memories of friendship, recreation and spiritual development nurtured there. Quickly, the Baylor Family’s prayers were joined by action to support our neighbors to the south:

For students, finding your place at Baylor means plugging into the resources and relationships within the Baylor Family that surround you with the support you need to flourish academically, socially, emotionally and physically.]

Dr. Karen Foli understands well the lives of the people her research impacts. As a longtime nurse and adoptive parent, Foli’s work sits at the intersection of mental health, nursing, and adoptive/kinship parents.

Foli came to Baylor last year from Purdue University to serve as the inaugural Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health Nursing, a new position created to advance mental and behavioral health research in Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing. In Foli, the school found one of those subjects’ top researchers.

Back when he was a student sportswriter for The Baylor Lariat, many of Shehan Jeyarajah’s professors and colleagues recognized his talent, and may have even used the words “rising star” to describe him.

But now, it’s official: The Football Writers Association of America named Jeyarajah (BA ’16) as its 2025 Edward Aschoff Rising Star award recipient, a highly coveted title presented annually to an elite young sportswriter.

Two Baylor Bears were drafted in the first six rounds of the 2025 MLB draft — BU’s 32nd and 33rd picks in the last 35 drafts, dating back to 1991.

Sixth-year senior Gabe Craig, the Bears’ closer, was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round, while senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp was selected one round later by the Kansas City Royals.

A team of archaeologists, led by Baylor University’s Davide Zori, Ph.D., and the San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project, has uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb in central Italy.

Baylor University announced a $2.5 million gift from alumni Susan and Lee Bush of Athens, Texas, establishing, in part, the Lampsato Endowed Chair of Baptist World Missional Engagement and the Lampsato Endowed Fund at Truett Seminary.

The Baylor community, including incoming freshmen at Line Camp, joined Baylor Missions and BearAid to pack flood relief buckets for families in Kerr County, Texas.

The Career Center plays a vital role in helping students discover and fulfill their calling, boasting a 91% placement rate for graduates in either the workforce or graduate school. This innovative approach is built on the core belief that every student’s path is unique, and the support they receive should be too.  

From Denney Willie to Davis Wendzel, no fewer than 48 Baylor Bears have reached baseball’s highest level over the last century-plus. Willie debuted in 1911, Wendzel in 2024, and there’s been a host of Baylor greats to reach Major League Baseball in between, including All-Stars, a Rookie of the Year, and a Hall of Famer.

So, who are the best Baylor alumni to reach the big leagues? That’s a question we first aimed to answer six years ago. Since then, five more Bears have reached the big leagues, and we’ve seen players stake their claim for a new spot (or a higher spot) on the list. So, we humbly present our new-for-2025 list of the nine best Bears in Major League history:

Baylor students can explore a diverse array of unique chapel offerings designed to nurture faith, foster community and create space for pondering a deeper understanding of Christianity.

Baylor is welcoming not one, but two new deans this summer, following the retirement of longtime Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71) and the hiring of Hankamer School of Business Dean Sandeep Mazumder as president of Berry College.

For world-class concerts and entertainment, Baylor University and the City of Waco are establishing the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion and Waco, Texas, as the premiere mid-market experience.

From Baylor's Truett Seminary to ministry in various locations around the globe and now serving as a civilian director of religious education for the Army, Aluma Syeeda Echols follows her calling with faith at the center of her work.

Ahead of the 23rd Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, Australia, July 7-12, the Baptist World Alliance and Baylor University announced the establishment of a Baptist World Alliance Program to be housed at Baylor’s Truett Seminary.

One frequent criticism of higher education is that its findings often remain locked in the “ivory tower,” rather than being shared with the “real world.”

Dr. Thomas Hibbs is the counterpoint to that — a longtime dean (and even university president) who has consistently applied his knowledge to current events and popular culture and used mass media to share those insights.

For the fifth straight year, a Baylor Bear was taken in the first round of the NBA draft — and this one went higher than any Bear before him.

With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe — making the Big 12 Freshman of the Year the highest draft pick in Baylor basketball history. The previous mark was held by Ekpe Udoh, who was selected at No. 6 by the Warriors in 2010.

Among the many draws to Baylor University is the chance to learn from elite faculty members at a Christian Research 1 university.

Dr. Leigh Greathouse is one of Baylor’s many cancer researchers, specifically focused on the relationship between diet, microorganisms and cancer. Her efforts are driven in part by her own experience fighting cancer while still in her 20s.

Her work is also driven by her faith. Earlier this year, she posted on social media about what it’s like to be a Christian working in science today:

Alumna Dr. Jade Connor Eruchalu, B.S. ’17, is making an impact on the world through geriatric memory care.

A Baylor-led study analyzed the whiskers of leopard seals to challenge assumptions about the feeding behavior of these apex predators.

You may have heard friends or family members lament the ubiquity of technology, or bemoan that the ways it changes our interactions with the world could lead to “brain rot” or something similar. (Maybe you’ve even said that yourself).

Dr. Michael Scullin, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, set out to see if such fears are warranted — and his findings have earned international attention.

From one generation of students to the next, Baylor University has played a powerful role in shaping the lives of thousands of young men and women.

Baylor students just keep upping the school record for Fulbright scholarship recipients. In 2019, BU set a new high with 7 Fulbrights; in 2022, that jumped to 14; and last year, 18 Bears were so honored.

Given that trend (and Baylor’s continued national recognition as a top Fulbright producer), it should come as no surprise that that record has fallen again. This spring, 23 Baylor students and recent alumni won the prestigious Fulbright awards — and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the list of BU students winning top national and international scholarships and fellowships.

Among the many draws to Baylor University is the chance to learn from elite faculty members at a Christian research university.

There are plenty of ways to measure this, from having dozens of faculty recognized among the nation’s most cited researchers to the University’s attainment of a top-30 national ranking for both undergraduate teaching and research. Another sign of Baylor’s elite faculty: the many researchers recognized as fellows in their fields.

Baylor Track & Field’s legacy of Olympians, national champions and record-setters sets a high standard — a standard that this year’s athletes upheld and extended.

Two Bears claimed national titles in individual events this spring, Baylor won three of four Big 12 Performer of the Year honors, and a host of Bears brought home all-America honors as head coach Michael Ford’s teams closed out another successful season last week.

Baylor students receive prestigious scholarships and fellowships, demonstrating excellence in undergraduate education and research.

Standout performances by current and former Bears this spring.

Soon, hundreds of students will embark on Baylor summer missions trips, spanning the globe to serve others and share the love of Christ. Becky Kennedy, Assistant Dean for Spiritual Life and Missions and Associate Chaplain in Baylor Spiritual Life, shares the impact of discipline-specific mission trips that form students as they serve.  

Since graduating from Baylor four decades ago, Doug Rogers (BFA ’82) has truly had a fairy tale career.

From Friends and The Drew Carey Show, to Shrek and Tangled, to the castles at Disney Shanghai and Hong Kong (pictured above left), to Turning Point Ministries’ Why the Nativity?, he’s seen a myriad of projects come to life.

Charles M. Ramsey, Ph.D., B.A. ’97, M.A. ’00, associate University Chaplain and director of campus ministries and church connections, has been selected as University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, effective June 9. 

We could write a month’s worth of posts about recent Baylor graduate Kristen Nakamura (BA ’25). She was a Getterman Scholar, and a University Scholar studying English and math with a minor in creative writing. An award-winning poet whose Honors thesis and undergraduate research included translating the post-WWII haiku shared between her Japanese-American great-grandmother and her twin sister. Tutor. Piano teacher. BRH Choir member. Mission trip veteran. HRC College Council. Summa cum laude graduate. Phi Beta Kappa. Fulbright ETA recipient to Indonesia.

But for all of those honors, what Nakamura really wanted to talk about was the community and sense of belonging she found at Baylor.

Baylor University, The Congregational Collective and Harvard Medical School partner to innovate equipping congregations to become community hubs for mental health engagement.

For Baylor students, career success begins when they set foot on campus, with the help of the Baylor University Career Center. Baylor’s placement rate of 91 percent is one of the best in the nation, and its approach is student-centered, walking alongside students and helping them define success. Michael Estepp, newly appointed Assistant Vice Provost in the Career Center, showcases the approach that helps students successfully pursue their calling.

The annual Alumni Awards honor graduates who advance Baylor’s mission in their careers and lives.

For some, college is just about getting a piece of paper that, after four years, will help land a job. And while that’s important, the Baylor experience is about so, so much more.

The first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study have attracted coverage from across the globe, including major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic.

Baylor graduates are highly sought after in the workplace, with an impressive 91% placement rate of recent graduates in either employment or grad school. This success is in part thanks to BU’s strong relationships with top employers, and the Baylor Career Center’s concierge-style approach to recruitment that benefits both student and employer.

Recent data shows these are the top 10 employers hiring the most Baylor grads right out of school:

Archaeologist and anthropologist Julie Hoggarth heads to Belize this week to continue her nationally recognized research on ancient Maya cultures, uncovering what their experiences can teach us today. Hoggarth was recently recognized as a prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, and she takes listeners inside the findings that yield new insights from her digs.

You may remember the name Deonte Epps (BA ’13) from a post we wrote a couple of years ago, as the Baylor alum was working his dream job at ESPN as a content creator. Today, Epps is not only a content associate (a promotion from his last role); he’s also an Emmy winner, thanks to his work with ESPN’s NFL Live, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily.

Supply chain expert Adé Oyedijo, Ph.D., explains the three primary ways tariffs are affecting the global supply chain and how tariffs can be used to promote ethical supply chain practices. 

Welcoming new regents and a farewell to longtime leaders.

The academic year is complete: finals graded, books returned, students graduated — and Baylor faculty honored! Congratulations to this year’s Baylor professors of the year:

Undergraduate certificate programs offer students a flexible pathway to gain specialized skills and increase the value of their degree. 

New degrees highlight growth in University strategic priorities

With two new deans stepping into leadership, Baylor University is stepping into an exciting era of academic growth and innovation. 

Baylor University is collaborating with Waco Surf, integrating its premier inland surfing facility into the student experience.

The Extend the Line scholarship initiative, launched in 2025, aims to provide $250 million in new scholarships for Baylor students by the end of 2030.

Gaming is a rapidly evolving industry, and its impact on the world continues to expand with the market projected to grow 2-3% per year — from an estimated $187 billion in 2024 to more than $213 billion by 2027.

Baylor University esports director and coach

Wellness is as multifaceted as human beings are, and Justin Adeyemi, Ph.D., sees a connection between these different realms of wellness.

Holistically shaping people at Baylor extends beyond the students to the faculty and staff.

Each week, Brad Livingstone, husband to Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., led a group of 16 Baylor students as they learned how to mature in their faith.

The Black Gospel Archive (BGA), housed by Baylor’s University Libraries, is one of the largest collections of gospel music in the world, and a $2.48 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will support further expansion. 

Vertical Ministries is a non-denominational, student-led ministry that seeks to challenge college students to actively pursue an authentic and “vertical” relationship with God.

Baylor’s Air Force and Space Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC), Detachment 810, has added another milestone to its distinguished history as one of the nation’s oldest AFROTC units.

Baylor closed a monumental chapter in the life of the institution, mourning the loss of its beloved American black bear and Baylor icon, Judge Sue “Lady” Sloan. 

As a young man in Nigeria, Ade Oyedijo, Ph.D., witnessed manufacturing companies from other countries extract resources like minerals and timber from his home region to share with the world. 

Leigh Greathouse, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition sciences at Baylor, is a nationally regarded researcher of the relationship between diet, the microbiome, disease and health, and her work has been supported by the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and more.

A new study in Nature Human Behavior by neuroscientists at Baylor University and the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School reveals that digital technologies are associated with reduced cognitive decline.

At the intersection of aerospace, ground transportation and artificial intelligence stands Baylor’s new Advanced Vehicle Intelligence and Autonomy (AVIA) Lab, a truly futuristic home for research that develops technologies to enhance the efficiency, safety and adaptability of autonomous intelligent systems found in aerospace and ground vehicles.

Key Insights Emerge From Historic Baylor-Led Global Flourishing Study

Since the judges didn’t give top-seeded Baylor acrobatics & tumbling a perfect 10.0 score in the 2025 NCATA national championship final on April 26 at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Bears just went out and got their own 10.

Baylor Men’s Golf alumni are making a splash in the professional ranks.

In the modern landscape of college athletics, it’s easy for schools to get lost in transactions, focusing exclusively on the ends while ignoring the means.

Track and Field’s Alexis Brown made history as she became the first Baylor athlete to win a national championship in the long jump event. 

10 Keys for Navigating Change in College Athletics

For someone who feels a personal mission to make the world a better place for children, there may be few better fits than Feed the Children, a global nonprofit which seeks to end childhood hunger. All of this made a significant opportunity at the organization just right for Emily Callahan (BA ’00), a Baylor alumna and longtime non-profit leader whose personal mission dovetailed with the organization she now leads.

Baylor University’s success for highly competitive fellowships and awards continues to skyrocket as a record 24 Baylor students and recent alumni have been selected for 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. 

Congratulations, Class of 2025 — you did it!

This weekend, more than 4,000 Bears — the largest class in Baylor history — celebrated earning their degrees, the culmination of the Baylor experience. 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 BU’s newest graduates.

Will Critchfield’s student experience at Baylor led directly to working with cutting-edge technology in his field, then a connection with a prominent Baylor graduate, and finally, an impressive first job after graduation.

For Critchfield, a member of the Class of 2025 from Glen Rock, N.J., success has never been about coincidence; it’s been about faith, perseverance, and the unwavering support of his Baylor community. As he graduates from Baylor this week with a major in film & digital media and a minor in entrepreneurship, his next chapter will begin with a role at NBC.

David M. Szymanski, Ph.D., will join Baylor University on May 27 as The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of the nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business.