Season 1

The Baylor campus teems with opportunities to enjoy music, theatre, art, athletics and more. In this Baylor Connections, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone shares how the pursuit of “excellence in human performance through the arts and athletics,” one of the four foundational pillars of Illuminate, will impact those areas at Baylor.

How appealing does it sound to work from home, or at least away from the office? Baylor Assistant Professor of Management Sara Perry has studied the role of stress, autonomy and workplace interaction in the ways individuals handle remote work. She shares her findings and gives tips for those considering remote work in this Baylor Connections.

Whale earwax tells a story. In 2013, Baylor Associate Professor of Biology Stephen Trumble and Associate Professor of Environmental Science Sascha Usenko developed a novel technique to study whales’ exposure to pollutants and environmental stressors through the examination of whale earwax. In a follow-up to that groundbreaking study, Trumble and Usenko have released new research uncovering whale stress response to whaling, pollutants, climate and other man-made events. They share more in Baylor Connections.

Baylor’s Center for Christian Music Studies trains students and develops professionals in all aspects of Christian music. Dr. Randall Bradley, The Ben H. Williams Professor of Music and Director of the Center for Christian Music Studies, examines Christian music from a variety of angles and shares more about the program’s tradition of excellence in classrooms and houses of worship across the nation.

Dr. Heidi Hornik, Professor of Art History, is a nationally-recognized expert in Renaissance & Baroque painting. She discusses the intersection of art and faith on this Baylor Connections, and examines the ways art compels meaningful reflection about our neighbors, on important issues and on historical factors that continue to impact the world today.

Baylor’s graduate and professional programs are poised for expansion as Baylor builds on the aspirations of Illuminate, the university’s academic strategic plan. President Linda Livingstone paints a picture of the impact of those programs, both on and off campus, and how their growth will enhance Baylor’s research and influence in the years to come.

Social media has changed the way people consume and disseminate information. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez examines modern communication, race and gender from a number of angles. Dr. Moody-Ramirez, a leading researcher and communications expert, serves as a professor and Graduate Studies Director in Baylor Journalism, Public Relations and New Media.

Striving to be a “solid gold neighbor,” Baylor University partners with local organizations throughout Central Texas for the betterment of the community. Jeremy Vickers, Associate Vice President for External Affairs, explains how Baylor builds meaningful community engagement in areas like education, public service, economic development and more.

Over Homecoming weekend, Baylor announced the launch of “Give Light,” a $1.1 billion campaign for Baylor’s future. Vice President for Advancement Dave Rosselli shares how this historic campaign will help position Baylor as a preeminent Christian research university and support the aspirations of Illuminate, Baylor’s academic strategic plan. Learn more about how “Give Light” will build on Baylor’s historic strengths and fund exciting new facilities in this Baylor Connections.

Illuminate, Baylor’s academic strategic plan, highlights human performance through arts and athletics as a foundational pillar. Dr. Deanna Toten Beard, department chair of Theatre Arts and professor of theatre history and dramaturgy, shares how theatre and the arts enrich the campus community, equipping both students and theatergoers to better understand the world around them.

In the Baylor School of Education, groundbreaking research and immersive experiences prepare students for the future of education. Dr. Lakia Scott, assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, has founded numerous programs designed to help students succeed. She shares how these experiences equip future educators to better serve their students and communities after college.

Transformative undergraduate education is one of the four foundational pillars of Illuminate, Baylor’s academic strategic plan. President Linda Livingstone explains how Illuminate will enhance Baylor’s strong undergraduate experience and examines a series of signature academic initiatives chosen to prepare students to address society’s most challenging problems.

The Philanthropy & Public Service Program in the Baylor Honors College trains students to solve problems and think beyond themselves by pairing academic learning with service to the community. Andy Hogue, senior lecturer in the Honors College and director of the program, shares more about this Baylor hidden gem, which has enabled students to distribute more than $500,000 to area non-profit organizations.

Cori Pinkett, Assistant Athletic Director for Character Formation, came to Baylor in July with a distinct charge: to oversee character formation programming to Baylor’s more than 500 student-athletes. “Baylor Built,” which provides distinct character formation learning opportunities across five core competencies, represents Baylor Athletics’ roadmap to prepare champions for life.

What does it mean to oversee the research policy of a Christian research university? As Baylor’s Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Truell Hyde works with faculty across campus to encourage and support meaningful research that impacts the world around us. Hyde shares how Baylor faculty come together to advance important scholarly agendas, and explains how research benefits the Waco and Central Texas community.

A student’s earliest interactions with a university can positively impact the trajectory of their college career. As director of Baylor New Student Programs, Nathan Shelburne and his team provide intentional opportunities for students to connect, plug in and build friendships on campus. In this Baylor Connections, Shelburne explains how programs like Orientation, Line Camp and Welcome Week help students discover their place in the Baylor Family.

Baylor’s unambiguously Christian educational environment uniquely positions the University to impact the world around us. Through dynamic classroom experiences, meaningful research, service experiences and more, Baylor lights shine bright around the globe. In her monthly Baylor Connections visit, President Livingstone shares why the world needs a place like Baylor.

At the beginning of each new year, Brad Toben reminds Baylor Law students that “the legal profession is a service profession.” Toben, the longtime Dean of Baylor Law School, shares the many ways law students at Baylor give of their time and talents, partner with others in the community and live out the call to serve through a variety of law clinics and outreaches.

More than 2400 Baylor students represent the first generation of their family to attend college. Mito Diaz-Espinoza is the Program Manager for Baylor First in Line, which serves those students through a variety of resources to assist their transition to college life. Diaz-Espinoza, himself the first member of his family to attend college, shares the struggles and joys of first-generation students and the ways they enrich the Baylor Family.

Most people would prefer not to think about topics like bereavement and loss, but Dr. Helen Harris has made them her life’s work. Dr. Harris, associate professor in Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, is one of the nation’s leading experts in loss, grief and faith across all age groups. In this Baylor Connections, she shares insights into how we, individually and culturally, can better serve those dealing with loss.

The demand for professionals across the health fields grows unabated. Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences meets those needs by training students to be excellent practitioners and leaders in fields that improve quality of life. Dr. Rodney Bowden, Dean of the Robbins College, shares why the school has become one of the fastest-growing at Baylor and how Robbins College students are prepared to serve their communities.

In May, Dr. Gary Carini was charged by President Linda Livingstone with the completion and implementation of Illuminate, Baylor’s academic strategic plan. Carini, a longtime Baylor management professor who now serves as Vice Provost for Graduate Professional Education, shares how that implementation is taking place, including the ways Baylor faculty help shape the plan in this Baylor Connections.

Creating a culture of engaged students means investing in the whole student—academically, spiritually, emotionally and more. In this episode of Baylor Connections, Baylor Vice President for Student Life Kevin Jackson explains how Baylor intentionally provides programs and resources across campus to help connect, nurture and challenge students as they make the most of their Baylor experience.

What does it mean to live missionally? Rebecca Kennedy, Assistant Dean for Spiritual Life & Missions, explains how an individual’s unique calling is also a call to serve. She shares how Baylor students discover the ways they can live out Missio Dei - the “mission of God” - through Baylor Missions opportunities in this Baylor Connections.

Dr. Lori Spies, Assistant Professor and Missions Coordinator at Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, was recently awarded a Fulbright Global U.S. Scholar Award to participate in global health research projects in India, Vietnam and Zambia. Through the years, she’s built and grown a missions program that has enabled Baylor Nursing students to serve around the globe. Spies shares how nursing, global health and service go hand-in-hand in this Baylor Connections.

Baylor’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond the basics—it’s about instilling in students, through initiatives and education, a sense of how being good stewards of our resources intersects with their faith. Smith Getterman, Baylor Director of Sustainability and Special Projects, explains why and how in this Baylor Connections.

“Titanic: The Artifact,” the first blockbuster exhibition to come to Waco’s Mayborn Museum, is now on display. Rebecca Nall from the Mayborn Museum shares how the exhibit transports visitors to the ship through a variety of experiences, how the exhibit was brought to Waco and how the museum serves Central Texas in this Baylor Connections.

“Preparing champions for life” has been Baylor Athletics’ mission statement since Mack Rhoades became Baylor’s Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. In this Baylor Connections, Rhoades looks back at his first two years at Baylor and shares the many ways Baylor Athletics works as a department to shape champions long after their time on campus is through.

What does spiritual formation look like in a University of 16,000 students, all at different points in their faith journey? How do today’s students approach their faith? Dr. Burt Burleson, University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, answers those questions and more in this episode of Baylor Connections.

As the Baylor School of Education approaches its centennial anniversary in 2019, it continues to build on a legacy of immersive classroom experience, dynamic research and local partnerships. Dr. Terrill Saxon, Interim Dean of the School of Education and Professor of Educational Psychology, shares insights on award-winning partnerships with Central Texas schools, initiatives that enhance opportunities for low-income students and more.

As Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Institutional Effectiveness, Dr. Wes Null is responsible for overseeing and helping shape a common vision for Baylor undergraduate education. In this episode of Baylor Connections, he explains how that vision is formed and how the University helps students succeed in Baylor’s rigorous academic environment.

Baylor lights shine bright—on campus and across the country. Jason Cook, Baylor University’s vice president of Marketing and Communications, explains how Baylor’s light shines and unpacks the ways the university tells its story on this week’s Baylor Connections.

Since its founding in 2009, the Texas Hunger Initiative at Baylor University has grown to become a national leader in the fight against food insecurity. Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director, discusses what hunger looks like in Texas communities, shares the importance of public and private partnerships to address hunger, and shares the vision of eliminating food insecurity in the state of Texas.

Dr. Seung Kim, Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Baylor, is pursuing a device that could save lives. From his lab in the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative, Dr. Kim’s research is focused on building an accessible biosensor device that could detect cancer and other diseases early and affordably. He shares his perspective from the frontlines of the fight against disease in this Baylor Connections.

How does Baylor nurture a caring community, both on and off campus? In this episode of Baylor Connections, President Linda A. Livingstone discusses the ways in which spiritual formation and campus resources work in tandem to help students serve as lights to their fellow students, the Waco community, and beyond.

Sports have been compared to a secular national religion. At Baylor, the Sports Chaplaincy and Ministry programs train leaders at the intersection of faith and sports on and off the field. Dr. John White, Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Director of the Sports Chaplaincy and Ministry program in the George W. Truett Theological Seminary, discusses how faith impacts the ways we play, coach and interact with athletics on stages both large and small.

Dr. Jim Ellor is a professor in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, gerontologist and bi-vocational minister. In this episode of Baylor Connections, he shares expertise and insights on working and living with older adults, mental health, the spirituality of aging and more.

The Baylor University Counseling Center provides a comprehensive array of services for the wellbeing of Baylor students. Dr. Jim Marsh, Executive Director for Counseling Services at Baylor, discusses national trends in collegiate mental health and shares how the Counseling Center has grown to meet the needs of students.

Beyond the number, what is a university’s endowment? Dr. Brian Webb, Baylor University Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, gives a class on “Endowment 101” in this episode of Baylor Connections: how the endowment works, what the numbers mean, where the money goes, and the ways it supports Baylor’s future.

The Baylor Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic provides services that extend far beyond the Baylor campus. In this episode of Baylor Connections, Dr. Diane Loeb, Professor and Endowed Chair of Baylor’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD), explains how Baylor CSD clinics are a place where miracles happen daily.

Preparing “champions for life” means providing guidance and support to student-athletes far beyond their field of competition. Marcus Sedberry, Baylor Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success, discusses the ways Baylor assists student-athletes in academics, spiritual life, service, health and more.

“Illuminate,” Baylor’s Academic Strategic Plan, will provide a roadmap for Baylor to serve as a light to the world through increased research capacity and impact. What role does Baylor’s faith foundation play in such a plan? In this episode of Baylor Connections, President Linda Livingstone explains what it means to be a true Christian research university, and how the search for God’s truth drives both faculty and students.

Dr. Terry Maness is the longtime Dean of Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business. Dean Maness discusses the impact of the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, the importance of partnerships with top executives around the world and trends in business education.

Dr. Jeffrey Hamilton, Vice Provost for Global Engagement at Baylor, oversees the University's international education initiatives. On Baylor Connections, he discusses "Global Baylor: Addressing Challenges to Human Flourishing." "Global Baylor" is a new quality enhancement plan that will advance internationalization across campus and enhance student experiences through a diverse and comprehensive array of connective opportunities.

Laura Hernandez, professor in the Baylor Law School, is the co-founder of the Baylor Law Immigration Clinic and a leading expert in the experiences of new immigrants to the United States. In this episode, she talks about serving immigrants in Central Texas, and the broader impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) requests.

Dr. Gary Mortenson, Dean of the Baylor University School of Music, explains how the School of Music’s reach extends beyond the concert hall or practice room. In this episode of Baylor Connections, he discusses how Baylor Music enriches the community, the ways Baylor Music students use their calling as a means to serve others and how music serves as a universal language.

Baylor’s aspiration to become a Tier 1 Research institution is reflected in the outstanding research conducted by longtime faculty members and students whose work addresses society’s most important problems. In this episode of Baylor Connections, President Linda Livingstone explains what it means to become a Tier 1 Research university, and discusses the distinct role Baylor’s Christian identity plays in conducting meaningful research.

Dr. Michael McLendon, Baylor University’s Interim Provost, works with President Livingstone to provide oversight and strategic direction for the university’s academic enterprise. In this episode of Baylor Connections, he discusses Baylor’s vision in preparing the university’s first academic strategic plan—a roadmap to becoming a top research institution while strengthening Baylor’s commitment to outstanding teaching and student formation.

Lilly Ettinger is the senior coordinator for recovery services at Baylor University. In that role, she provides assistance, support and community to students battling addiction at Baylor University’s Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center. In this episode of Baylor Connections, she shares how Baylor serves students battling addiction as they work to achieve their academic and personal goals.

Dr. Byron Johnson, Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences and Founding Director of the Institute for the Studies of Religion, is one of the country’s leading researchers on the role of religion in public life. In this episode of Baylor Connections, he shows the impact of communities and people of faith on societal issues such as homelessness, crime and incarceration, and shares why the scientific study of religion is so meaningful.

Dr. Kevin Pinney, Baylor University professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Institute of Biomedical Studies, is on the front lines of the fight against cancer. In this episode of Baylor Connections, Dr. Pinney describes how he and his Baylor colleagues bring their own unique skills and research interests to work in concert to fight disease.

Baylor University President Dr. Linda Livingstone shares insights from her first seven months on the job and provides an outline for Baylor’s strategic vision moving forward in academics, research, leadership and more.