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Learn how receiving a scholarship strengthened a student’s academic success

Baylor University today officially launched the Extend the Line Scholarship Initiative, which aims to raise $250 million by 2030 for student scholarships to help ensure a Baylor education remains accessible and affordable for both current and prospective students.

Long-running jokes about college life center around living off ramen noodles and cheap food, and never passing up a free meal. Unfortunately, such jokes mask a hard truth — that college students are two to four times as likely as the average American to experience food insecurity. Students at universities nationwide — yes, even at Baylor — are experiencing these issues.

In response, Baylor Student Success Initiatives has taken steps to alleviate this stress for BU students. Here are 5 ways Baylor works to help students access nourishing food:

For Dan, B.B.A. ’66, M.B.A. ’73, and Nancy Russel Chapman, B.A. ’69, M.S.Ed. ’73, philanthropy is an inspired act. As alumni, former Baylor parents and grandparents, longtime volunteers and donors, their support took many forms over the years as their reasons for connecting to Baylor University changed and evolved.

Two of the oldest residential halls on campus are recently reopened after a $48 million renovation and expansion project. The Honors Residential College (HRC) has been given a revitalized home within Memorial and Alexander halls. 

Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from B. Todd and Amy Patterson of Richmond, Texas, establishing The Todd and Amy Patterson Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity to advance the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s research within the field of cybersecurity. 

Baylor University has announced the appointment of Karen J. Foli, Ph.D., RN, ANEF, FAAN, as the inaugural Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health Nursing, the first endowed chair position in the history of Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON). 

Late last week, Baylor University announced a $10 million gift from Bob Simpson, of Fort Worth, Texas, to support Baylor Athletics and the Give Light Capital Fund. 

Baylor will recognize Simpson's philanthropic support through the naming of the Bob R. Simpson Performance Center within the Jay and Jenny Allison Development Center at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.  

Before Matthew Pierce (BBA ’09) enrolled at Baylor, he and his mother had a conversation about how they would fund his undergraduate education. Unsure of where the money would come from, Pierce’s mother reassured him that God would give him more on the journey than at the start.

Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from the family of George Heilmeier through the Heilmeier-Jarvie Family Foundation, of Plano, Texas, establishing The George Heilmeier Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering to attract, retain and support innovative research and teaching within the School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Baylor University has announced the naming of the Hankamer School of Business’s Curb Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program – formerly known as the Sports Strategy and Sales program – honoring leading music and entertainment executive Mike Curb of Nashville, Tennessee. 

Baylor University is mourning the death of Baylor alumnus, former Regent and Board Chair and dedicated philanthropist Thomas R. “Tom” Powers of Houston, who passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with his family by his side. 

Baylor University’s alumni, parents and friends support our faculty, staff and students in many ways.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 26, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $2 million gift from Scott and Susan Orr of The Woodlands, Texas, establishing the Scott & Susan Orr Family Endowed Chair in Medical Humanities & Christian Faith to support teaching, mentorship and innovative research in the Medical Humanities Program within the College of Arts & Sciences.

The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing acknowledges the generosity of AMN Healthcare, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which has recently established the AMN Healthcare Endowment for Faculty Development in Nursing.

Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift establishing the first endowed chair position in the history of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing from the family of the School’s namesake, Louise Herrington Ornelas. The Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health will support innovative research and teaching within the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, with a special focus on the areas of mental and behavioral health research, including the need for more mental health professionals.

Earlier this spring, the Baylor Board of Regents approved a budget increase of $22.75 million for the renovation of the Honors Residential College (HRC) bringing the total project budget to $57.75 million. The project, which is slated to begin in May, fulfills key commitments of Illuminate Forward to improve students’ residential campus experience and to improve the Honors College.

Alan Jacobs, Ph.D., a longtime Baylor Honors College faculty member, literary critic and author, has been appointed as The Jim and Sharon Harrod Endowed Chair of Christian Thought. In this position, Jacobs will build on decades of past scholarship to promote deep study of the relationship between faith and knowledge, while fostering rich avenues for transformational learning among Baylor’s students within the Honors College. The Harrod Chair also will further ensure Baylor is a national leader in dialogue concerning the intersection of faith and learning in higher education.

WACO, Texas (March 3, 2023) – Baylor University today dedicated the Mary Jo Robbins Clinic for Autism Research and Practice during an event honoring the clinic’s namesake, Mary Jo Robbins, and her husband, William K. “Bill” Robbins, of Houston, who made the lead gift in her honor. The event recognized the Robbinses, a couple who has spent their lifetimes championing excellence in health care.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 24, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $3.7 million gift from Jay and Jenny Allison of Frisco, Texas, to support the Give Light Capital Fund, as well as scholarships benefiting Baylor Law and the George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Baylor will recognize the couple’s philanthropic support through the naming of the Jay and Jenny Allison Development Center within the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 23, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a gift of approximately $6 million from the estate of Harold W. Dunn of Ballwin, Missouri, supporting the School of Music’s Center for Christian Music Studies. Dunn, an alumnus and retired elementary school music teacher, gave the entirety of his estate to the University, making the largest gift in the School of Music’s 100-year history.

DALLAS and WACO, Texas – Leaders from the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) and Baylor University have jointly reviewed the relationship agreement between the two organizations and deemed no changes are necessary. The special agreement, initially agreed upon on November 4, 2011, calls for a joint review by the BGCT and Baylor every 10 years. The most recent review was delayed two years as both organizations managed through the COVID-19 pandemic.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 10, 2023) – The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs today named Baylor University a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022-23 Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 9, 2023) – Baylor University today announced William E. (Ed) Crenshaw, B.B.A. ’73, of Lakeland, Florida, as the recipient of the 2023 Baylor University Founders Medal.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 2, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the appointment of Hannah Stolze, Ph.D., as the inaugural William E. Crenshaw Endowed Chair in Supply Chain Management in the Department of Management in Baylor’s nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 19, 2023) - Jessica Akers, Ph.D., assistant professor of educational psychology in the Baylor University School of Education, has received a $893,409 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop an innovative treatment model for children with autism and their siblings.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 12, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the recipients of the 2023 Baylor Alumni Awards, which honor individuals who embody the distinctive mission of the University and their remarkable achievements. A celebration honoring the impact of Baylor alumni around the world and recognizing this year’s recipients will be held on campus Feb. 24, 2023.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 11, 2023) – The National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have designated Baylor University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), a program that addresses the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 10, 2023) – Baylor University senior Arvind Muruganantham, a cell and molecular biology major on the pre-med track from Fremont, California, is among 16 recipients of the prestigious and highly selective Churchill Scholarship in science, mathematics and engineering, announced today by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 9, 2023) Silicic volcanoes on the Moon, specifically the mysterious Gruithuisen Domes, are a lunar geologic mystery that still perplexes scientists more than half a century after they were discovered. Based on early telescopic and spacecraft observations, these extinct volcanoes have long been suspected to be silicic in composition, in some ways similar to terrestrial strato volcanoes like Mount St. Helens in Washington state.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 4, 2022) – At its regular quarterly meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents focused its discussion on Baylor’s position in the higher education marketplace, highlighted by strong financial reports about upgraded bond ratings and positive investment returns amid continued strong demand for a Baylor experience and education.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 17, 2022) – An interdisciplinary team of Baylor University researchers in psychology, religion and bioethics will explore how to tackle the complex problems of human flourishing by training theologians to incorporate the methods and insights of the psychological sciences into their work through a $2.5 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 3, 2022) – The Baylor University Black Alumni Alliance honored the past while celebrating the bright future ahead for outstanding Baylor students and alumni during its inaugural Achievement Awards Ceremony Sept. 30 in Barfield Drawing Room, one of the highlights of the BBAA’s Reunion Weekend. The evening benefited the Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes Scholarship Endowment.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 1, 2022) – The U.S. Department of Education has renewed Baylor University’s five-year grant for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, which is designed to provide high-achieving college students from diverse backgrounds effective preparation for doctoral studies.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 9, 2021) – Baylor University today announced a gift of $1.5 million from the Deerbrook Charitable Trust of Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Harris and Anne Clark of Dallas to establish the Louise Herrington School of Nursing’s (LHSON) first endowed faculty position.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 18, 2021) – Baylor University today announced the first chair established through the Baylor Illuminate Chair Matching Program, which supports the Give Light Campaign’s goals to increase endowed faculty positions. An anonymous gift of $1.5 million established the first chair through the program, The William J. Abraham Endowed Chair, to support George W. Truett Theological Seminary’s Wesley House of Studies. An additional gift of $1 million to establish a scholarship was made by Jeff (BBA ’86) and Debbie (BS ’87) Wooley of Woodway to support the program’s students.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 13, 2021) – Baylor University today announced the naming of the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion in honor of Paul (BBA ’79) and Alejandra Foster, of El Paso, Texas. The naming is in recognition of Paul and Alejandra’s gift of $100 million in 2019 to the Give Light Campaign, which launched the public fundraising campaign for the Basketball Pavilion, home to Baylor’s National Championship basketball teams.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 11, 2021) – Baylor University today announced the naming of the Mary Jo Robbins Clinic for Autism Research and Practice in honor of Mary Jo Robbins of Houston. The announcement is in recognition of the support and continued efforts of William K. “Bill” and Mary Jo Robbins, a couple who has spent their lifetimes championing excellence in health care.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 5, 2021) – During its regular fall meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents affirmed the framework for the next five years of Illuminate, the University’s strategic plan, including hiring 100 new faculty to accelerate the University toward Research 1 status as the preeminent Christian research university.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 29, 2021) – Social and biomedical scientists at Harvard University and Baylor University have joined forces to launch the $43.4 million, five-year “Global Flourishing Study” (GFS), the largest initiative of its kind to investigate the factors that influence human flourishing throughout the world. It also represents largest funded research project in the University’s history.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 21, 2021) – Baylor University today announced a $2 million gift from Baylor alumnus Matthew B. Lindner (B.A. ’12) of Cincinnati, Ohio, to support the Department of Film and Digital Media (FDM). The Lindner Endowment for Film and Digital Media will support the Baylor in L.A. program, a residential learning opportunity in Los Angeles for FDM students – currently in early planning stages – that will provide internship and experiential learning opportunities for program participants.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 1, 2021) – Baylor University is mourning beloved Baylor Family member Jane Meyer, of Waco, who passed away Aug. 21. Honored as a Baylor Founder for her support of the University, Meyer’s strong Christian faith informed her philanthropy, and as president of the Paul and Jane Meyer Family Foundation, she built upon a legacy of generosity toward Baylor’s students through giving to scholarships, faculty funding and facilities.

Baylor University Libraries has surpassed $10 million in gifts and pledges of support, exceeding its initial fundraising goal set at the beginning of the Give Light Campaign. Nearly 900 alumni, parents, staff, faculty and others have given to Baylor Libraries as part of Give Light.

WACO, Texas (July 22, 2021) – Baylor University today announced the hiring of Alan X. Wang, Ph.D. as the inaugural holder of The Mearse Chair in Biological and Biomedical Engineering, becoming the first faculty hire to an endowed chair position funded through the Baylor Academic Challenge.

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2021) - Baylor University today announced that alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends combined to provide more than $161 million in given and pledged philanthropic support during the University’s recently completed fiscal year (June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021). The Baylor Family’s philanthropy supports the Give Light Campaign, Baylor’s comprehensive fundraising campaign aimed at resourcing efforts to become the preeminent Christian research university.

From its classic buildings to lush greenery, Baylor’s campus has long been known for its beauty. But the best can always get better — and a new tree planting initiative is doing just that for campus. Back in April, a Baylor Student Government bill allocated more than $30,000 for the planting of 26 trees in new […]

WACO, Texas (May 13, 2021) – Baylor University today announced a leadership gift to the Baylor Basketball Pavilion from Paula Hurd, marking progress on the Pavilion and surpassing the $1 billion milestone for the Give Light Campaign, the most the University has ever raised during one campaign effort.

WACO, Texas (April 15, 2021) – Baylor University today announced an estate gift from John and Eula Mae Baugh, creating an endowed chair in physics. The Eula Mae and John Baugh Chair in Physics, which will receive matching funds through the Baylor Academic Challenge, will provide faculty funding within the department of physics and focus on innovative research and teaching in the area of materials science.

WACO, Texas (April 1, 2021) – Following a nationwide search, Baylor University Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., announced today that Sandeep Mazumder, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Economics at Wake Forest University, has been selected as The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of Baylor's nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business. His appointment is effective July 1.

WACO, Texas (March 9, 2021) – Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from the Prichard Family Foundation and Ella Wall Prichard, B.A. '63, of Corpus Christi, to establish an endowed faculty position that will further the research and work of the nationally renowned Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, as well as scholarship in the areas of Black worship, preaching and studies.

WACO, Texas (March 5, 2021) – After winter storms postponed committee meetings during February's quarterly meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents reconvened committee meetings virtually this week with the full Board taking subsequent action to approve construction of an Autism Center and appointment of a new Student Regent. In addition, the Board announced the slate of Alumni-elected Regent candidates for the upcoming election this spring.

Generosity is part of the culture at Baylor University. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends of the University give generously of their finances and their time out of a deep belief in our Christian mission.

For Valentine’s Day, this year (or as soon as you can near Valentine's Day), we ask you to send handwritten letters of thanks to essential workers you know.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 11, 2021) – Baylor University announced today that fundraising for the Trailblazer Scholars Program has surpassed $2 million since the program’s creation in July 2020, pairing with the University’s commitment of $5 million to establish the program.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 1, 2021) – Baylor University today announced Sue Mayborn of Temple, Texas, as the recipient of the 2021 Baylor University Founders Medal.

The Faculty Senate established a goal in support of The Store, Baylor's on-campus food pantry that helps fight food insecurity amongst its student body. The goal, first set at $5,000, was met and exceeded, as was the next goal of $10,000. The new goal is to raise $15,000 for this oft-overlooked challenge of a student's life, which affects up to 15-20% or more of all college students.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 21, 2021) – Baylor University announced today that it has opened its own on-site COVID-19 testing lab and research facility in partnership with My Labs Direct (MLD), a CLIA-certified, COLA-accredited diagnostic lab that offers an extensive menu of FDA-approved tests.

WACO, Texas (December 1, 2020) – The Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty (BCHP), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and key public and private organizations, announced that it served more than 38.7 million meals between March and August to more than 270,000 children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Emergency Meals-To-You (eMTY) program.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 28, 2020) - Baylor University today celebrated the installation of two bronze statues honoring the institution's two Medal of Honor recipients, U.S. Army Corps Col. John Riley Kane (BA 1928) and U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Andrew Jackson "Jack" Lummus Jr.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 29, 2020) – Baylor University today announced a $2 million gift commitment from The DeBakey Medical Foundation of Houston that will create The Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Selma DeBakey and Lois DeBakey Chair for Medical Humanities. In celebration of the announcement, Lauren Barron, M.D., has been announced as the inaugural chairholder.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 15, 2020) – Baylor University today announced a $30 million gift commitment from Dan and Jenni Hord of Midland, Texas. The Hords, both Baylor alumni, are passionate about student success, and through the Hord Scholarship Challenge, they are encouraging the collective Baylor Family to match their giving to Baylor by supporting merit-based scholarships to help deserving students bridge the gap between merit- and need-based financial aid and unmet financial need.

WACO, Texas (September 30, 2020) – Baylor University today announced the naming of the deanship at the Hankamer School of Business to honor William E. (Ed) and Denise Crenshaw of Lakeland, Florida, for their support of the Give Light Campaign and the University’s Hankamer School of Business. The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean within the Hankamer School of Business was funded through a portion of the recently announced $5 million gift from the Crenshaws. The new fund will provide endowment support for the initiatives, programs and projects essential to the School’s dean in executing their vision for Baylor Business and the mission of the School.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 3, 2020) – Baylor University today announced a $5 million gift from William E. (Ed) and Denise Crenshaw of Lakeland, Florida, in support of the Give Light Campaign and the University's Hankamer School of Business. A portion of the gift qualifies for the Baylor Academic Challenge program, creating two endowed faculty positions within the Hankamer School of Business that will receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds as well as support for the School’s dean. The gift also will establish an endowed scholarship fund within Baylor’s Student Foundation.

WACO, Texas (June 14, 2020) – Baylor University is mourning beloved benefactor and Baylor parent, Barbara “Babs” Nell Baugh, of San Antonio, who passed away today after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 78. As president of the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, Baugh was a champion for higher education informed by Christian values, and her generous support of Baylor’s faculty, staff and students leaves an indelible mark on the institution.

The events of the past few weeks have filled me with great sorrow over the senseless and inexcusable killing of George Floyd and in remembrance of the terrible deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many other black men, women and children. We have once again seen our country’s deep divide over race, justice and inequality come to light.

WACO, Texas (May 21, 2020) – Baylor University today announced a $75,000 gift from the H-E-B Tournament of Champions Charitable Trust that will provide staffing support for the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, helping fund the Emergency Meals-to-You effort over the next six months.

WACO, Texas (May 4, 2020) – Twelve Baylor University professors have been honored with Outstanding Faculty Awards for teaching, scholarship and contributions to the academic community for the 2019-2020 academic year.

WACO, Texas (May 5, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a major expansion of Meals-to-You, an innovative partnership between the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, USDA, McLane Global and PepsiCo, to feed low-income kids in rural areas. The initiative will serve nearly 5 million meals per week to rural children impacted by COVID-19-related school closures – five times its original goal.

WACO, Texas (May 5, 2020) – David Moseman, Ph.D., senior lecturer in religion at Baylor University, has been selected as the 2020 Collins Outstanding Professor, an honor voted on annually by the senior class.

WACO, Texas (March 31, 2020) – Baylor University President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., announced today that the designation of Master Teacher – the highest honor granted to Baylor faculty members for sustained excellence in teaching – has been conferred on Professor Robert F. Darden III, Dr. Anne-Marie Schultz and Dr. Charles A. Weaver III.

WACO, Texas (March 31, 2020) – The impact of the COVID-19 public health crisis is acutely felt by entrepreneurs and the nearly 60 million people employed by small businesses across the U.S. As communities have sheltered in place and closed all but the most essential businesses, many entrepreneurs find themselves in survival mode amidst uncertain waters, seeking to keep their business afloat and retain employees.

WACO, Texas (March 25, 2020) – The international response to the COVID-19 public health crisis has led millions of workers to make home their new office as communities and organizations promote social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. For many individuals, this spring marks the first time they will have worked from home for a substantial amount of time.

WACO, Texas (March 25, 2020) – Baylor University graduate and professional programs were among those nationally ranked in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, released March 17.

WACO, Texas (March 4, 2020) – Baylor University interior design students and an associate professor are assisting with the design for a hyperclean play space for children who have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy, as well as for youngsters with a host of other diseases which also may compromise immunity.

WACO, Texas (March 3, 2020) – Baylor University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack B. Rhoades IV has been selected as a recipient of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award for 2019-20, announced today by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

WACO, Texas (Feb. 24, 2020) – At its regular February meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents celebrated the groundbreaking of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – a new multi-purpose facility that will serve as an exciting new entry point to Baylor’s campus – and approved the final phase and project budget of the $21.2 million restoration of the University’s iconic Tidwell Bible Building.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 21, 2020) – Baylor University has named Jennifer Cognard-Black, Ph.D., professor of English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM), as the 2020 recipient of the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 24, 2019) – Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative has taken an important step this week in helping move the University towards its Research 1/Tier 1 aspirations with the announcement of a $5 million grant to expand access to food for students living in rural Texas communities.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 17, 2019) – Steven L. Forman, Ph.D., professor of geosciences and director of the Geoluminescence Dating Research Laboratory at Baylor University, will receive the international Farouk El-Baz Award for Desert Research from the Geological Society of America, becoming only the 21st scientist to receive the award. The GSA will present Forman with the award during the organization’s meeting Sept. 23 in Phoenix, Arizona.

WACO, Texas (July 24, 2019) — Faith Lee was a bit nervous about coming to Baylor University’s New Student Orientation without her parents. The incoming freshman journalism major was a long way from her home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but all of her anxiety dissolved when she walked through the doors of historic Waco Hall at the start of Orientation.

WACO, Texas (July 23, 2019) — Second-grade teacher Katelyn Hamilton, B.S.Ed. ‘18, M.S.Ed. ‘19, described her first year of teaching as a “complete whirlwind.”

WACO, Texas (July 17, 2019) – Baylor University today announced that the philanthropic support of alumni, parents, students and friends during the recently completed fiscal year (June 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019) exceeded $243 million, a period coinciding with the successful public launch of the University’s $1.1 billion Give Light comprehensive philanthropic campaign.

WACO, Texas (July 16, 2019) — Janelle Walter, Ph.D., professor of nutrition sciences in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences and director of the didactic program in dietetics, was honored with a 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS).

WACO, Texas (June 11, 2019) – Baylor University officially presented the City of Waco with one of the university’s most distinguished awards – the Founders Medal – during a special ceremony May 15 on the steps of historic Waco Hall.

WACO, Texas (May 4, 2019) – Baylor University today announced a transformational $100 million gift – the largest current gift in University history and the largest gift to date to the University’s $1.1 billion Give Light comprehensive philanthropic campaign. The gift is from an anonymous donor and will advance Baylor’s progress towards growth as a preeminent Christian research university, building on the University’s historic strengths and strategically investing in new areas of teaching, research and service.

WACO, Texas (April 25, 2019) – Baylor University today announced a $15 million leadership gift from The Sunderland Foundation of Overland Park, Kansas, that will provide significant support for one of the University’s highest priority endeavors within its $1.1 billion Give Light philanthropic campaign: the renovation and restoration of the iconic Tidwell Bible Building. The project is among the nearly $300 million in capital improvements planned as part of the campaign that will support Illuminate, the University’s academic strategic plan.

WACO, Texas (April 15, 2019) – Baylor University today unveiled a new brand identity strategy that unites all of the institution’s colleges, schools, divisions and athletics under a single logo.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 27, 2019) – Baylor University has named Nancy W. Brickhouse, Ph.D., as provost following a national search to help lead the institution toward its goal of becoming the next preeminent Christian research university. Dr. Brickhouse will assume her new role May 1.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 20, 2019) – Baylor University today announced a gift of $2 million to create an endowed Chair in Global Leadership within Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. The gift, which was made by Baylor parents from California, will support the School’s nationally renowned Global Mission Leadership (GML) program, whose purpose is to contribute to Christ-centered international development through culturally informed education.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 17, 2019) – Baylor University’s Center for Christian Music Studies in the Baylor School of Music has been awarded a four-year $1.2 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Strengthening Congregational Ministries with Youth Initiative.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 20, 2018) - Baylor University today celebrates generous philanthropic support for the recently launched Baylor Built program, a key component of the “Preparing Champions for Life” vision of Baylor Athletics. The gift coincides with the public launch of Give Light, a $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign inaugurated under the leadership of Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 20, 2018) – Baylor University is mourning the passing of longtime University benefactor Louise Herrington Ornelas, whose significant friendship and generosity has provided an enduring impact on nursing education – and on future generations of Baylor nurses – at the school that bears her name: Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas.

WACO, Texas (Nov. 2, 2018) - Baylor University today announced a lead gift from Mark and Paula Hurd, which spurs the institution’s $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign to create the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center. Efforts for the new center are the cornerstone of “Give Light: The Campaign for Baylor,” the University’s fundraising initiative announced on Nov. 1, 2018.

I want you to be among the first to know that tonight we officially launched Give Light, a $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign for the future of Baylor University. Give Light undergirds our academic strategic plan Illuminate and will impact every aspect of campus life — from academics and athletics to student life and service learning — while also bolstering financial support for students, faculty and the campus community.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 25, 2018) - Baylor University today announced a gift of $3.5 million from Mark and Jennifer McCollum of Houston to create the McCollum Family Chair in Data Sciences within Baylor’s nationally ranked School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). The $3.5 million gift is part of a larger $11.5 million commitment from the McCollums to Give Light, the University’s upcoming comprehensive philanthropy campaign.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 24, 2018) – Leslie Hahner, Ph.D., associate professor of communication at Baylor University, received the James A. Winans and Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address and the Marie Hochmuth Nichols Award from the Public Address Division of the National Communication Association for her book, “To Become an American: Immigrants and Americanization Campaigns of the Early Twentieth Century.”

WACO, Texas (Sept. 18, 2018) – Many U.S. employees believe working from home – or at least away from the office – can bring freedom and stress-free job satisfaction. A new Baylor University study says, “Not so fast.”

WACO, Texas (Sept. 14, 2018) – Baylor University religion doctoral candidate Joshua Smith traveled to Germany for two months over the summer to improve his language skills, further his dissertation research and gain networking opportunities.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2018) – Baylor University’s 25 inaugural McNair Scholars are ready to soar, like the program’s namesake Dr. Ronald E. McNair, a laser physicist and NASA astronaut who was inspired to work hard and persevere in his studies by his family and by a teacher who recognized and believed in his scientific potential.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2018) – One of the many benefits for the high-caliber students participating in Baylor University’s McNair Scholars program is the opportunity to conduct research with their faculty mentors over the summer. The McNair Scholars program prepares first-generation, low-income and/or underrepresented students to achieve their goal of attaining a doctoral degree.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 8, 2018) – Baylor University’s summer graduating class of 2018 will walk the stage at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Ferrell Center, S. University Parks Drive.