Presidential Perspective - April 9, 2020

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

Each Friday we produce a program called “Baylor Connections” that is available via podcast and on KWBU radio (103.3FM) at 11 a.m. CT. Last night I received an advance transcript of a special Good Friday interview with Dr. Todd D. Still, The Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran DeLancey Dean and The William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures with Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. I wanted to share an excerpt of his message with you today, as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter:

“In the Gospel of Mark, it is recorded in 15:34 that, from the cross as he was dying, Jesus cried out an Aramaic phrase, meaning ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’… Without question, Jesus felt himself despised, rejected and alone. Also without question, Jesus’ resurrection signals God’s steadfast, unfailing love for his Son and for the world. If, in this time of pandemic we might feel alone, we can rest assured that we are never alone. Jesus assures us of his promised presence even until the end of the age. He is Emmanuel, and not only at Christmas and Easter.”

Some information to share with you this week ...

• As we practice social distancing to keep our families and communities safe, I miss those sacred moments on our campus where we gather together for worship and prayer. I hope you will join fellow students, local churches and volunteers who will bring us FM72, a virtual 72-hour prayer and worship event beginning Monday. Although we won’t be in person together on Fountain Mall, we will gather online in Jesus’ name each night at 8 p.m. CT April 13-15 to worship, pray and hear God’s Word. Virtual 24-hour prayer rooms also will be available. May we all find revival and renewal through our Risen Savior. You can find details on the FM72 website and Instagram.

• As I mentioned last week, Baylor has a host of support resources that remain available for students even though you are not on campus. One of those important resources is the Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center (BARC), which supports students in their recovery from substance and behavioral addictions through all-encompassing levels of support. The BARC continues to offer its services and next week will be recognizing National Collegiate Recovery Day on April 15.

• Did you know that this is Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week? I know you will join me in expressing our great appreciation for the contributions, impact and value of our graduate and professional students. As they complete their advanced degrees, they will expand the University’s impact on the world as they carry their faith-based Baylor education into communities worldwide and serve as ambassadors for Baylor’s excellence in higher education.

• Our national search for a Dean of the Honors College came to a happy conclusion yesterday with the announcement that Douglas V. Henry, Ph.D., has been selected to serve as Dean in an official capacity, beginning May 1. We often ask associate deans to step into important interim roles, as Dr. Henry had since July, and he provided the Honors College with exceptional leadership, continued vision and a steadfast commitment to a transformational undergraduate education.

• Congratulations to Baylor biology majors Andrew J. Munoz and Emily Schultz, who have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships that encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in STEM fields. This is the second year in a row that two Baylor students have received the prestigious undergraduate scholarship, which recognizes Baylor’s transformational education and rich research opportunities. Andrew will continue his research on cancer-related fatigue with Elisabeth G. Vichaya, Ph.D., in psychology and neuroscience, while Emily focuses on emerging viral diseases – a very timely field – under tropical disease biologist Kelli L. Barr, Ph.D.

• What a Saturday it was for Baylor Lady Bears Head Coach Kim Mulkey, who joined basketball royalty with her selection into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is such a well-deserved honor for Coach Mulkey in recognition of her significant success on the basketball court as a player and coach, but also for how she prepares her student-athletes to be champions on the court and ultimately in life. If you missed it, Lady Bears fans celebrated the occasion with an impromptu parade by Coach Mulkey’s house – while ensuring proper social distancing, of course.

As we continue our journey with Jesus to the cross, let us remember that it is He who brings us the hope of something new and beautiful to emerge even in the midst of our hardest days, doubts and suffering. We can be confident in our faith that Jesus will be with us, day after day, to the end of the age.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President