Presidential Perspective - March 17, 2022

March 17, 2022

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

Welcome back from Spring Break – March Madness is finally here! I am sending this week’s email a little early, as I am en route to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth to watch Coach Scott Drew and our defending national champion men’s basketball team take on Norfolk State at 1 p.m. in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Then I will be back in Waco tomorrow for Coach Nicki Collen’s NCAA Tournament debut as our Bears face Hawaii at 3 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. Best wishes to our student-athletes, coaches and staffs as they shine in the spotlight, and let’s Sic ’em, Bears!

Some updates for this week:

  • March is Women’s History Month, and we continue to celebrate and recognize the many contributions women have made not only to our nation but our University. Make note of these upcoming events:
    • Lecture by writer Dr. Anne Boyd Rioux on "Taking the Recovery of the 19th-Century Women Writers Beyond the Academy," sponsored by the 19th-Century Research Seminar, Friday, March 18, from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in the Armstrong Browning Lecture Hall and via Zoom;
    • Screening of the film "Suffragette" (2015) Monday, March 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Draper 152, hosted by Women & Gender Studies, the Department of Political Science and the Department of Multicultural Affairs; and
    • The annual Multicultural Women’s Symposium, which closes out Women’s History Month on Saturday, March 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Barfield Drawing Room in the SUB, hosted by the Department of Multicultural Affairs.
  • The Baylor Family truly came together yesterday to support our annual Giving Day. This is a day focused on connecting alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends with needs in areas of the University that mean the most to them. Gifts of all sizes, from all 50 states, were given in support of student scholarships, student success, academic excellence funds and other academic priorities, student life initiatives, athletics, service opportunities and much more. We are grateful for the more than 3,000 gifts from individuals who gave so generously and helped us cross more than $1.2 million for the day.
  • We are so blessed by the dedication and exceptional service of our Baylor staff, who each play a valuable role in our mission of integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community. Please join me in congratulating the winners of the 2021 Baylor Staff Awards for going above and beyond in their service to the University:
    • 2021 Outstanding Staff Award Winners Amber George, Research and Grant Manager, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work; Brett Gibson, Associate Director of Advising, College of Arts & Sciences; Emily Leavitt, Office Manager, Department of History; Nathanael Mosher, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management, Undergraduate Admissions; Alana Schaeper, Assistant Director of Student Records, Graduate School; and Nick Werse, Director of the EdD Writing Center, Curriculum & Instruction;
    • 2021 Distinguished Staff Leadership Award Winners Krista Howell, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Hankamer School of Business Undergraduate Office, and Kathy Krey, Senior Director of Research Administration, Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty;
    • 2021 BaylorPLUS Salute WinnerMelissa Stone, Coordinator for Academic Affairs, Office of the Provost; and
    • 2021 BaylorPLUS Salute Team WinnerBaylor VA Benefits Team.
  • For our faculty and staff: Be sure to “save the date” of Monday, April 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at McLane Stadium for a celebration of Baylor’s recent R1 achievement.

One of the things I love about St. Patrick’s Day is that everyone wears GREEN!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President


PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Photo of the Week - 17Mar22

Spring has sprung here on the Baylor campus. It’s exciting to see God’s creation burst forth in colorful splendor this time of year.