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Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:
It is July and it is hot in Texas! With temperatures regularly above 100 degrees Brad and I are looking for ways to beat the heat. Like many of you, we have our favorite ways to stay cool, too. We both enjoy fresh-squeezed lemonade from Pop’s Lemonade and sampling different flavors of ice cream at Heritage Creamery. And bonus, these shops are both owned and operated by Baylor grads.
But our favorite summer pastime is still off limits for me – my jet ski and the Brazos! Since I am only about a month removed from double-knee replacement surgery, the doctors say I have to wait to get on the water, but with physical therapy going extremely well, I hope to get back out there very soon to cool off!
In the meantime, a few updates for this week …
- TRUST IN HIGHER ED: A new Gallup Poll shows Americans’ confidence in higher education has fallen significantly since 2018, down to about 35%. Thankfully, this is in stark contrast to what we know about trust in Baylor. For the second straight year we were named among the nation’s top 10 Most Trusted Universities by global research firm Morning Consult as part of its Most Trusted Brands project. We are alongside some of the most prestigious universities, like Johns Hopkins, MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Notre Dame and Duke!
- STRATEGIC PLANNING GROUP: Earlier I announced we would embark on the next phase of University strategic planning, under the guidance of Strategic Planning Group (SPG) co-chairs Provost Nancy Brickhouse and Chief of Staff Tiffany Hogue. I am pleased to report we have scheduled nearly 70 listening sessions with the Baylor Family this fall – starting with the Board of Regents in two weeks. The SPG will deliver a new strategic plan for me to take to the Board for affirmation next May, and I hope you will participate in this important part of the process as we chart a course for Baylor after Illuminate.
- VICE PRESIDENT SEARCHES: We’ve been blessed with stable leadership within our President’s Council for several years, and although just a few weeks ago we said a final goodbye to Brett Dalton, Chief Business Officer, and David Rosselli, Vice President for University Advancement, this is an exciting time for the University. National executive search firms Russell Reynolds Associates and WittKieffer, respectively, have been retained to assist our search committees in identifying new leaders who understand and value Baylor’s unique position as a top-tier Christian research university.
- JACKSON FAMILY CHAIR: Hopefully you saw yesterday’s news – Felipe Hinojosa, Ph.D., will join our renowned Department of History on Aug. 1 as the inaugural Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America. Coming from Texas A&M, Dr. Hinojosa served as professor of history, assistant provost for Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) initiatives and director for the Carlos H. Cantu Hispanic Education & Opportunity Endowment. He brings an impressive research and teaching portfolio to Baylor that will expand our increasing influence on scholarship on Latin American history and provide added leadership to our Baylor in Latin America initiative. Welcome, Dr. Hinojosa!
- SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: Researchers in our Diana R. Garland School of Social Work will help enhance mental health services in Waco schools through a more than $2.5 million grant from the Department of Education. Carrie Arroyo, LCSW, senior lecturer of social work; Mary Zane Nelson, LCSW, project director; and Stephanie Boddie, Ph.D., associate professor of church and community ministries, were awarded the grant to create internships for students pursuing their Master of Social Work degree, build a training and certificate program for school-based mental health services and offer Spanish-language training for participants. This program builds on longstanding partnerships with Waco ISD and Transformation Waco.
As the temperatures keep soaring, stay hydrated and re-apply the sunscreen, Bears!
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
 There is nothing quite like a summer sunset in Texas, especially when it gives us a view like this of our Baylor. Enjoy!
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