Presidential Perspective - July 18, 2024

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

We talk often about Baylor’s distinctive place in American higher education — one at the crossroads of faith and learning, of research and impact. Our Christian mission calls us to prepare students to lead and serve in a diverse and complicated society. And as Christians, we have the distinct responsibility to carry Christ’s message of love and hope into the surrounding world.

Over the past weekend, we experienced a harsh reminder of how deeply our world needs this hope to overcome profound differences that can divide us. The attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life shook our country to its core, reminding us of the fragility of humanity. We join our fellow Americans in condemning this terrible act and in mourning the victims and praying for those who were injured.

Differences of opinion and a broad spectrum of values are givens in a democracy. Each citizen’s rights of free speech and the ability to vote according to their conviction form the bedrock of America’s strength and animate the promise of our country’s future. It is imperative for us to remember that we are bonded together in our diversity. Indeed, our nation’s motto celebrates this enduring truth: E pluribus unum, “Out of many, one.”

In the Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul reminds us of our unity in God’s Kingdom: “There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NRSV). I invite the Baylor Family – regardless of our political convictions – to join hands in praying for our country. Let us pray that the Lord will open our hearts to others, heal our country and strengthen us to do the work He has called us to do.

Some updates for this week:

• HURD TRAVEL STOP: You may have seen the billboards along I-35 encouraging road-weary travelers – who “Can’t Bear I-35 any longer” – to make a Travel Stop at the Hurd Welcome Center in July. By all accounts, guests are loving it, along with the goodie bags, exploring the Hurd Center (especially the new footage of Indy and Belle in the Connect column!), visiting campus and more. I’ve loved hearing about the guests who’ve stopped by: Baylor roommates meeting to catch up after 20+ years, families traveling across Texas on vacation, prospective students taking a quiet look at campus, high school students and their families on campus for summer camps, and even Baylor alumnus Jimmy Dorrell with Mission Waco, who organized a mini Baylor reunion and used the Hurd Center as a meeting place before the group toured campus together. The Hurd Center is certainly providing a comfortable place for people to visit and learn more about Baylor!

• EXPANDING RESEARCH: It’s always meaningful to see the many areas in which Baylor researchers make an impact as they earn grants for their work. Some of the most recent examples:

  • Brian Jordon, Ph.D., The Kenneth and Celia Carlile Chair in Materials Science, and Paul Allison, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering, are part of a $15 million team advancing a new technology that would lead to faster, more sustainable and less expensive repairs for military and space vehicles and aircraft.
  • Garritt Tucker, Ph.D., The Eula Mae and John Baugh Chair in Physics, is testing metallic alloys in extreme conditions, like high temperatures or found in space exploration, through a $12.5 million Department of Energy grant.
  • Lulin Jiang, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has created a flex-fuel combustion technology to translate waste into energy that has been accepted into the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program for future use in the marketplace to benefit society.
  • Physical therapy professors Shane Koppenhaver, Ph.D., and Laurel Proulx, Ph.D., are helping the Department of Defense address chronic pelvic pain, which affects 1 in 4 women service members. Supported by a $2.5 million grant, they’ve developed a novel approach using ultrasound technology to help these service members get better access to care and rapid and effective treatment so they can return to duty.

  We’re grateful for the work conducted by all of our research faculty and students across campus as they work to explore God’s creation and share with others.

• BAYLOR OLYMPIANS: The 2024 Olympic Games begin next Friday in Paris, and we will be keeping an extra eye on our seven Baylor Olympians (and a coach) as they compete on the world’s greatest stage:

  • Volleyball: Avery Skinner (USA)
  • Women’s Basketball: Brittney Griner (USA) and Kristy Wallace (Australia)
  • Men’s Basketball: Nuni Omot (South Sudan)
  • Track & Field: Nathaniel Ezekiel (Nigeria - 400m Hurdles), Zaza Prosper Nnamdi (Nigeria - Javelin) and Michael Ford (USA - Men’s Sprints & Hurdles Coach)
  • Tennis: John Peers (Australia)

  Sic ’em, Olympic Bears!

Here’s to a good remainder of the week.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Visiting Baylor’s original campus in Independence is always a highlight of the summer. I enjoyed meeting so many members of #BU28 and look forward to seeing these new Bears on campus next month!