Presidential Perspective - February 6, 2025

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

I talk often about the fact that the Baylor Family is made up of many members with different backgrounds and experiences that enable a wide range of contributions to the world. I believe our ability to fulfill our mission – to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community – is only possible when we embrace those contributions. So, this time of year always reminds me of the importance of celebrating the contributions of people who may have gone unnoticed in U.S. history. The monthlong celebration of Black History Month at Baylor and in the greater Waco community is a time when together we enrich our knowledge of African Americans’ achievements and central role in America’s story. Doing so helps foster the caring community that is so clearly articulated in Baylor’s mission.

For example, several years ago, during a time of great division within our country, the Baylor Board of Regents courageously and unanimously affirmed the report from the Commission on Historic Campus Representations. There have been several outcomes from the report since 2020, but I want to update you on two in particular – the Memorial to Enslaved Persons and Resonance Garden, which are currently under construction on Founders Mall. We broke ground on the Memorial last February, and we are on schedule to complete this important addition to campus in early fall. The Memorial will be a tangible reminder of our University’s history, even as we pursue a future filled with promise. I hope you will excuse our progress as you traverse campus and make plans to attend the dedication ceremony in the fall.

Here are a few updates for this week:

• FACULTY HONORS: During Tuesday’s spring faculty meeting, it was a joy to celebrate faculty members who have received some of the University’s top awards for their commitment to exceptional teaching and research. Among those recognized were Heidi J. Hornik, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Art & Art History, who was selected as the 2025 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year for her superlative contribution to the learning environment at Baylor, and John L. Wood, Ph.D., The Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, who was designated University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor bestowed on Baylor faculty. If you weren’t able to attend the faculty meeting, which was also open to staff, a recording is available on the Provost’s website until tomorrow at 5 p.m.
• BAYLOR IN WASHINGTON: I am looking forward to being a part of an important panel discussion hosted by our Baylor in Washington Program next Tuesday evening. I will be joined by Head Football Coach Dave Aranda and former men’s basketball standout and National Champion Jared Butler in Washington, D.C., to discuss “What’s Good about College Sports?” In my roles as chair of the NCAA Board of Governors and chair of the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors, I am honored and humbled to contribute to these critically important conversations that will shape the future of college athletics. Space is still available for our in-person panel, but registration is required, so for those planning to be in the Washington area, I hope to see you there.
• GLOBAL FLOURISHING STUDY: Later this spring, keep an eye out for a major launch event announcing findings of the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), an unprecedented longitudinal study of more than 200,000 individuals in more than 20 countries that will help us understand human flourishing on a global scale. Co-directed by Baylor researcher Byron R. Johnson, Ph.D., the GFS is the largest funded research project in the University’s history at $43.4 million. Among the preliminary GFS findings already released include a key variable linking faith to flourishing. National news outlets such as Nature and National Geographic are currently working with GFS researchers to cover their findings, highlighting interest in the data among researchers, journalists, policymakers and educators.
• STUDENT RESEARCH DISCOVERIES: As a Christian research university, Baylor is intentional about not only graduate student research, but undergraduate research as well. One recent example is first-year biology students in Dr. Tamarah Adair’s two-semester SEA-PHAGES course who have completed genome sequences of two bacteriophages – viruses that infect and kill bacteria – and have published their findings in Microbiology Resource Announcements, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The students’ research on two bacteriophages (named WildWest and Sue2) is built around a national experiment in bacteriophage genomics funded by HHMI-Science Education Alliance. Dr. Adair’s class offers a way for first-year biology students to make significant contributions to the field of genomics – they’ve contributed nearly 200 phages so far! – and gain vital scientific experience.
• UNIVERSITY CHAPLAIN RETIREMENT: Earlier this week Burt Burleson, University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, announced his retirement at the end of the academic year in May. A Baylor graduate, Burt has served the Baylor Family faithfully for more than 17 years in a position of strategic importance for us as a Christian university striving daily to grow our students academically, relationally and spiritually. The University Chaplain must nurture deep faith and spiritual wellbeing for students, faculty and staff while also providing wise counsel and guidance – a role of incredible significance at a place like Baylor. Burt has been a steadfast and compassionate presence at Baylor for nearly two decades, and although I will miss him, I look forward to welcoming a new University Chaplain in the future.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

A big “Happy Birthday” to our beloved North American Black Bear mascots, Judge Indy and Judge Belle, who turned 2 years old last week!