Presidential Perspective - May 22, 2025

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

We are in the midst of Baylor’s quarterly Board of Regents meeting, and a dedicated group of men and women are graciously volunteering their time to provide strategic guidance and direction for our beloved Baylor University. Many of our Regents are Baylor graduates, some hail from right here in Waco, and every one of them is fully committed to our Christian mission – doing what is best for Baylor students, faculty and staff. I am so grateful for the way our Board faithfully handles its business as the official governing body for the University. The Board meeting will wrap up tomorrow afternoon, and as is our practice, we will send out a summary of the meeting once it concludes.

On to a few updates:

• MEMORIAL DAY: Monday is Memorial Day; a day our nation set aside more than 150 years ago to honor and remember service members who died while serving our country in the U.S. Armed Forces. At Baylor, we’ve long had our own way of recognizing those who made the ultimate sacrifice through plaques that adorn the red granite lampposts all across our campus. This tradition – started in 1946 just after the conclusion of World War II – honors Baylor alumni who were killed in action with a plaque in the shape of a military shield. I know many of you are away from campus right now, but if you are here on Monday, the McLane Carillon in the tower of Pat Neff Hall will ring a Memorial Day recital at noon.
• NEW BUSINESS SCHOOL DEAN: Next Tuesday, we will welcome David M. Szymanski, Ph.D., to Baylor as The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of our nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business. Dr. Szymanski is a transformational higher education leader who brings a wealth of leadership experience to the business school, including as President of the University of North Florida, Dean of the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business and on the faculty at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. He will hit the ground running to enhance Hankamer’s already impressive national and international reputation and its Christ-centered mission. And as we welcome Hankamer’s new Dean, I want to extend our best wishes to Dr. Sandeep Mazumder, who will become president of Berry College on July 1.
• RECORD-BREAKING FULBRIGHTS: As one of the nation’s top Fulbright Producing Institutions for three years running, Baylor has been recognized for valuing global connection and supporting members of the University community to pursue international opportunities. I am thrilled that our success continues unabated as a record-breaking 21 Baylor students and recent alumni have been selected to receive 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. This is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program that allows recipients to pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English in more than 140 countries. Our latest Baylor Fulbrighters are heading to 17 different countries, living out our mission of preparing students for worldwide leadership and service and exemplifying that Pro Mundo spirit!
• BETTER, SAFER BATTERIES: Baylor’s Jonathan Larson, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is a leading researcher on how to build better and safer batteries. Last month he shared his groundbreaking interdisciplinary work during the global Volta Foundation Battery Forum, the world’s largest online gathering of battery professionals. There, Dr. Larson explained how he applies spectroscopic techniques that allow researchers to see nanoscale interactions that impact battery performance – interactions previously obscured to researchers. It’s gratifying to know Baylor professors are being called upon to demonstrate their expertise on prestigious platforms and forums, and we look forward to seeing the impact of Dr. Larson’s innovative research on battery safety and productivity in the years ahead.
• TEDXBAYLOR UNIVERSITY: In case you missed the announcement, this fall we will host Baylor’s first ever TEDx event – presenting “Innovation in Deeds” to a global audience. Through TEDxBaylor University, we will have the opportunity to highlight the interdisciplinary collaboration happening across our campus as we celebrate the power of ideas and embrace Baylor’s Pro Mundo motto, while also bringing interdisciplinary collaboration, ingenuity and mutual learning to the world. Details about speakers and ways to participate will be shared later this summer, and I am excited about this special opportunity to showcase the remarkable work of the Baylor community on this exciting stage.
• SPIRITUAL WELLBEING LEAVE: Don’t forget the summer months may be a good time for faculty and staff to use your Spiritual Wellbeing Leave. Since 2023, Baylor has provided all eligible staff employees with eight hours of leave to engage in activities that foster individual spiritual wellbeing. More than 67% of Baylor employees used this special leave time last year, and our goal is to reach 100%. You should use this time as you deem appropriate, and a few suggestions from your Baylor colleagues include a silent retreat day, participating in community service or volunteering with your local church. If you want to share how you spent your leave time, HR would love to hear from you. You can email them at human_resources@baylor.edu.

Since we have officially moved into the summer portion of the academic year, I will be sending Presidential Perspective a little less often during the next few months. But I will still be in regular prayer for you, including those of you who are serving on summer missions trips. Everyone will still get periodic updates about campus activities and important reminders from me, so keep checking your email. Remember you can always follow Baylor’s official social media channels to stay informed.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

It is awfully quiet – and empty – in the BSB these days!