Presidential Perspective - November 6, 2025

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

I always enjoy seeing how the Baylor Family returns to Waco to reconnect and celebrate at Homecoming, and I am excited to know that celebratory spirit will continue into the days ahead.

Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., we will gather on Founders Mall to dedicate the Memorial to Enslaved Persons. As I’ve mentioned before, the Memorial is one outcome from the 2021 Commission on Historic Campus Representations. The dedication will provide a moment for us to respectfully come together as the Baylor Family and reflect on this challenging period in the University’s history, while we also look toward our promising future together. I hope you will join me there on what should be a beautiful fall morning.

Then, for the first time ever, on Saturday, Nov. 8, Baylor will organize an independent TEDx event. TEDxBaylor University brings our interdisciplinary collaboration and ingenuity to a global audience with talks from Baylor students, faculty, staff and members of the Waco community. I encourage the entire Baylor Family to join by live stream, which will be available on Baylor’s Facebook, YouTube and Virtual Events platforms starting at 9:30 a.m.

Also on Saturday is Baylor’s annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, beginning at 4 p.m. Come enjoy activities for all ages, as well as a showing of Dreamwork’s “How to Train Your Dragon” (2025) on the football field at McLane Stadium. New this year is the Sic ’em Lounge tailgate for adults at the Baylor Alumni tent on Touchdown Alley. There will be food, games and fun for all! Admission is free, but you must register in advance. You will need to show your Baylor ID at the entrance.

And if that wasn’t enough, we are also in the midst of Baylor’s quarterly Board of Regents meeting. Many of our Regents are Baylor graduates, some hail from right here in Waco, and every one of them is fully committed to advancing our Christian mission and doing what is best for Baylor students, faculty and staff. The Board meeting will wrap up tomorrow afternoon, and as is our practice, we will send a summary of the meeting once it concludes.

On to a few updates for this week:

• NATIONAL STEM DAY: National STEM Day is Saturday, Nov. 8, and the theme for this year is “Encouraging the Next Generation of the STEM Workforce.” Baylor faculty and their students are visiting several area schools this week to help spark interest in STEM fields. Sam Urlacher, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, went to Mart Elementary School yesterday to demonstrate the impact of a healthy diet. Today, Bryan Shaw, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry, visited McGregor Middle School to help students see how individuals with disabilities can still pursue science careers. Tomorrow, Mary Lauren Benton, Ph.D., assistant professor of bioinformatics, will be at Midway High School with activities designed to help students build computer applications that serve others. It’s our hope that all these students will pursue higher education, and that many of them will choose a career in science, technology, engineering and math – perhaps even at Baylor!
• INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK: With the addition of Pro Mundo to our Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana motto, International Education Week has even more significance as we strive to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service. You can visit the full event schedule to see what programs and activities are available next week. Our Center for Global Engagement has arranged lectures, presentations and interactive options that promote cross-cultural communication and cultivate the global leadership skills that are vital to succeeding in today’s interconnected world.
• NEW HILLMAN ENDOWED CHAIR: A generous gift from Michael and Jennifer Hillman of Waco has established The Kathy Robinson Hillman Endowed Chair in Communication at Baylor University, recognizing Kathy’s 50 years of service as an associate professor and campus leader. Having worked alongside Kathy when I first started at Baylor as a faculty member and since returning as President, I am thrilled to see her honored in this way. I am also grateful for the Hillman family’s generosity and for their deep commitment to Baylor and our Christian mission. Endowed faculty positions provide enduring, sustaining support for our schools and colleges, and we celebrate the impact of this lasting gift in furthering that mission.
• NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: Each November I look forward to joining all of you in celebrating Native American heritage and culture as we continue to learn and appreciate our own history with Native Peoples. For a list of cultural events and performances, be sure to visit the calendar compiled by the Department of Multicultural Affairs. These and all Baylor heritage events are open to all students, faculty and staff as important opportunities for us to listen, learn and grow alongside one another.
• VETERANS’ DAY EVENTS: Tuesday is Veterans Day, and Baylor will hold several events over the next few days in honor of veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. On Sunday, Nov. 9, Veterans of Baylor will host its fifth annual Battle of the Branches Flag Football tournament at Touchdown Alley, along with an inflatable obstacle course for kids and adults and much more. On Tuesday, Nov. 11, the annual McLane Carillon Veterans Day recital begins at 11 a.m., and later that afternoon, Baylor University Libraries will provide an opportunity to thank a veteran with an interactive display in the lobby of Tidwell Bible Building from noon to 3:30 p.m. Be sure to check the university calendar for the latest activities and events honoring our veterans.

It’s an open weekend for the football team, but there’s plenty of Baylor Athletics happening in Waco. The No. 23-ranked volleyball Bears host West Virginia tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center and Utah on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2. Fans are encouraged to dress in their best Hawaiian outfit for Sunday’s Luau Day – I’m nervous about what the First Gent will wear! If basketball is more your speed, there’s a double-header at Foster Pavilion on Sunday with the women playing at 2 p.m. and the men at 7:30 p.m.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

That Good Old Baylor Line was on full display last weekend for Homecoming 2025! Thank you to all our students, faculty and staff who warmly welcomed our alumni, parents and friends back home.