Presidential Perspective - September 18, 2025

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and at Baylor we use this opportunity each year to celebrate the rich culture, history and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans across our campus. Programs and activities are already underway, and I encourage you to explore the full calendar of events being hosted by different academic departments, student organizations and faculty groups during the next month. Anyone can join in the festivities and conversations with your fellow Baylor Bears, and I am sure by doing so you will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of others in ways that strengthen the entire Baylor Family.

On to a few updates:

• HOWDY AND MORE: Students, get your western hats and boots ready for tomorrow’s Howdy at the Hurd. Howdy is your “first official welcome to Texas,” and this year’s festivities outside of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center will start at 6 p.m. Local food trucks and vendors, line dancing and longhorn cattle will all be on site. Then at 8:30 p.m., breakout country star Ty Myers will take the Dutton Avenue stage for a free concert for students, hosted by Pi Beta Phi and Baylor, followed by a spectacular drone show. You should rest up because on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., ahead of the Baylor vs. Arizona State game, football fans can enjoy another free concert as part of the Big 12 Fall Tour. The Graham St. Clair Band, a rising Americana/country group with Baylor ties, will perform at Touchdown Alley. It will be a warm weekend, so start hydrating now!
• BAYLOR 101 WEBINAR: As the landscape of higher education continues to shift, including changes to once tried-and-true financial operations, it is natural to wonder how Baylor is navigating these challenges. Curtis Reynolds, Baylor’s Vice President of Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer, will answer these and other questions during the first Baylor 101 webinar of the academic year. During the one-hour Zoom session, he will address financial priorities, possible outcomes from recent federal funding and lending decisions, comprehensive budget assessments, and more. There will be time for Q&A at the end, and I encourage all Baylor faculty and staff to participate in this important conversation scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2. No sign-up is required, and you will receive an email with the Zoom link in advance of the webinar.
• BEARAID IN KERR COUNTY: After the devastating summer floods in several parts of Texas, Baylor’s BearAid Disaster Relief team has worked diligently to help those near and far who have been affected. Baylor-connected volunteers have put together and distributed flood-relief kits and assisted in recovery and cleanup efforts. Their service continues this week when more BearAid volunteers will travel to Kerr County to support rebuilding efforts. BearAid is a student-led team of faculty, staff and alumni that responds to disasters through hands-on relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts, serving our neighbors with compassion and purpose and putting Baylor’s Christian mission on full display.
• AI AND CANCER TREATMENT: Most of us rely on AI-supported conveniences like Siri and Google to help us through the day, but researchers at Baylor and across the nation are working to understand other ways AI can benefit us, including in the fight against cancer. Leigh Greathouse, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition sciences, recently reviewed how AI “digital gut twins” could help personalize nutrition for cancer care. Her work highlights how this approach could one day improve treatment responses and support healthier lives, thereby reducing the number of cancer diagnoses. Dr. Greathouse’s own experience as a cancer survivor gives her research a deeply personal focus, inspiring her to explore how nutrition and science can bring hope to others facing the disease.

• EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING: Congratulations to our 10 Baylor faculty members from across disciplines who have been selected by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., as 2025-26 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and commitment to advancing transformational education at Baylor. This fellowship program was launched in 2011 by Baylor’s Academy for Teaching and Learning as an opportunity for outstanding teachers to implement new approaches in their courses. This year’s theme is quite timely as the Fellows will focus on “Ethical Technology Use and Improved Digital Literacy.”

  Join Provost Brickhouse and me in congratulating our newest Baylor Fellows:

  • Kevin Russel Magill, Ph.D., associate professor of curriculum and teaching, School of Education, and the 2025-26 Senior Fellow;
  • Halli Carr, D.N.P., clinical associate professor and DNP-Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Track coordinator, Louise Herrington School of Nursing;
  • Emily Clark, M.A., lecturer in museum studies, College of Arts & Sciences;
  • Matthew Cordon, J.D., director of the Legal Writing Program and The A. Royce Stout Chair of Law, Baylor Law School;
  • Ivy Hamerly, Ph.D., senior lecturer of political science and director of the international studies program, College of Arts & Sciences;
  • Ginger Hanchey, Ph.D., senior lecturer of English, director of the Core and undergraduate program director for literature and creative writing, College of Arts & Sciences;
  • Ben Johansen, Ph.D., senior lecturer in composition and computer music, School of Music;
  • T. Philip Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor of English education, School of Education;
  • Meredith H. Palm, Ph.D., lecturer of psychology and neuroscience and psychology advisor, College of Arts & Sciences; and
  • Michael W. Thompson, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering, School of Engineering and Computer Science.

As you are moving around campus and the City of Waco, remember the northbound I-35 bridges over 17th and 18th Streets are now being removed and detours instituted in some areas. Please continue to drive cautiously, and check My35 Waco South Construction Project to stay informed.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

It was so fun to see Baylor students and families together enjoying the sold-out Lauren Daigle concert at Foster Pavilion during Family Weekend.