Presidential Perspective - March 12, 2026

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

This year’s Pruit Memorial Symposium, Frontiers of Health & Innovation, is happening March 24-25, and it will bring together a wide range of disciplines and experienced researchers to examine how innovation and technology are reshaping health and wellness.

I am pleased to announce that to begin the symposium, Maj. Gen. (Retired) Brian C. Lein, M.D., will share insights on Innovations in Medicine, Past, Present and Future as the keynote lecturer. Dr. Lein is Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education and OMS-4 Advising at the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine. He previously served more than 40 years in the U.S. Army and Department of Defense, leading major medical organizations, including the Army Medical Department Center and School and the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. He also served as the Army’s senior physician, overseeing recruitment and professional development for more than 4,000 military doctors. Dr. Lein commanded two major military hospitals, including Landstuhl Regional Medical Center during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A board-certified general surgeon, he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and an experienced military medical leader.

The entire Baylor Family, along with industry professionals, is invited to join leaders and researchers in examining how technology is reshaping modern healthcare. Sessions will consider the impact of emerging technologies on patient care, access, and health outcomes and the transformation AI and digital tools are bringing to work, wellness, and the future of healthcare professions. You can learn more about the event and register on the Pruit website.

Here are a few updates:

• STRATEGIC FINANCIAL REPOSITIONING: Please make plans to join me and Curtis Reynolds, Vice President of Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer, for an update on Baylor’s strategic financial repositioning. Our presentation will be via Zoom, and faculty and staff will receive an email the day before the webinar with a link. The budget update message I shared on Feb. 24, is available online, as is Curtis' Baylor 101 conversation from October. As Baylor responds to external headwinds and proactively prepares for an uncertain future for higher education, I thank you for your partnership and for your continued commitment to Baylor’s Christian mission.
• WACO CORPORATE CUP: Did you know Baylor is the largest employer in McLennan County? Well, we are, and this summer we have a chance to show our fellow large businesses like Providence Hospital, SpaceX and TSTC what we are made of during the 2nd annual Waco Sports Corporate Cup! We need 50-60 faculty and staff members to compete in a one-of-a-kind adult field day on Saturday, June 6. If you want to represent Baylor, be sure and complete the team interest form by Friday, March 27.
• MEDICAL INTERPRETERS RESEARCH: Dr. Karol J. Hardin, Professor of Spanish and Director of Spanish for Health Professions, recently partnered with Waco Family Medicine to develop a practical solution to the shortage of qualified medical interpreters. Waco Family Medicine strives to improve the health and wellness of underserved patients, and their facilities provided a real-world setting to train staff and evaluate the program. Published in the Annals of Family Medicine, Dr. Hardin’s research shows that heritage Spanish-speaking clinic employees can be trained to become professional medical interpreters, and the partnership with a local clinic was central to her work.
• MOSQUITO WARNING SYSTEM: For centuries, plant-derived repellents have been used to help keep mosquitoes at bay. But scientists didn’t fully understand how these compounds worked in the insect’s brain. New research by a Baylor-led international team published in Nature Communications reveals mosquitoes appear to have a built-in early warning system that is highly tuned to detect – and avoid – borneol, a naturally occurring organic compound found in aromatic plants. This discovery, led by Dr. Jason Pitts, Associate Professor of Biology, could help scientists design more targeted and effective mosquito repellents to reduce the spread of diseases such as dengue, malaria and Zika.

I’m looking forward to bringing out my cowboy boots and Western hat on Monday for Baylor Night at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. I hope to see many of you at NRG Stadium for another Baylor tradition!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Baylor Career Center hosted its latest campus-wide Career Day for students from all majors and fields of study. Baylor’s most recent placement rate is 92%, and its success rate is 94% — two numbers that are well above the national average.