Presidential Perspective - Oct. 29, 2026
Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:
This year’s #BaylorHomecoming promises to offer something for everyone, from first-year students to alumni who graduated from Baylor 50-plus years ago. The week-long schedule of activities again kicks off with a worship service presented by Vertical ministries on Monday night, and then the First Gent and I will host thousands of students at the Allbritton House, where we live, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for a fun-filled and free “Dinner with the Livingstones.” We will line up the local food trucks – some owned by Baylor grads – and together enjoy an evening of fall fellowship with “family photos” on the front porch.
On Thursday, all students are invited to Mass Meeting, and first-year students will build the bonfire. The entire Baylor Family should attend Homecoming at the Hurd on Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. New this year is a custom cowboy hat build provided by Rancher Hat Bar, and the first 10 current students with a Baylor ID will receive a hat experience for free! Back for a second year on Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. is the free Homecoming Festival on Third Street. Kids of all ages from across campus and the community will enjoy a fall festival environment with games, prizes, photo ops, food and more.
I encourage everyone to be sure and stop by a few of our tried-and-true Baylor Homecoming traditions as well, like the nation’s oldest Homecoming parade, Singspiration (happening this year at Jones Concert Hall), Royal & Pure Homecoming Stroll-Off (moving to Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center), Extravaganza, Pep Rally and Bonfire – not to mention the football game against Iowa State at McLane Stadium on Saturday. (We will announce the game time by Monday once we hear from the Big 12 Conference.)
I hope to see you around campus over the next several days. Happy Homecoming, Baylor Family!
On to a few updates:
- BASKETBALL DOUBLEHEADER: Basketball season is here, and both our men’s and women’s teams will officially tip off their seasons on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Paul & Alejandra Foster Pavilion. The women will face Fairleigh Dickinson at 6 p.m. and the men will play Northwestern State at 8:30 p.m. Fans with a ticket to the women’s game are encouraged to stay and cheer on the men, and I hope you will help “Pack the Pavilion” for the Bears all season long. Complimentary tickets for faculty and staff may be available on game days, and student tickets can be requested using the student ticketing platform. Waco Rush Pass offers for the local community will be announced throughout the season as well.
- WACO UNDER 40 HONOREE: Please join me in congratulating Dr. Katy Vogelaar, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, on being named a 2026 Waco Under 40 honoree by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. A two-time Baylor graduate, Dr. Vogelaar prepares future nurses while also caring for local patients through her practice and volunteer work at Highland Wellness Center Urgent Care, a faith-based clinic serving the uninsured in McLennan County. Dr. Vogelaar’s recognition is another reflection of how Baylor faculty live out the University’s Christian mission while helping make Waco a healthier and stronger place to call home.
- BRAIN HEALTH MEETS FLOURISHING: The Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas and Baylor’s Institute for Global Human Flourishing have joined forces to explore an intriguing question: Does brain health contribute to flourishing and thriving across the lifespan? This new collaboration will integrate neuroscience with the science of flourishing as researchers study whether strengthening the brain’s cognitive, emotional and social capacities can lead to greater well-being, and whether flourishing itself reinforces brain health. Their research is just beginning, but the findings could help identify measurable, evidence-based approaches that advance human flourishing and improve quality of life across individuals, communities and society.
- BOARD OF REGENTS: Don’t forget 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. Please do keep the family of former Regent Tyler Cooper in your prayers as they continue to mourn his recent passing.
- HALLOWEEN CANDY GIVEAWAY: The Livingstone trick-or-treat tradition continues! I hope you make your way to the Allbritton House starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday for our annual FULL-SIZE Halloween candy bar giveaway, while supplies last. We enjoy donning a costume and seeing all of yours as well! But if you can’t wait for Saturday, head over to the Ferrell Center concourse tomorrow from 6 to 7 p.m. for trick-or-treating with student-athletes from multiple sports, including Men’s Basketball, Acrobatics & Tumbling and many others, before Baylor Volleyball, ranked No. 24, takes on No. 16 TCU.
If you are planning to vote next Tuesday, Nov. 3, remember the Hurd Welcome Center is a designated polling place for McLennan County and is the convenient, on-campus location many have requested. As I have said before, while we may not always agree on politics, our campus community will remain peaceful and united under Christ.
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
