News

Designed by Sasaki, the Memorial to Enslaved Persons was recognized in summer 2026 for General Design by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects. Boston is the largest local chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in the country.

Each summer, Baylor’s campus transforms into a dynamic environment where learning is supported by doing, and experiences shape both young participants and the Baylor students who lead them.

It's National Cancer Research Month, and Baylor researchers are leading the way on trailblazing approaches to effective therapies for some of the most aggressive cancers.

Students in Baylor's innovative Philanthropy & the Public Good course awarded $100,000 in grants to seven local nonprofits.

In the spirit of National Nurses Week and Mother’s Day, Baylor Nursing highlights mother-daughter alumni DNPs bringing recognition to the value of midwives.

Designed by Sasaki, the Memorial to Enslaved Persons was recognized in spring 2026 for Excellence in Landscape Architecture General Design by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP). These awards recognize excellence in the planning and design of campus grounds.

As Baylor University students prepare to move out of residence halls at the end of the spring semester, a campus-wide, student-led initiative is ensuring that usable items are not thrown away.

Three Baylor University biology and biochemistry student researchers earned top honors for their presentations at the 129th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science.

What if bacteria could be a tool to better deliver cancer drugs?

How would heart transplants be improved if hearts were better preserved while waiting for transplant?

These are just two of the many questions being addressed these days by Baylor researchers — professors and students alike — in departments across campus. It would take far more than this blog post to adequately capture the scope of Baylor research, but we can share a few examples of the latest work at BU:

Guided by its Christian mission and commitment to stewarding God’s creation, Baylor continues to advance sustainability through intentional practices that integrate faith, academics and daily campus life. 

Baylor researchers Corey P. Carbonara, Ph.D., and Michael Korpi, Ph.D., led university-industry team to develop 6P’s revolutionary Full Color Range display system

Dwayne D. Simmons, Ph.D., and Samuel S. Urlacher, Ph.D., have been elected to the rank of 2025 AAAS Fellow, a lifetime honor announced today by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Baylor University is ranked No. 81 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2025, a list published by the National Academy of Inventors.

She’s been called the “Mother Teresa of Bangalore,” and her lifetime of service is the subject of two books — a biography published in 2008, and a children’s book published in 2021.

But before the books, before the recognition, before the lifetime of service, Rebekah Ann Naylor (BA ’67) was a Baylor Bear.

Baylor University has added to its Fulbright success, this time with cancer researcher and molecular biologist Jonathan Kelber, Ph.D., named to the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Program.

University Scholar Abhinav Rajkumar joins researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Heart Institute for life-saving medical research

When researchers complete a study and share their work, they hope it will have impact: to help people, advance understanding, develop technologies and more. 

Such impact is important — but can be hard to measure. There’s no one way to do it, but Stanford University has annually compiled a prestigious list that captures one important measure of impact: citations. And Baylor researchers do very well there.

New research shows how a natural plant compound flips a built-in “avoid” switch in the mosquito brain and why that could lead to better repellents

Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Project is drawing national media attention by expanding the ways it preserves and promotes decades of this historic music. 

Waco Mayor Jim Holmes proclaimed Feb. 17, 2026, as Robert Doyle Day, recognizing the Baylor University researcher for his decades of service to Waco’s water systems. 

Baylor-Waco Family Medicine research finds affordable interpreter training model for heritage Spanish speakers can improve patient care, restore dignity in health communication

Baylor’s mission has long been to “educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service” — and for the third straight year, a survey by TIME magazine confirms Baylor’s doing exactly that.

Baylor once again ranks among TIME‘s list of the 100 Best Colleges for Future Leaders, coming in at No. 70 nationally for 2026 (No. 4 in Texas, No. 5 in the Big 12). This year, the publication studied the resumes of almost 5,000 U.S. leaders — pulling from business, government, academia and more — to find where today’s leaders got their start, with Baylor continuing to stand out among the nation’s best.

Waco VITA program brings together students from Baylor, University and La Vega high schools to prepare more than 1,500 tax returns for families across McLennan County.

“The Whole Body Project” will showcase stories of mutual flourishing in faith communities that embrace individuals with and without disabilities and mental health challenges.

Baylor researchers have published a novel approach to fight colorectal cancer, using modified bacteria as a courier to deliver potent cancer-killing proteins into tumor cells. 

Bryan  Brooks has demonstrated that data in the water is a tool to protect public health. His work in wastewater epidemiology and "forever chemical" studies helps communities take proactive measures to serve their citizens.

When it comes to pioneering education and ground-breaking research, Baylor has always been on the cutting edge.

Serving others is a principle that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It is in the pursuit of this service that Baylor University places an emphasis on excellence in teaching and research that addresses the needs of the surrounding world. 

Launched with a $1.5M grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Baylor’s Soundings Project brought together 12 Texas congregations over seven years to explore Christian vocation.

Liang Sun, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering at Baylor, has been elected as a 2026 Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Amid rising antibiotic resistance, the MIGHTY initiative unites top academic and industry partners to develop a rapid, AI-powered platform for precision phage therapies – starting with oral health and expanding to chronic diseases

It all started in 1942, when Mary Allen English (BA ’42), a young Baylor graduate, stepped into the halls of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. At the time, pediatric cardiology wasn’t a specialty; in fact, it barely existed. But under the mentorship of groundbreaking physician Helen Taussig, English finished first in her class and helped define an entirely new field. (She also married a classmate on her graduation day, becoming Dr. Mary Allen Engle.)

By the 1950s, Engle was leading the charge to treat congenital heart defects in infants — without invasive surgery. After completing fellowships at both Johns Hopkins and Cornell, she joined the faculty at New York Hospital–Cornell University Medical Center, where she founded and led the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. The innovations coming out of her lab would save countless children’s lives.

Baylor volunteers with the BearAid disaster relief organization served with Texans on Mission to rebuild homes damaged during the catastrophic July 4 flooding in the Texas Hill Country.

Mary Lauren Benton, Ph.D., is one of only three faculty nationwide honored by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network for inspiring innovation and real-world problem solving in engineering education

Research led by Baylor biology assistant professor Jake Minich, Ph.D., followed over 1000 children in the African nation of Malawi to reveal how gut bacteria play a critical role in childhood undernutrition.

When Tiffany Jones‑Smith (BA ’95) graduated from Baylor, she couldn’t have known that her future would involve leading a statewide health initiative. Still, her heart for service and community was already clear. Today, as president and CEO of the Texas Kidney Foundation and chair of the Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, she’s become a fierce advocate for health equity, early screening, and life-saving policy. Her work reaches thousands of Texans each year, especially in communities where access to care has been historically limited.

Helping each student to thrive and grow during his or her time on campus lies at the heart of the University’s mission of preparing students for worldwide leadership and service.

The dedication for the Memorial to Enslaved Persons will be held on Friday, Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m. on Founders Mall, and everyone is invited to attend the outdoor ceremony.

Baylor University’s first-year experiences for students jumped to No. 4 nationally while its learning communities landed in the Top 10 in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings.

Robert Elder, Ph.D., professor of history at Baylor, has received the prestigious $60,000 Public Scholars grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). 

Baylor has once again attained elite Honor Roll status as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program - this year in all 10 categories.

From an early age, Thasunda Brown Duckett’s father taught her an old proverb: Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.

That advice has served Duckett (MBA ’01) well. Over the last decade, she’s served as CEO of Chase Consumer Banking (2016-21) and, since 2021, as CEO of TIAA — a leading financial services provider that ranks among the 100 largest corporations in America. Her success earned her recognition as Baylor’s Alumna of the Year for 2022.

Clean water is something many of us take for granted; when we turn on a faucet, clean water just pours out. Not everyone is so lucky.

At Baylor, many researchers are individually and collectively focused on maintaining and improving water quality — building an internationally recognized name for excellence in water quality research that is relied on by communities, state governments, reservoir management agencies, and more.

A team of Baylor archaeologists has uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb in central Italy — a discovery hailed as one of the most significant finds in recent decades for understanding the ancient pre-Roman civilization.

At the beginning of 2025, Baylor’s physics department changed its name to the Department of Physics and Astronomy, a title emblematic of the growing space research portfolio within the department and growing interest in space among students.

Jonathan M. Larson, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, combines his passion, expertise and experience to forge new techniques in the science world.

Faculty apply elite research focus to ensure clean water for communities in the future — close to home and around the world.

Each of the last two years, Baylor has been named among TIME magazine’s top 40 colleges for future leaders. In their research, the publication’s editors studied the resumes of thousands of U.S. leaders to see where they got their start — with Baylor standing out among the nation’s best.

That’s certainly true in the field of education, where countless Baylor alumni are serving as principals, deans, superintendents, etc. In the world of higher ed, 40 Baylor Bears are now the top executives at colleges and universities around the world — the most since BaylorProud began tracking this list in 2011. Here’s a quick rundown of those currently serving as presidents and chancellors:

Planetary geophysicist Peter B. James, Ph.D., has been selected to serve on a prestigious NASA Science Definition Team charged with shaping the goals and design of a future robotic mission to the far side of the Moon.

Chemist and cancer researcher Liela Romero, Ph.D., has earned an Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to further the development of new tools for chemical synthesis and drug discovery. 

Over the years, Baylor leaders have often noted that research growth would allow BU to bring its Christian voice to bear on meaningful issues through a “seat at the table” where decisions are made.

That’s now happening — and the ranks of Baylor leaders speaking into key national and international issues only continues to grow. Here are just a few recent examples:

A team of archaeologists, led by Baylor University’s Davide Zori, Ph.D., and the San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project, has uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb in central Italy.

The Baylor community, including incoming freshmen at Line Camp, joined Baylor Missions and BearAid to pack flood relief buckets for families in Kerr County, Texas.

On July 4, catastrophic flash floods swept across central Texas, causing death, injury, and displacement throughout multiple counties. As time passes and the magnitude of destruction continues to rise, our neighbors in central Texas need our support. Keep reading to see our approach to disaster relief, and how you can get involved.

Baylor hosted 12 high school students from Waco-area high schools to study the works of Plato and Aristotle as part of the university’s inaugural Examined Life Scholars (ELS) Program.

From Baylor's Truett Seminary to ministry in various locations around the globe and now serving as a civilian director of religious education for the Army, Aluma Syeeda Echols follows her calling with faith at the center of her work.

Meeting human needs and showing Christ's love: the heart of Baylor Missions trips blends service and love across a variety of discipline-specific trips around the world.

Among the many draws to Baylor University is the chance to learn from elite faculty members at a Christian Research 1 university.

Alumna Dr. Jade Connor Eruchalu, B.S. ’17, is making an impact on the world through geriatric memory care.

Baylor students just keep upping the school record for Fulbright scholarship recipients. In 2019, BU set a new high with 7 Fulbrights; in 2022, that jumped to 14; and last year, 18 Bears were so honored.

Given that trend (and Baylor’s continued national recognition as a top Fulbright producer), it should come as no surprise that that record has fallen again. This spring, 23 Baylor students and recent alumni won the prestigious Fulbright awards — and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the list of BU students winning top national and international scholarships and fellowships.

International prize recognizes CERN collaborators, including four Baylor physicists, for groundbreaking discoveries at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.

Thirty-four Baylor students and recent alumni have received some of the most prestigious awards for STEM research, public policy/diplomacy, critical language study and more. 

Baylor University, The Congregational Collective and Harvard Medical School partner to innovate equipping congregations to become community hubs for mental health engagement.

Construction is progressing toward the opening of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons on Founders Mall.

The first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study have attracted coverage from across the globe, including major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic.

You may remember the name Deonte Epps (BA ’13) from a post we wrote a couple of years ago, as the Baylor alum was working his dream job at ESPN as a content creator. Today, Epps is not only a content associate (a promotion from his last role); he’s also an Emmy winner, thanks to his work with ESPN’s NFL Live, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily.

Baylor University’s success for highly competitive fellowships and awards continues to skyrocket as a record 24 Baylor students and recent alumni have been selected for 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. 

When Carolyn Price’s mother told her, “There isn’t anything you can’t do,” she couldn’t have imagined the far-reaching those words would have on her daughter’s life — including becoming the oldest known doctoral recipient in Baylor history, at age 83.

“Bear-ly Used” is a campuswide initiative to divert donatable items from landfills and redistribute them towards community partners and families in need. 

Students in Baylor University’s Philanthropy & the Public Good course awarded grants to six local nonprofit organizations, supporting work to mentor and advocate for young people, accompany migrants and refugees, resource small business entrepreneurs, and assist persons experiencing homelessness. 

Every summer, Baylor students head out on mission trips around the world, putting what they’ve learned in the classroom to use serving others. But the experience isn’t a one-way gift; these students also come back having learned about other people, places and cultures, and ways they can use their skills to help others in the future.

In late April, Baylor sent these Bears off with a special Student Mission Trip Commissioning Ceremony. Following the disciples’ example, Baylor representatives gathered to send these short-term missionaries off with prayer and encouragement (plus some treats to sweeten the celebration).

What does it mean to be a Christian university? Certainly, it means that our Christian faith is infused into everyday life on campus. It’s also expressed in classrooms and labs across campus, by Christian faculty living out their calling at the highest levels.

In fact, Baylor’s growth as a Christian research university has been fueled in part by elite faculty drawn to BU precisely because here they can openly practice their discipline in a Christian context.

Here are just a few of the reasons Baylor professors say the institution’s Christian mission is meaningful to them:

The Institute for Global Human Flourishing places Baylor as an epicenter for global flourishing research/practice alongside research partners at Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program.

The Global Flourishing Study revealed its First Wave findings on human flourishing, results from one of the most comprehensive studies of human well-being ever undertaken. 

In the spring of 1945, a group of Baylor students prayed for spiritual renewal for 90 straight days. Their prayers led to a movement that helped inspire ministries on campus and around the world, from the Journeyman mission program to the Passion Conferences.

Last week, hundreds of Baylor students again gathered in Jesus’ name for FM72, an annual 72-hour on-campus prayer and worship event coordinated by Baylor’s Office of Spiritual Life in conjunction with local churches and campus ministries.

Learn how receiving a scholarship strengthened a student’s academic success

As Baylor University advances the frontiers of knowledge as an R1 research university, it holds fast to the Christian vision of its founders while cultivating a Christian worldview among its students and serving the surrounding world.

There's a cascade of positive outcomes when individuals are active. Renée Umstattd Meyer partners with communities to eliminate barriers to active living and help people thrive.

More than 100 Baylor students and faculty and staff leaders will serve with Baylor Missions over spring break March 9-16, combining faith, service and learning in Texas and in four international locations with the University’s global partners.

When it comes to creating leads for cancer-fighting drugs, Liela Romero describes herself as a chef—mixing individual elements together to create a stronger finished product for new drug leads.

Jarrell McCracken’s innovative fusion of faith and storytelling launched Word Records, shaping the contemporary Christian music industry and leaving a lasting legacy.

Meet the Baylor alumna whose discoveries still impact industry and our daily lives.

Every living being relies on water. Thad Scott's research is for life--improving or protecting vulnerable water resources.

A team of interdisciplinary researchers at Baylor University and three other U.S. universities are set to begin a longitudinal study on what can be learned about patience for parents of adolescents who experience adversity.

From Baylor to wartime research and industry, Anderson's groundbreaking work shaped the modern science Baylor researchers advance today.

Research rooted in Baylor’s Christian mission is more than a catchphrase — it’s a commitment to global impact to serve neighbors around the world.

President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., was the “right leader at the right time” for Baylor. Now she’s elevated her leadership — and Baylor by extension — into the national sphere.

College traditions are beloved on college campuses across the country. At Baylor, traditions are rooted in connection and community, giving students a lifelong tie to the University.

Discover how Baylor leaders have helped widen access to higher education across Texas and beyond.

From John Hill Westbrook’s trailblazing impact through today’s character development program, Baylor Athletics prepares Champions for Life.

For more than 100 years, Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business has integrated ethics and innovation with strong business practices.

Ruth Parker Graves is a shining example of Baylor’s mission in action — a Baylor grad who saw a need and applied her calling to make a difference.

Earning recognition as a Master Teacher at Baylor is a rare honor — the highest a BU professor can receive for his/her teaching. In January, President Linda Livingstone announced the lifetime designation for four Baylor professors, increasing the roll of Master Teachers to 33 since the honor was first bestowed more than 40 years ago.

Among the newest honorees is Dr. Kevin Dougherty, an award-winning Baylor sociology teacher and researcher. Since coming to BU in 2005, he has twice won Baylor’s Outstanding Professor Award (2010 & 2015), and he now serves as committee chair for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, an award program designed to honor great teachers in higher ed.

For more than 175 years, Baylor Law School has prepared students for the practice of law while embracing innovation to meet the needs of an evolving profession.

From pioneering medical professionals to groundbreaking research, Baylor continues to empower generations of healthcare specialists and shape the future of medicine

Baylor faculty continue to advance materials science solutions following in the footsteps of this Baylor Alum’s contributions to space science and modern computing

Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes exemplifies Baylor’s commitment to faculty-student engagement.

Baylor University has been awarded a $2.48 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative (RCII) to support a major expansion of the Black Gospel Archive (BGA) at Baylor University Libraries. 

The Baylor experience continues to influence the field of healthcare today.