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For the 12th time in 15 years, Baylor football is going bowling! The Bears will face LSU in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 (2:30 p.m., ESPN) at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Baylor enters the bowl with an 8-4 record and riding a six-game winning streak — the fifth-longest active streak in the country. The Bears’ offense ranks 21st nationally in points per game, led by junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson (third in the Big 12 in passing TDs and TD/INT ratio) and freshman running back Bryson Washington (sixth in the Big 12 in rushing TDs and rushing yards/game).

The most wonderful time of the year is officially here!

Thursday night, Baylor kicked off the Christmas season with the beloved tradition Christmas on 5th Street. From pictures with Santa to musical performances to photo opps and, of course, the live nativity, the heart of campus was filled with Baylor students, faculty/staff, their families — and plenty of Christmas spirit.

From Line Camp to Welcome Week to the Baylor Line and the on-campus living experience, Baylor goes above and beyond to help new students feel like they are truly a part of the Baylor Family.

Eyes across the nation are taking notice — the most notable being U.S. News, which once again this year ranked Baylor in the top 10 nationally for “first-year experience.”

How do you determine a researcher’s impact? Measures of impact can be hard to quantify, but Stanford University has annually undertaken a method of doing so based on citations. This year, no fewer than 43 current or retired Baylor faculty appeared on this list.

Citations occur when, after a faculty member publishes his or her own researchers, other researchers around the world see that work as meaningful and cite it in their own work. Not surprisingly, Baylor researchers fare well by this standard. Stanford’s database has become a desirable destination for faculty, as it represents the top 2% of the most cited researchers in 22 disciplines — the best of the best.

Thanks to another stellar season for Baylor Volleyball, there are more matches yet to be played at the Ferrell Center this season (and hopefully more to come beyond that).

Head coach Ryan McGuyre’s Bears earned their ninth straight NCAA Tournament berth Sunday night, and will begin their postseason journey at home. As the No. 15 overall seed, Baylor will host the first and second rounds starting Thursday at the Ferrell Center. The Bears will play Wofford in the first round Thursday evening at 7 p.m.; the winner of that match will play the winner of South Carolina vs. No. 23 Dayton on Friday (7 p.m.).

One thing we’re thankful for this week? Baylor football’s resurgence this year under head coach Dave Aranda. The Bears head into the final week of the season riding a five-game winning streak — the program’s longest since 2019, when BU finished 13th nationally after a Sugar Bowl appearance — and headed toward their third bowl game in Aranda’s five seasons.

Baylor closes out the 2024 regular season at home Saturday against a surging Kansas team (11 a.m., ESPN2). Here are 10 reasons you should be at McLane to see it:

It’s that time of year again, when the entire Baylor campus slows down to give students, faculty and staff some much-needed time with family — and much-needed time to thank God for all the ways He has blessed us this year.

From academics to alumni to athletics, we’ve got so much to be thankful for at Baylor over the past year:

Anyone who uses a cell phone relies on the spectrum for communication. Dr. Charles Baylis, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Baylor, calls the spectrum the “real estate” of wireless transmission.

Overcrowding is one of the many challenges that present opportunities for experts like Baylis, who has established himself as a nationally sought-after researcher in the field. Leading organizations like the National Science Foundation have supported his work, and more recently, it’s been the United States government coming to him and his team.

Lots of things can derail a student away at college for the first time: family problems, loneliness, academic struggles, financial issues, etc. Nationwide, only about 75% of students who start college as freshmen each fall even make it back for their sophomore year.

At Baylor, however, more than 90% of freshmen return each fall to continue towards their degrees — and that percentage is trending up. Such a high retention rate is thanks in part to the tremendous effort Baylor puts into welcoming and supporting students as they make the transition to college life.

For the third time in six years, a Baylor Bear is the national student-teacher of the year.

That same Bear is also the Texas student-teacher of the year — the sixth time in nine years a Baylor grad has been so honored.

This year’s double honoree is Ashlyn Bergethon (BSED ’24), now an Algebra I and Honors Algebra II teacher at Robinson High School just outside Waco — the same school where she did her student teaching.

What kind of impact are Baylor researchers making on the world? The burgeoning number of honors and grants awarded to BU faculty and students indicates that Baylor’s impact as a Christian research university is growing.

Here are just a few recent examples:

When Steven Follis (BBA ’10, MSIS ’11) saw the devastation brought to communities throughout Appalachia after Hurricane Helene, he knew he had to do something. North Carolina was home, and the need was great. Follis, a product manager at Intel who’s also a certified pilot, wanted to help.

Baylor researchers have expertise in a wide variety of areas. Students at three area public schools got to learn that firsthand last week, when BU faculty and students visited with elementary, middle and high school-aged scientists to highlight National STEM Day through hands-on learning activities.

In recent years, Baylor has brought some of its outstanding faculty and their students to local schools for National STEM Day to make science come alive and encourage kids to think about college and careers in the STEM fields. It’s a mission that aligns with the day itself, which celebrates discovery and innovation that sparks interest in future science careers.

Baylor’s push to elevate research and teaching, coupled with an ever-expanding offering of classes, programs and majors, has drawn dozens of elite faculty members to become a part of a distinct Christian research university.

This fall, more than 100 new faculty members joined the university (!!). It’s impossible to give them all their due, but here are four members of BU’s “Class of 2024” who highlight the excellence of the faculty who are choosing Baylor:

Scholars and researchers from all over the world know precisely where to go when they want to study all facets of Texas history: Baylor’s Texas Collection. Part of the Baylor University Libraries, the Texas Collection holds one of the largest Texana collections in the world, as well as volumes of information on the Southwest, Mexico, westward expansion and beyond.

In 2022, West Texas native Jeff Pirtle jumped at the chance to make a career move, leaving Hollywood for the Baylor Libraries as director of the Texas Collection, University Archives and W. R. Poage Legislative Library. It was a perfect match… and perfect timing, too, as Baylor’s vaunted special library began preparations for its 100th anniversary in 2023. Pirtle just happened to have experience celebrating centennials for two top brands you don’t often associate with museums: JCPenney and NBCUniversal.

Both Baylor’s men’s and women’s basketball players open the 2024-25 season with national rankings, top players, and lofty expectations — a situation familiar to Baylor student-athletes and fans, but one that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Once again this year, both Baylor teams are nationally ranked, and in the top 12 at that. The men start the year ranked No. 8 nationally in both the AP and Coaches polls, while the women earned the No. 12 spot in both rankings. Baylor is one of 12 schools nationally with both their men’s and women’s teams ranked in the top 25, a distinction the institution has earned for much of the last decade-plus. From November’s openers at Foster into March (and hopefully April), Baylor fans will cheer on two great teams against top-tier opponents in the nation’s toughest basketball conference.

Max Muncy already held the career records for most MLB home runs, runs scored and RBI by a former Baylor player. Now, he holds the BU record for most World Series rings, too.

Muncy’s Dodgers won their second World Series in his seven seasons in L.A. on Wednesday night, adding the 2024 title to the team’s 2020 championship. Muncy started all five games at third base, batting fifth in all but one game, as Los Angeles won the series over the New York Yankees, four games to one.

The list of schools to make U.S. News’ top 30 for both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research is a short (and impressive one), filled with schools like Duke, Michigan, Princeton, Stanford, Yale — and Baylor.

For the third year in a row, U.S. News‘ rankings placed Baylor among this prestigious short list, as BU was ranked No. 26 nationally for undergraduate teaching and No. 23 for undergraduate research/creative projects. No other Texas school made the top 30 in both categories; Baylor is also the only school with an explicit, primary identity as a Christian university to make both lists.

Every Saturday at McLane is like a Baylor Family reunion — but Homecoming weekend is THE annual family reunion, the one you don’t want to miss.

Thousands of Bears made their way home to Waco this past weekend for a practically perfect Baylor Homecoming 2024. For those who couldn’t make it — or for those who want to relive it — we bring you a look back at the weekend:

If you’re looking to learn a little Baylor or Baptist history, Alan Lefever (BA ’84) is your man.

In his day job, Lefever serves as director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, leading the BGCT’s efforts to preserve and communicate the history of Baptists in Texas. He’s also the author of The History of Baylor Sports, an excellent coffee table book chronicling the history of varsity sports at BU.

In a recent Baylor Connections interview, Lefever discussed the history of Baylor Homecoming. Here are five tidbits about the tradition’s beginnings that you might not know:

For over a century, Baylor has hosted its annual Homecoming. Alumni from all over the world return to Waco for the weekend — for the bonfire, Pigskin, the parade, the football game, and to celebrate and reunite with those who also bleed green and gold.

At the same time, Waco locals are also prepping for the country’s oldest homecoming celebration. Many are Baylor graduates, but many others (despite connections to other schools) have adopted Baylor as their hometown team.

In 1909, Baylor hosted the first collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation. This week, we again renew that tradition, as the Baylor Family returns to campus to “catch that Baylor spirit again,” as President Samuel Palmer Brooks famously wrote more than a century ago.

At Homecoming, Baylor rolls out the red carpet to welcome you — alumni and friends — home. It’s the biggest Baylor Family reunion of the year — all about seeing old friends, recalling fond memories, sharing those stories with the next generation, and celebrating together as one.

Whether you’re a Homecoming regular or this is your first trip to campus in years, you’ll want to start your Baylor Homecoming experience this year at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.

The Hurd will serve as “Homecoming headquarters” for visitors this week, with Baylor staff on hand Friday and Saturday to answer questions and help you connect with school/college/campus events — plus a host of activities, photo ops, student performances and more for Bears of all ages.

Usually a “Where are they now?” feature is prompted only after decades have passed — enough time for life events to accumulate that warrant such an update.

Brooklyn McKnight (BBA ’21) simply has too much going on to wait that long.

McKnight is half of the media wonder duo, Brooklyn & Bailey. The pair took the social media world by storm as teens, amassing a following of over 87 million worldwide. Brooklyn earned her entrepreneurship degree from Baylor a mere three years ago — cum laude, we might add — and already had a litany of accomplishments and life events under her belt before she could hang her diploma.

This year’s inductees into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame include a host of famous names from iconic organizations, such as Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, and leaders from NBCUniversal, Disney, Fox and Comcast.

Among them is a Baylor graduate: Valari Dobson Staab (MBA ’84), a broadcast innovator whose influence stretches over 40 years, from local television stations to regional sports networks across the nation.

For 70 years now, virtually every Baylor undergraduate student has taken religion and history courses in Tidwell Bible Building. So many students and alumni have fond memories of the building — but how much do you know about its history?

Thousands of Baylor alumni descend upon Waco each fall for Homecoming. Some have returned every year since graduation; others are setting foot on the Baylor campus for the first time in five, 10, even 20 years or longer. Regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve visited Baylor, there’s likely something new you haven’t seen or done before — and at the same time, plenty of old favorites to revisit and traditions to enjoy.

Presenting: 99 things to see and do during #BaylorHomecoming:

In Texas politics, there have been few more influential figures than Baylor’s own Bob Bullock (JD ’58), a longtime elected official and Baylor law graduate. So it stands to reason that the professorship named for him in Baylor’s Department of Political Science would be held by a professor with his own recognized expertise on the influence of politics and public policy on citizens.

Dr. Patrick Flavin came to Baylor in 2010 and now serves as the Bob Bullock Professor of Political Science at Baylor. Over the last 15 years, a wide array of academic journals and popular media outlets have come to Flavin for insights on his key areas of research: political inequality, politics and quality of life, political behavior, and more.

It’s been quite a year for Forrest Frank (BBA ’17):

• Hit No. 1 on iTunes worldwide chart (for all genres)
• Five of iTunes’ top 100 Christian songs for 2024
• Chosen as the soundtrack for Baylor’s 2024-25 commercial (our favorite honor, obviously)

Now, the Baylor grad has been recognized yet again, having won the 2024 Dove Award for New Artist of the Year!

An internship in Washington, D.C., offers incredible experience for students seeking careers in a wide variety of fields — but exponentially so during an election year.

The Baylor in Washington program has students in just such a position — earning college credits while interning with U.S. senators and representatives, government offices, think tanks, law firms, lobbyists, and other power players in our nation’s capital.

One of the priority capital projects during the Give Light campaign was a major update to Memorial and Alexander residence halls, home to Baylor’s Honors Residential College. The goal: A complete renovation of both dorms, plus an new addition in between that would connect the two buildings and offer additional academic and community space for the Honors College and its students.

After closing throughout 2023-24 for a year of renovation and construction, the completed project was unveiled at the start of the semester, with Memorial and Alexander reopening to welcome a new class of Bears.

Looking for a great undergraduate experience? You can’t do much better than Baylor.

Once again, BU is among the nation’s top-10 undergraduate experiences, according to U.S. News’ 2025 “Best Colleges” rankings.

Did you know that one of the oldest continuously published collegiate literary magazines in the country is run by Baylor undergraduate students? The Phoenix is annually edited, published, and produced by Baylor undergrads from its home in Carroll Science, and has been running since the 1950s.

The Phoenix “represents a unique opportunity for Baylor students both to have their creative work published and to gain experience producing, all on their own, a significant literary review,” says Baylor English professor Arna Hemenway, one of the magazine’s faculty advisors.

Baylor is known (ranked top-5 nationally last year!) for creating an atmosphere in which our students grow and flourish. The atmosphere at BU includes a small student-to-faculty ratio, a strong faith-based environment — and plenty of opportunities for students to find their place among the 400+ student organizations offered on campus.

Baylor Student Activities provides practically limitless opportunities for students to get involved. More than 10,000 events are held on campus each year, hosted by the hundreds of student orgs. These groups offer students a stronger sense of belonging and connection, leadership and service opportunities, academic support, friendship, and spiritual growth.

A year ago this time, Baylor was celebrating the opening of the brand-new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center. Since then, the Hurd has become exactly what university leaders hoped it would become: the new “front door to campus,” and an important part of campus life for both current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

A quick look back at the Hurd’s first 12 months:

From the “Meet the Faculty” Welcome Hour on Friday through the last note of “That Good Old Baylor Line” after football’s victory Saturday night, Family Weekend 2024 was a whirlwind of green and gold.

For those who couldn’t make it (or those who just want to relive it), here’s a look back at some of the highlights:

Baylor’s unofficial Scriptural foundation in recent years has been Matthew 5:14-16, especially: “You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Both the terminology and meaning have shaped recent major endeavors, from the “Where Lights Shine Bright” and “Give Light” campaigns through the Illuminate strategic plan. Baylor’s next major efforts will continue the focus on those verses, this time on the reason we let our light shine — “so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

For Baylor fans who were there, it may be hard to believe that 50 years have passed since a young head coach named Grant Teaff and a now-legendary group of players led the Bears to their first undisputed conference title in a half century, pulling off the “Miracle on the Brazos” along the way. For fans who weren’t around then, they’re a team every Baylor fan should know.

Lots of events bring people to Waco in the fall: Move2BU, football games, Family Weekend, Premiere, Homecoming, Commencement… You get the idea. And the one thing all those visitors have in common? They’ll all need to eat while here.

For years, we’ve been writing up various guides for visitors to Waco. At last, here they all are, in one place — just for you.

Children spend much of their days in school, so it makes sense that a researcher looking to help them thrive might focus on that time in the classroom. Dr. Tonya Davis (BS ’02, MS ’04), a professor of educational psychology in Baylor’s School of Education, does just that.

It’s now been more than 100 years since the first Baylor alum appeared in an NFL game. That would be Russ Blailock, an offensive lineman who made his debut with the Milwaukee Badgers in 1923 — just three years after the league was founded, and only a year after it changed its name to the National Football League.

This year, there are 14 Bears in the league to start the season: nine on active rosters, one on the injured list, and four more on practice squads. Here are the Bears we’ll be cheering on Sundays (plus the occasional Monday, Thursday and December Saturday):

Waco’s conspicuous growth over the past decade has seen options for fine dining grow and multiply. White linen tablecloths, impeccable service and haute cuisine are no longer an entire day’s investment, but can be found (with free parking and no need to valet) right here in Waco. Take your pick:

It’s as much a part of Baylor’s hometown as the ALICO building, Brazos River or Cameron Park, and everyone who enters town on I-35 or walks around downtown sees it somewhere. We’re talking, of course, about the “Flying W” — the “W” logo that adorns the Waco flag, city seal and signage around town. You’ve likely seen it, but did you know it was created by a longtime Baylor professor?

A new school year and a new football season present a new opportunity to share what Baylor is all about. Baylor’s 2024-25 university commercial will debut on television during Baylor football’s season opener Saturday, but BU social media shared the spot earlier today.

The 30-second spot features breakout Christian music singer/songwriter (and 2017 Baylor graduate) Forrest Frank, whose music you’ve likely heard on Christian radio and/or TikTok. The commercial pairs one of Frank’s original songs, “Never Get Used To This,” with shots featuring the vibrancy and joy of the Baylor student experience.

There’s a lot of new for Baylor Football in 2024: a new (but familiar) offensive system, a new starting quarterback, newly redesigned uniforms, and a sparkling new football development center for the Bears to call home. As the Bears look to climb after a challenging 2023 season, signs abound that much has changed since last year.

What a week! From Move2BU to Welcome Week and then the first day of classes, Baylor’s campus is once again buzzing with activity!

It’s hard to believe, but the 2024 season will be head coach Ryan McGuyre’s 10th at the helm of the program he has built into a national powerhouse. In that time, the Bears have reached eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments (and counting), five Sweet 16s and a Final Four. Last year, he became the program’s all-time winningest coach and guided a young squad back to the tournament.

This year, the Bears look to build on that experience and add to the program’s resume of success. The 2024 Bears will look to two Preseason All-Big 12 selections for leadership when the season begins. Lauren Briseño, a senior libero, and Elise McGhee, a senior outside hitter, bring experience and a league-wide reputation for outstanding play on the defensive and offensive ends, respectively. They’re two of the six returning starters from last year’s postseason matches at the University of Kentucky.

An important part of Baylor’s growth as a Christian research university has been the expansion of doctoral degree programs, which have in turn welcomed increasing numbers of doctoral students. This year, that growth has culminated in a record — and a brand new Commencement ceremony celebrating student accomplishments.

Since 2008, each incoming class of new Baylor students has been welcomed with its own unique hymn, capturing an aspect of this moment of excitement, possibility and transition in each new Bear’s life.

This year’s hymn, “In This Day,” was written expressly for the Class of 2028, with lyrics and music by University Chaplain Burt Burleson (BA ’80) and Kathy Johnson (BM ’76). The lyrics are both a welcome and an invitation to our newest Bears as they move through these moments of excitement, transition and possibility. The accompanying music video features snapshot images of this special time (especially Line Camp, when students get to know Baylor and one another):

Earlier this year, Pamela Tremont (BA ’90, MA ’92) was sworn in as the United States ambassador to Zimbabwe — the culmination of a road to foreign service that began at Baylor three decades ago.

At Baylor, Tremont earned her bachelor’s in political science and her master’s in international relations, during which time she was also a part of Baylor Ambassadors, the Foreign Affairs Association, and the Golden Key International Honor Society. Upon graduating from Baylor, she embarked on a career that has included stops at U.S. embassies in Turkey, the United Kingdom, Zambia, Cyprus, Ukraine, and Sweden, most recently as deputy chief of mission in Stockholm.

With the 2024 Summer Olympics complete, Baylor Bears are coming home from Paris with a school-record four medals (earned by four different Olympians) — continuing BU’s long history of Olympic excellence.

Over the summer, aerospace teams from top national universities converged on the New Mexico desert for a competition that literally involves rocket science. Among them? Baylor’s Aerospace Engineering Club.

It’s been a rapid rise for Aero at Baylor, a student organization that, after lying dormant for many years, reorganized in 2021. Featuring dozens of students from engineering and other STEM fields (such as physics and data science), Aero at Baylor introduces students to aerospace engineering through hands-on projects, real-world experience and friendly competition.

You might recognize Forrest Frank (BBA ’17) from his hit band Surfaces, which has dropped several iconic pop songs over the last few years. Their songs charted on Billboard’s “Hot 100” in the U.S. and nine other countries.

Or, you might recognize Frank from your favorite Christian radio station. His debut Christian album, Child of God, hit No. 1 worldwide on the iTunes charts last week — not just for worship, but across all genres.

Last week, the Big 12 Conference officially welcomed four new members — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah — settling into the league’s new format of 16 teams.

Each school offers its own unique traditions — a big part of the fun of college athletics. Before Baylor heads to Tucson, Tempe, Boulder, and Salt Lake City, get to know some of our new partners’ traditions:

Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo. The addition of those last two words to Baylor’s longstanding motto mirrors the university’s mission statement (“for worldwide leadership and service”), and highlights Baylor’s global impact as a Christian research university.

Baylor faculty have long conducted groundbreaking research with a worldwide bent, and that continues today. For a few examples, let’s take a trip across campus and around the globe:

At Baylor, our Christian faith is not something we hold lightly — it’s at the core of everything we do. From providing resident chaplains in each residence hall, to keeping Chapel a core part of student’s experiences, to providing intentional spaces for spiritual nurturing, our Christian faith remains a vital part of everyday life at Baylor.

That faith is also quite literally built into our campus. From stained glass windows to Scriptures on buildings and walkways, here are six examples of how our physical campus reflects Baylor’s Christian faith:

Dr. Lourenco Paz’s expertise in international trade has already been displayed in leading scholarly journals and international seminars. Now, he’s getting to go even deeper in his work in Hungary through a prestigious Fulbright award.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards are the most sought-after fellowships for scholars from the U.S. Department of State, and Paz’s receipt of the award will open doors for research and scholarly collaboration around the world.

In the last year, multiple Baylor professors have earned NASA grants and/or partnered with the space agency on projects to help us better understand our universe.

Such efforts continue Baylor’s long history of NASA partnerships — a natural fit, considering Johnson Space Center is just a little over three hours away in southeast Houston.

As Baylor’s Board of Regents holds its regular summer meeting this week, four new Regents are taking their seats at the table to start new terms: two serving at-large, plus one new Faculty Regent and one new Student Regent:

At least one Baylor Bear has brought home the gold in seven of the last eight Summer Olympics. Seven different Bears will look to extend that run this summer in Paris.

Those Bears will be representing four different nations: Brittney Griner (BSED ’19, basketball) and Avery Skinner (volleyball) for Team USA; current Baylor student-athletes Nathaniel Ezekiel (400m hurdles) and Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi (javelin) in track & field for Nigeria; John Peers (men’s tennis – doubles) and Kristy Wallace (BSED ’18, basketball) for Australia; and Nuni Omot (BSED ’18, basketball) for South Sudan. Baylor track and field head coach Michael Ford (BBA ’97) will also be in Paris as men’s sprints/hurdles coach for Team USA.

As the world’s largest Baptist university, it only makes sense that Baylor would be a part of the Baptist World Alliance.

The group, founded in 1905 and numbering more than 250 Baptist organizations across 134 countries and territories, officially welcomed Baylor as a full Member Partner at its annual gathering earlier this month. Among the Alliance’s members are the Baptist General Convention of Texas (with which Baylor will continue its longstanding relationship), two other Texas Baptist universities (Dallas Baptist and Howard Payne), and Baylor’s Truett Seminary (which was also approved as a full member this month).

In just a few weeks, Baylor’s Class of 2028 will arrive on campus for Move2BU, Welcome Week and the start of classes. But we can’t wait; here’s your first look at some of the members of #BU28:

Yes, it’s true — no victories, let alone titles, are earned in college basketball in the month of July. That may be what teams are building toward as they go about their offseason workouts and recruiting, but it’s way too early to think about rankings. Right? Okay, maybe not.

With the caveat in the very title, ESPN’s annual “Way-Too-Early” rankings are out — and both Baylor’s men and women are ranked in the Top 10. Head coach Scott Drew’s team came in at No. 6, while Nicki Collen’s squad is ranked No. 9 nationally.

Since 1851, Baylor’s motto has begun with “Pro Ecclesia” — for the Church. A host of Baylor academic programs are designed specifically to build up and support pastors, congregations, theologians, and other parts of the body of Christ — but one effort is far more direct.

For years, Truett Seminary has worked to connect churches with current seminary students and alumni, benefitting both congregations and individuals. At its core, the goal is to make sure the matches made serve both the church and the pastor.

In the world of sports cards, a “Future Star” or “Rated Rookie” means you’ve got a card of someone who merits paying attention to — someone whose career looks like it’s about to take off.

In the world of higher education, early career awards function in a very similar fashion — recognizing up-and-coming faculty who have already shown indications of excellent research and scholarship, with the potential to be future leaders in their fields.

Among research universities, Baylor is distinct — a Christian R1 university. Faculty are engaged in high-level research that addresses challenges in health, engineering, and other fields. Solving these problems is the ultimate goal, but along the way, Baylor researchers are competing for — and winning — competitive grants that other top institutions strive to attain.

Here are just a few recent examples of significant projects where you’ll find Baylor faculty and students hard at work:

After 40 years as one of the faces of San Antonio’s KSAT, Jessie Degollado (BA ’72) is stepping out of the spotlight.

Degollado was one of a host of KSAT veterans to retire July 1, ending an era in San Antonio. Whether reporting on issues affecting San Antonio, South Texas or both sides of the Rio Grande, Degollado used her journalistic nose, her knowledge of Hispanic culture and language, and just plain hard work to keep the people of San Antonio informed for four decades.

Baylor is regularly named among the most beautiful college campuses in the United States — but sometimes, you just want to get off campus and into more natural settings.

Thankfully, Waco has plenty to offer those looking for a serene getaway. From hiking trails near the Brazos River to sunsets in Woodway Park, here are six of our favorite places to escape the daily grind and enjoy the beauty of Central Texas!

It’s become commonplace to hear Baylor names called in the first round of the NBA Draft. But to hear two of them called in a three-pick span? That’s raising the bar even further.

Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi became Baylor men’s basketball’s first pair of teammates ever drafted in the first round of the same draft. Walter was selected with the 19th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors, while Missi went two picks later, at No. 21, to the New Orleans Pelicans.

In 22 seasons as head coach of the Baylor women’s tennis program, Joey Scrivano has built a record of success as the winningest coach in program history. This spring, he added a new title to his resume: Baylor graduate.

Scrivano walked the stage at Commencement in May after earning his master’s degree in sport pedagogy. For a coach who consistently encourages his players to be lifelong learners, it was a chance to live out what he preaches — and it provided a deeper appreciation for the experience his student-athletes receive at Baylor.

Endowed faculty positions, especially endowed chairs, are a big deal in the academic world. They come with a certain level of prestige, and help universities attract professors at the top of their game.

That’s why it’s so important that, during the Give Light philanthropic campaign, the Baylor Family’s generosity enabled the university to create an eye-popping 48 new endowed faculty positions, including 23 new endowed chairs. (For context: When Give Light began, Baylor had just five endowed chair positions; generous giving has quintupled that.)

Once again this summer, Baylor students can be found around the globe, ministering and serving in 10 countries across four continents on Baylor Missions trips.

What makes Baylor’s mission trips distinct is the blending of service and calling. These trips are discipline-specific: students with similar career goals or interests come together for trips that allow them to further develop in areas like healthcare, business or music as they meet significant needs wherever they travel.

Earlier this month, the Baylor Facebook page asked its nearly 250,000 followers a simple question: “What’s the most random place you’ve met another Bear?”

More than 500 answers later, a couple of things became clear:

Something special happened in April when the Texas Rangers hosted the Oakland Athletics. Former Baylor standout Davis Wendzel had just been called up, joining a Baylor teammate, Cody Bradford, on the Rangers. In the opposite dugout, another of their former teammates, Shea Langeliers, was preparing to play for the Athletics. This is believed to be the first time three Baylor alums were all on active rosters in the same game.

That series highlighted just how special of a time this is for Baylor baseball fans, as five Bears have played in the big leagues this year, tying the single year high-water mark for Baylor alums.

Almost six years ago — Nov. 2, 2018 — we wrote about the public launch of “Give Light,” Baylor’s new fundraising plan aimed at helping the university reach some of its strategic, long-term goals.

The goal: $1.1 billion to support increased student scholarship support, more endowed faculty positions, area-specific funds for research and other projects, and capital projects such as renovating Tidwell Bible Building, expanding Memorial and Allen halls to grow the Honors Residential College, a new welcome center, a new basketball arena, and a new football operations center.

Earlier this month, the university announced the successful conclusion of Give Light. So, how did the campaign do?

Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) is getting a new space on Baylor’s campus!

This spring, Baylor deeded over land for a new BSM center to the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which is working to complete fundraising for the new facility. The new center (see the rendering above) will be built at the corner of South Fourth Street and Daughtrey Avenue — near East Village and the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.

For two decades now, Baylor’s Mayborn Museum has been a beacon of curiosity and discovery, illuminating the path to knowledge for Bears and Wacoans alike with its unique blend of history, science and education.

It was 20 years ago this summer — May 14, 2004 — that the Mayborn was officially dedicated in its new home along University Parks Drive. But the museum’s history dates much further back — almost to the university’s very beginning.

I know Baylor has a beautiful campus. You know Baylor has an incredible campus. But it’s always fun when others recognize the allure of Baylor’s campus, as well.

This spring, two notable sources — Architectural Digest and U.S. News — each included Baylor on their lists of the nation’s most beautiful college campuses.

In 2019, Baylor set a school-record with seven Fulbright scholarship recipients — part of the nation’s flagship program for international graduate study and education. In 2022, Baylor doubled that record with 14 Fulbrights.

Now, just two years later, a new school record has been set — again — as 18 (!!!) Baylor students and recent alumni have won prestigious Fulbright awards for 2024. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Though summer’s only just begun, it won’t be long before students are streaming to Waco for the start of a new school year.

Baylor is known for its incredible student experience — and a look at what students can expect during their first 100 days on campus illustrates that beautifully:

For almost 20 years, legendary music executive Mike Curb has supported what was previously known as the Sports Strategy and Sales (S3) program in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. In honor of his longtime support, the S3 program has been renamed the Curb Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program.

Last week, business leaders and business researchers came together at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business to dive into an important topic. They weren’t there to discuss revenue or industry disruptions; instead, they came to talk about faith — specifically, what it means to be a Christian leader in the workplace.

Over parts of two days, businesspeople of all levels took part in the first-ever Armes Family Christian Leadership in Business Summit, which featured presentations from a series of keynote speakers along with interactive panel discussions on the integration of faith and topics like innovation, inclusion, and ethics. Held May 16-17 inside Baylor’s Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, the event brought together CEOs, founders, leading researchers and others to talk about living out one’s faith in the workplace.

The Air Force ranks include more than 61,000 officers; only 108 of those have reached the rank of brigadier general. In December, Baylor graduate Randall Cason Jr. (BS ’95) joined that esteemed group — and he chose to return to his alma mater to mark the occasion.

For the seventh time in program history — all under head coach Glenn Moore — Baylor softball is headed to the NCAA Super Regionals!

The Bears are one of the last 16 teams standing after winning three of four games at the Lafayette Regional last weekend, including a pair of victories over the host team, No. 13-ranked Louisiana.

Looking to make it to the big leagues? Sure, you could be a first-round pick… or, you could earn a graduate degree from Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.

Not one, not two, but three recent Robbins College grads have reached the pinnacle of pro sports just a few years after earning their Baylor diplomas — in athletic training, nutrition sciences and physical therapy:

The academic year is complete: finals graded, books returned, students graduated — and Baylor faculty honored! Congratulations to this year’s Baylor professors of the year:

Baylor Law earns top national honors for practical training

Congratulations, Class of 2024 — you did it!

This weekend, more than 3,500 Bears walked the Ferrell Center stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. Thousands of their friends and family filled the Ferrell Center for each ceremony, and countless more watched online and joined in the celebration via social media to honor Baylor’s newest graduates.

When the world came to a halt in Spring 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, high school students around the country lost the opportunity to walk the stage at graduation.

Four years later, having overcome countless unknowns and challenges, those students are ready to finally take that step as the Class of 2024 graduates from college. Kayla Carmer is one such student.

The first time Auldynn Chambers heard someone suggest he consider pursuing his doctorate after graduating from Baylor, his immediate thought was, “Only really smart people get Ph.D.s. I’m not smart enough to do that.”

Soon, Chambers will be doing just that, and pursuing a passion he discovered at Baylor — artificial organ development.

When Stephanie Mendoza (BBA ’21) was in high school at Waco’s University High, she had no idea where she wanted to go to college, or what she wanted to do when she got there.

The first question seemed solved after she attended a two-week overnight camp at Baylor — but unfortunately, her family couldn’t make the finances work, and she headed to McLennan Community College instead. There, she discovered her way into Baylor: a full-ride transfer scholarship from the Waco Foundation, given to three top MCC students each year.

Every spring, the Baylor Family bids happy retirement to professors and staff who have dedicated their professional lives to the university and its students. It’s always a bittersweet mix — sadness in seeing them go, happiness for a well-deserved next step — but we wish them all well in the next phase of their lives.

Here, we honor some of the longest-serving and most recognizable professors who are retiring this year — men and women whose faces will be missed, but whose impact will not be forgotten:

Yesterday’s news about Harrington House‘s time coming to an end got us thinking back on the home’s history, as it has a long and winding connection with Baylor (dating back even before it came to be Baylor property).

The two-story Victorian home has stood since 1894 on Eighth Street, just across from where Collins Residence Hall stands today.

Looking for practical training that will prepare you to practice as a lawyer? You can’t do any better than Baylor Law School — literally.

So says a new ranking from preLaw Magazine, which put Baylor at No. 1 in the nation for practical training.

Chances are, if you attended Baylor, you have memories of studying in Moody and/or Jones libraries. Maybe you remember late nights preparing for a paper or exam, or the fun of running into friends and then having to make yourself get back to work.

Baylor’s libraries have long been a sort of academic community square, and that’s never been more true than today. As the ways students use libraries has evolved, Baylor Libraries has adapted to meet the needs of today’s Bears. Here are four examples:

On Saturday, Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling won its ninth — NINTH!!!!!!!!! — straight national title! The win extends a run that dates back to 2015 (there was no championship in 2020 due to COVID). Over those 10 seasons, head coach Felecia Mulkey’s squad has gone a mind-boggling 98-2, including a current 38-meet winning streak.

High school students choosing a college are often looking for a school big enough to offer their desired major and extracurriculars, but small enough where they feel like a person, not a number.

That’s a niche Baylor fills in higher ed — a caring community regularly recognized for students’ academic and social experience and opportunities, all built on a foundation of Christian faith. That sort of support and care is a big reason why a recent national survey of parents named Baylor the No. 2 most-trusted major university in the country.

More than 2,000 Baylor students are the first in their family to attend college. Baylor’s “First in Line” program exists to help these Bears navigate all aspects of college — from academics to student life to finances and beyond.

Word of First in Line’s successes is getting out; the program was recently honored by NASPA, an international student affairs organization, with a 2024 Excellence Award for first-generation student success.

It only makes sense that a university whose motto reads “Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana” — “for the Church, for Texas” — would build programs designed specifically to serve the Church, both close to home and around the world.

And that’s exactly what you’ll find, all across Baylor’s campus — efforts designed specifically to build up and support pastors, congregations, theologians, and other parts of the body of Christ. Here’s just a sampling:

Last fall, Baylor was named among TIME magazine’s top 40 colleges for future leaders. In their research, the publication’s editors studied the resumes of 2,000 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, almost 40 Baylor Bears are the top executives at colleges and universities around the world; here’s a quick rundown of those currently serving as presidents and chancellors: