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According to a recent study, 44% of Gen Z Americans (ages 13-28) regularly watch anime. The animation style, which largely originates from Japan but has found a worldwide following, features a unique animation style and complex storylines. With anime becoming more mainstream in the last decade, more streaming services are adding titles to their libraries in order to cater to such audiences.

Anime-focused streaming service Crunchyroll, headquartered in the Dallas area, is among those leading the charge when it comes to providing the most robust collection of anime — and one of the people helping guide Crunchyroll is a Baylor alum.

Baylor Soccer‘s 2025 season has been a special one, with the No. 23-ranked Bears emerging as a force to be reckoned with nationally. On the heels of their best regular season in seven years, they’ve earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament — and they will begin their postseason journey at home.

For the seventh time in program history, Baylor Soccer is into the postseason. They’ll host Texas State Friday night at Betty Lou Mays Field, where they went 7-1 on the home pitch this season. It marks the eighth time Baylor will have hosted an NCAA Tournament match, and it’s easy to see why this year’s squad earned that honor.

Clyde Hart (BBA ’56) came to Baylor in 1952 as a student-athlete, then returned in 1963 as the Bears’ head track and field coach — a role he would hold for the next 42 years, followed by another 14 in another role with the program.

That’s 60 years wearing the green and gold as a student and coach — fully two-thirds of his life, after his passing on Saturday at age 91.

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.

The nostalgia factor was high for the thousands of Bears who made their way home to Waco this past weekend for Baylor Homecoming 2025. For those who couldn’t make it — or for those who want to relive it — we bring you a look back at the weekend:

For so many in the Baylor Family, Homecoming is more than just a weekend — it’s the joy of showing loved ones that Baylor spirit, revisiting old stomping grounds, and reconnecting with the people and places that shaped their stories. Every October, that first glimpse of the bonfire signals that we’re home again.

For Scott Floyd (BA ’11, MDiv ’14) and his wife, Olivia (BS ’15), Homecoming has always carried extra meaning. The couple met in 2012 when Scott was in his second year at Truett Seminary and his future wife was a Baylor sophomore. Their friendship quickly blossomed into something more, and by the time Homecoming rolled around in October, they were officially dating.

“What school hosted the first collegiate homecoming?”

It’s a question that’s been long debated. But if you picture an alumni event centered around a varsity football game when you think of homecoming, then there’s no question that Baylor University hosted the first collegiate homecoming, all the way back in 1909.

College basketball season hasn’t yet arrived, and already Baylor basketball fans have had plenty to celebrate in recent weeks — from former BU All-American NaLyssa Smith earning a championship ring with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, to former men’s standout VJ Edgecombe’s historic NBA debut.

Such success is a reminder that we again have the chance to cheer on some of the best in the sport at Foster Pavilion. This year, both the Baylor men’s and women’s teams begin with familiar expectations and goals, but different roster makeups.

In 1909, Baylor hosted the first collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation. This week (Oct. 27-Nov. 1), 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 Hurd Welcome Center.

The Hurd will serve as “Homecoming headquarters” for visitors, 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.

For a decade now (!!), Baylor Traditions Ornaments have helped add a little green and gold to Christmas trees across the Baylor Family.

This year’s ornament features the cherished opening lyric from our school song: “That Good Old Baylor Line.” (And to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary: If you missed one from the last few years, you can catch up — either with individual ornaments from the last five years, or a special Legacy Ornaments Set that includes past ornaments and a special display hanger.)

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

Baylor is one of just three colleges to rank among U.S. News‘ top 10 nationally for both first-year experience and learning communities, and the only one of those three to be either an R1 research institution or offer Power 4 athletics.

What is the best prescription for the challenges faced by communities and the individuals that comprise them? Dr. Tyshawn Gardner says the answer is “Christian proclamation” — the preaching that takes place in churches around the world. He has applied his scholarship and experiences toward resources that equip pastors to share the Good News in ways that are “faithful to God, faithful to the Biblical text and [done] in wisdom.”

One of the goals of a college degree, especially a graduate degree, is to help land a job. Few MBA programs are better at that than Baylor’s.

Baylor’s full-time MBA program ranks No. 6 in the nation for helping graduates find employment after graduation, according to U.S. News‘ most recent data. Last year’s class saw 92% of graduates employed within three months of graduation — one of just nine programs nationally to top 90%, and the only one in Texas.

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 is filled with great stories to tell, and for the last eight years, Baylor Connections has been a key place where Bears share their stories in their own voices. After nearly 400 audio episodes, Baylor Connections has expanded — now offering both audio and video formats!

For many Baylor students, summer is a chance for special experiences — whether through internships, study abroad or or mission trips, or research opportunities.

Baylor senior Greatness Adewumi is an example of that last group — a psychology/neuroscience major on the pre-med track whose experience this past summer in Houston has only fueled her desire to delve into medical research.

About a decade ago, Baylor set out to complete major renovations of each of its legacy residence halls. Each would go offline for a year, during which time it would receive a head-to-toe update.

Penland went first, followed by North Russell, South Russell, Martin, Collins, Memorial and Alexander — and now, newly completed in time for the 2025-26 school year, Allen and Dawson. (Work is already underway on Kokernot, which should reopen in 2026 to welcome the next class of Bears.)

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.

For well over a decade, Baylor has been a staple among the universities recognized as a “Great College to Work For” — appearing on the elite annual list’s honor roll for 14 of the last 16 years. And while that alone makes for a good headline (and is emblematic of a BaylorProud faculty and staff), it’s far from the only honor that Baylor has earned this year for being an elite workplace.

It all started in 1951, when Jarrell McCracken (BA ’50, MA ’53), then a Baylor student, reimagined the Gospel with a twist: as a play‑by‑play radio game featuring two teams, Jesus vs. Satan, refereed by God. He dubbed it “The Game of Life,” pressed a mere 100 vinyl records — and changed the course of contemporary Christian music forever.

Baylor is once again among the nation's top 50 private universities and top 100 national universities, according to new U.S. News rankings for 2025-26.

Baylor moved up one place to No. 46 among private colleges and universities, and up three spots to No. 88 among the national universities (both public and private), ranking among the top 20% of all major universities nationwide.

Taylor Martini is aiming to reach new heights. She is studying mechanical engineering with a special focus on aerospace, though she didn’t initially see herself pursuing this path.

Baylor Homecoming is just a month away — time to make your plans (if you haven’t already)! Here’s a round-up of what you’ll want to work into your schedule:

For Ezekiel Sutton life is all about connecting with people everywhere he goes. His desire to build meaningful relationships ultimately led him from his small town in Oregon to Waco and Baylor University. 

At Baylor, the student experience — creating a place where students can thrive academically, spiritually and socially — is at the heart of what we do. From our small student-to-faculty ratio and Christian environment to the 400+ student organizations on campus, Baylor offers countless ways for students to get involved and feel at home.

With so many opportunities, there’s something for everyone — literally from A to Z:

Music has long added elements of pageantry and aura for the U.S. Armed Forces. For the U.S. Navy, the Navy Band Sea Chanters is the musical voice of the aquatic branch. And now, a Baylor alumna stands among their ranks.

Alissa Ruth Suver (MM ’25), a conductor and soprano vocalist who graduated from Baylor in May, earned a highly coveted and highly competitive spot among the Sea Chanters — and then further demonstrated her commitment to the role and the cause it supports by completing Navy boot camp.

For Lucas Everett, Baylor is in his blood. As a Waco native, Lucas grew up around the Baylor culture, going to sporting events and enjoying all the Baylor traditions.

Last week, Baylor and Texas Baptists representatives came together for a ceremonial groundbreaking on a new Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) building that 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.

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.

Baylor has always been about family — so it was a joy to welcome thousands of BU parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and more to campus this past weekend for Family Weekend 2025.

From the “Meet the Faculty” Welcome Hour on Friday afternoon, through the Lauren Daigle concert that night, and on to Baylor Football’s victory Saturday, the weekend was a joyful celebration of our extended Baylor Family.

This Family Weekend, students’ loved ones aren’t the only ones coming to Waco. Also returning: Baylor’s iconic Growling Bear, which is coming out of the vault for a limited time.

First introduced in 1969 after a design contest organized by head football coach Bill Beall, the Growling Bear logo was selected from more than 75 entries. The winning design was created by Elmer Fisher (BA ’51), a longtime classics professor and diehard Baylor football fan, in collaboration with law student Joey Taylor (BA ’68, JD ’71).

Grace Corey has always been an athlete. Growing up, her military family moved around a lot, and sports were one constant in her life. Naturally, playing sports led to some injuries, and Grace spent a lot of time in clinics, athletic training offices and physical therapy facilities. These experiences inspired her to pursue a career in helping others to heal.

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.

When Daniel Russell sets his mind to something, he pursues it relentlessly. As a triple major in the business school studying finance, entrepreneurship and management, setting goals has helped him stay focused on what really matters – a vibrant Baylor experience that runs deep and wide. 

Cheering on our Bears in the NFL is second nature to Baylor fans — from legends like Mike Singletary (BBA ’83) to current stars such as Jalen Pitre (BBA ’20, MSED ’21), there’s no shortage of Baylor alums who have made us proud at the next level.

But it’s not just on the field; all across the NFL, Baylor Bears can be found in front offices and training rooms, discovering talent on the scouting trail and generating revenue in tickets and sales. 

Chaplains have served the spiritual needs of American military members since the Continental Congress established them in 1775. For 250 years, these ministers have attended to the spiritual, moral, counseling, and guidance to servicepersons worldwide.

Recognizing Baylor’s legacy of Chaplain ministry service, the 21st U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (Major General) Trent Davis, visited Baylor earlier this week to speak during Truett Seminary’s Chapel Service. 

When thinking about space exploration in the years ahead, it doesn’t get much bigger than a groundbreaking new telescope or a future mission to the moon. NASA is preparing for both — and calling on Baylor professors to help them.

Chloe McCauley sees the good in everyone. She’s always been optimistic and driven by the prospect of the future, doing big things that make a difference. She looked forward to college and the chance to study what she’s most passionate about.

By now, you probably recognize the photo above. It was a powerful moment from last year’s Texas Bowl that resonated across social media — Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson stopping to pray for an injured opponent.

The person who captured that meaningful moment was not a professional sports photographer (at the time), but a Baylor student. Joaquin Torre (BA ’25) was on the sideline, advancing toward his dream of becoming a full-time sports photographer. He was moved by the response to his photo, which represented a meaningful moment for him as well.

When 20th-ranked Baylor volleyball begins the 2025 season Friday afternoon in Baton Rouge, a new-look team will pursue the same high standards that have become the norm under head coach Ryan McGuyre. Over the last decade, McGuyre has led the program into a golden age. The Bears have earned nine straight NCAA tournament berths, including four Sweet 16s and a Final Four, and look to extend that success in 2025.

One of the world’s premier surfing destinations is located about 15 minutes from the Baylor campus.

Yes, you read that right.

In recent years, Waco Surf has gained international intention from surfers seeking the perfect wave year-round. Such prominent surfers as Kelly Slater (11-time World Surf League champion) and Carissa Moore (2020 Olympic gold medalist) have come to Central Texas from California, Hawaii and beyond to run the perfect waves at the touch of a button.

As Baylor football prepares to kick off the 2025 season Friday night at McLane Stadium, the buzz surrounding the team feels elevated — and it’s easy to see why. The Bears finished 2024 as one of the nation’s hottest teams, winning their last six regular season games and delivering a top-20 national offense. This year’s squad returns key performers on both sides of the ball, led by breakout quarterback Sawyer Robertson; his performance is just one of many reasons Baylor fans are so excited:

Over the course of four days last week, Baylor welcomed to Waco 3,500+ new freshmen (and their families), another 15,000+ returning students — and almost 40,000 concertgoers who came for The Boys From Oklahoma Texas Encore, a country music festival held at McLane Stadium Saturday night.

Less than an hour after the bands left the stage, crews began the process of readying McLane for another big event this coming Friday — Baylor football’s sold-out season opener against Auburn. Slated for a national FOX broadcast, the game is one of the biggest of college football’s opening weekend.

What a week! From Move2BU to Welcome Week and then the first day of classes — not to mention Saturday night’s big concert — Baylor and Waco are once again buzzing with activity!

Baylor’s Class of 2029 arrives on campus this fall united by a common anthem: “CROSS//ROADs,” a class blessing for #BU29 written and recorded by two current Baylor students with the help of Baylor’s School of Music and Office of Spiritual Life.

The song captures the heart tug felt by new college students as they leave the past behind to step out into the future, following God’s calling to what’s next in life. Having been in that same place not long ago, Baylor students Luke Fisher and Hannah Barine (pictured above) collaborated to write and record the song, now available on Spotify and Apple Music.

This weekend, Baylor will welcome nearly 40,000 country music fans to our home city of Waco for The Boys from Oklahoma Texas Encore.

This special McLane Stadium concert will feature country music stars Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours, as well as special guests Shane Smith and the Saints, Waco’s own Wade Bowen, and American Aquarium.

Baylor’s vice president for student life is new to the role, but a familiar face to many around campus. Dr. Sharra Hynes succeeded Dr. Kevin Jackson on July 1, following Jackson’s retirement after 16 years at Baylor.

The new position was a natural step for Hynes, who has worked with Baylor students since 2020 (most recently as senior associate vice president and dean of students). In her new role, she now leads Baylor’s Division of Student Life, overseeing areas ranging from Student Activities, Campus Living & Learning, and New Student Programs to Spiritual Life, Multicultural Affairs, Campus Recreation and the Counseling Center — a wide variety of resources that enrich each student’s Baylor experience.

How do you determine whether or not a person acted “reasonably”? If you accept that many people will have different definitions of what constitutes reasonableness, you can recognize the sorts of challenges that lawyers face when addressing a jury.

Baylor Law professor Christopher Jaeger conducts his work at the intersection of psychology and the law, applying his research to uncover new insights surrounding such questions. Dr. Jaeger is the rare law professor who pairs his J.D. with both undergraduate and doctoral degrees in psychology — and his interdisciplinary research is drawing notice.

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:

Long before she was recognized for her work in Baylor’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Liela Romero (BS ’11) was a Baylor student, much like the ones she now teaches. As she worked in Dr. Kevin Pinney’s lab, she gained the experience she needed to launch her career — from Baylor, to UT Southwestern Medical Center and MIT, and now back at her alma mater.

It’s the same sort of experience she now seeks to impart in her own students, as they combine molecule mixtures that could someday produce cancer drug leads.

On Aug. 29, Baylor football kicks off the new season with a home matchup against Auburn — the first SEC opponent to visit Waco since 1995. The Bears’ home schedule also includes games against reigning Big 12 champion Arizona State, perennial contender Kansas State, and old SWC foe Houston, plus Utah, Samford for Family Weekend, and UCF for Homecoming.

Miss a game, and you might miss highlights like these:

After Dr. Burt Burleson (BA ’80) retired in May following 17 years of service, Dr. Charley Ramsey (BA ’97, MA ’00) was named the university’s new Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life.

Ramsey isn’t new to Baylor, higher ed, or spiritual guidance. A two-time Baylor graduate (and Phi Beta Kappa scholar), Ramsey was director of Baptist Student Ministries at Baylor from 2017-21, then served the last four years as BU’s associate chaplain and director of campus ministries & church connections. Overall, Ramsey’s ministry and academic career has spanned more than two decades, including global mission leadership, interfaith scholarship and faculty appointments in the U.S. and South Asia.

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

The Baylor Department of Theatre Arts doesn’t just nurture young talent; its members are also producing projects that are making waves — including an Oscar-qualifying short film!

ADO (as in “Much Ado About Nothing”) is the brainchild of Sam Henderson (BFA ’05), an assistant professor in both Baylor’s film & digital media and theatre departments. The film (which Henderson co-wrote and directed) follows a middle school theatre teacher caught in an unimaginable situation when her class’s rehearsal is interrupted by a school shooting.

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:

The Hill Country is a special place to Texans, including many in the Baylor Family. As news spread of the catastrophic July 4 weekend floods in and around Kerrville and the Texas Hill Country, the impact was felt far and wide. The flash floods claimed the lives of over 100 people, and many remain missing.

Throughout the Baylor Family, the desire to respond in a meaningful way was evident. In addition to the many Baylor alumni who reside in the Hill Country or have vacationed in the area, the region’s many camps have welcomed generations of Bears who retain those memories of friendship, recreation and spiritual development nurtured there. Quickly, the Baylor Family’s prayers were joined by action to support our neighbors to the south:

Dr. Karen Foli understands well the lives of the people her research impacts. As a longtime nurse and adoptive parent, Foli’s work sits at the intersection of mental health, nursing, and adoptive/kinship parents.

Foli came to Baylor last year from Purdue University to serve as the inaugural Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health Nursing, a new position created to advance mental and behavioral health research in Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing. In Foli, the school found one of those subjects’ top researchers.

Brothers Steven (BBA ’09) and Robbie Cutbirth (BBA ’21) credit their Baylor experience with inspiring their latest venture: restoring the historic building in Elgin, Texas, and opening Cutbirth Family Dental. Blending modern care with small-town hospitality, the practice reflects values they gained at Baylor—integrity, leadership, and community. 

Back when he was a student sportswriter for The Baylor Lariat, many of Shehan Jeyarajah’s professors and colleagues recognized his talent, and may have even used the words “rising star” to describe him.

But now, it’s official: The Football Writers Association of America named Jeyarajah (BA ’16) as its 2025 Edward Aschoff Rising Star award recipient, a highly coveted title presented annually to an elite young sportswriter.

Two Baylor Bears were drafted in the first six rounds of the 2025 MLB draft — BU’s 32nd and 33rd picks in the last 35 drafts, dating back to 1991.

Sixth-year senior Gabe Craig, the Bears’ closer, was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round, while senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp was selected one round later by the Kansas City Royals.

From Denney Willie to Davis Wendzel, no fewer than 48 Baylor Bears have reached baseball’s highest level over the last century-plus. Willie debuted in 1911, Wendzel in 2024, and there’s been a host of Baylor greats to reach Major League Baseball in between, including All-Stars, a Rookie of the Year, and a Hall of Famer.

So, who are the best Baylor alumni to reach the big leagues? That’s a question we first aimed to answer six years ago. Since then, five more Bears have reached the big leagues, and we’ve seen players stake their claim for a new spot (or a higher spot) on the list. So, we humbly present our new-for-2025 list of the nine best Bears in Major League history:

Baylor is welcoming not one, but two new deans this summer, following the retirement of longtime Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71) and the hiring of Hankamer School of Business Dean Sandeep Mazumder as president of Berry College.

One frequent criticism of higher education is that its findings often remain locked in the “ivory tower,” rather than being shared with the “real world.”

Dr. Thomas Hibbs is the counterpoint to that — a longtime dean (and even university president) who has consistently applied his knowledge to current events and popular culture and used mass media to share those insights.

For the fifth straight year, a Baylor Bear was taken in the first round of the NBA draft — and this one went higher than any Bear before him.

With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe — making the Big 12 Freshman of the Year the highest draft pick in Baylor basketball history. The previous mark was held by Ekpe Udoh, who was selected at No. 6 by the Warriors in 2010.

What started with a brave leap from Hong Kong in 1959 has grown into a multigenerational Baylor legacy. 

When Nelson Yim (MS ’63) arrived at Baylor to study chemistry, he didn’t know the language, the culture, or what to expect. But he said “yes” to an opportunity that would change his life, and the lives of his future family.

Dr. Leigh Greathouse is one of Baylor’s many cancer researchers, specifically focused on the relationship between diet, microorganisms and cancer. Her efforts are driven in part by her own experience fighting cancer while still in her 20s.

Her work is also driven by her faith. Earlier this year, she posted on social media about what it’s like to be a Christian working in science today:

You may have heard friends or family members lament the ubiquity of technology, or bemoan that the ways it changes our interactions with the world could lead to “brain rot” or something similar. (Maybe you’ve even said that yourself).

Dr. Michael Scullin, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, set out to see if such fears are warranted — and his findings have earned international attention.

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.

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

There are plenty of ways to measure this, from having dozens of faculty recognized among the nation’s most cited researchers to the University’s attainment of a top-30 national ranking for both undergraduate teaching and research. Another sign of Baylor’s elite faculty: the many researchers recognized as fellows in their fields.

Baylor Track & Field’s legacy of Olympians, national champions and record-setters sets a high standard — a standard that this year’s athletes upheld and extended.

Two Bears claimed national titles in individual events this spring, Baylor won three of four Big 12 Performer of the Year honors, and a host of Bears brought home all-America honors as head coach Michael Ford’s teams closed out another successful season last week.

Since graduating from Baylor four decades ago, Doug Rogers (BFA ’82) has truly had a fairy tale career.

From Friends and The Drew Carey Show, to Shrek and Tangled, to the castles at Disney Shanghai and Hong Kong (pictured above left), to Turning Point Ministries’ Why the Nativity?, he’s seen a myriad of projects come to life.

We could write a month’s worth of posts about recent Baylor graduate Kristen Nakamura (BA ’25). She was a Getterman Scholar, and a University Scholar studying English and math with a minor in creative writing. An award-winning poet whose Honors thesis and undergraduate research included translating the post-WWII haiku shared between her Japanese-American great-grandmother and her twin sister. Tutor. Piano teacher. BRH Choir member. Mission trip veteran. HRC College Council. Summa cum laude graduate. Phi Beta Kappa. Fulbright ETA recipient to Indonesia.

But for all of those honors, what Nakamura really wanted to talk about was the community and sense of belonging she found at Baylor.

For some, college is just about getting a piece of paper that, after four years, will help land a job. And while that’s important, the Baylor experience is about so, so much more.

Baylor graduates are highly sought after in the workplace, with an impressive 91% placement rate of recent graduates in either employment or grad school. This success is in part thanks to BU’s strong relationships with top employers, and the Baylor Career Center’s concierge-style approach to recruitment that benefits both student and employer.

Recent data shows these are the top 10 employers hiring the most Baylor grads right out of school:

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.

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:

For someone who feels a personal mission to make the world a better place for children, there may be few better fits than Feed the Children, a global nonprofit which seeks to end childhood hunger. All of this made a significant opportunity at the organization just right for Emily Callahan (BA ’00), a Baylor alumna and longtime non-profit leader whose personal mission dovetailed with the organization she now leads.

Congratulations, Class of 2025 — you did it!

This weekend, more than 4,000 Bears — the largest class in Baylor history — celebrated earning their degrees, the culmination of the Baylor experience. 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 BU’s newest graduates.

Will Critchfield’s student experience at Baylor led directly to working with cutting-edge technology in his field, then a connection with a prominent Baylor graduate, and finally, an impressive first job after graduation.

For Critchfield, a member of the Class of 2025 from Glen Rock, N.J., success has never been about coincidence; it’s been about faith, perseverance, and the unwavering support of his Baylor community. As he graduates from Baylor this week with a major in film & digital media and a minor in entrepreneurship, his next chapter will begin with a role at NBC.

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.

Every spring, the Baylor Family bids happy retirement to professors and staff who have dedicated their professional lives to the university and its students. This spring, we say a special farewell to two prominent university leaders, Vice President for Student Life Kevin Jackson and Baylor Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71).

One of the first stops for Baylor campus visitors is the Williams Bear Habitat, home of bear mascots Indy and Belle. The La Vega High School students visiting campus last week for the first-ever Baylor CityLab were no different; the Bear Habitat was tops on their tour agenda — and where their interactive science journey began.

As soon as the tour was over, Baylor students involved in CityLab set up the scenario. They drank from a stray water bottle, began “acting” strange, and soon developed zombie-like symptoms. Now it was up to the high school students to use real-world scientific methods — including DNA analysis and forensics — to determine what was causing this strange behavior and what exactly was in the water bottle.

Last week, Baylor released the first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study — one of the most comprehensive studies of human existence ever undertaken, and the largest funded research project in Baylor history.

How big a deal is this study? The coverage it attracted is one indication; the results were widely covered in major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic to CNN to Christianity Today (and more).

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:

Baylor graduates truly do “fling their green and gold afar,” making an impact in virtually any field you can think of. This year’s Baylor Alumni Award winners are no different, with recipients leading the charge in areas ranging from the military and the ministry to the law and our nation’s legal systems.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees:

Baylor and Waco are at the center of the collegiate tennis world this year.

Last fall, the Hurd Tennis Center hosted the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. In January, men’s tennis hosted the ITA National Indoor Championship at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. Earlier this month, the Hurd was the home for the Big 12 Tennis Championship. And now, Baylor is preparing to host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships (every round from the quarterfinals to the title match).

The run to the championship begins this weekend for both the Baylor men and women.

On Saturday, Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling won its tenth — TENTH!!!!!!!!! — straight national title! The win extends a run that dates back to 2015 (there was no championship in 2020 due to COVID). Over those 11 seasons, head coach Felecia Mulkey’s squad has gone a mind-boggling 110-2, including a current 50-meet winning streak.

For context: The only longer NCAA D-1 championship streaks are in track and field, where the Arkansas men won 12 straight indoor titles from 1984-95, and the LSU women won 11 straight outdoor championships from 1987-97. (To be clear, Baylor’s current run is an NCATA streak, not an NCAA streak, because acrobatics and tumbling is currently classified as an NCAA Emerging Sport while it works its way toward full-fledged NCAA status.)

Seven Baylor residence halls are more than just residence halls — they’re Living-Learning Communities, or LLCs for short. These LLCs are organized around specific degree programs or interests, such as business, science, even outdoor adventure and wellbeing, building intentional community for BU students with similar goals and callings in life.

Dr. Karenna Malavanti (BS ’10, MA ’12), senior lecturer of psychology and neuroscience, serves as faculty-in-residence at Earle Hall, where she leads the nearly 350 students in Baylor’s Science and Health Living-Learning Community.

She shared a few of the traits that make these communities so meaningful to students on a recent Baylor Connections podcast:

Two takeaways from the Forrest Frank concert, the first public concert in Foster Pavilion:

1) If you get a chance to see Forrest Frank live, GO.
2) If you get a chance to see a concert at Foster Pavilion, GO.

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. Lenore Wright (MA ’95), an award-winning philosophy professor in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) and director of Baylor’s Academy of Teaching and Learning from 2011-24. Wright came to Baylor in 1994 as a graduate student, joined the Baylor faculty five years later, and has been a BU fixture ever since.

In 2009, a group of Baylor students decided to come together in one of their living rooms to pray on a weekly basis. Soon, others joined them to study scripture and worship — and the group outgrew the living room. It moved to a park, then a parking garage, then to the Waco Hippodrome.

Today, Vertical Ministries welcomes hundreds of Baylor students each week to its meetings. As it celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, Vertical is thriving as a non-denominational, student-led ministry that seeks to challenge college students to actively pursue an authentic, “vertical” relationship with God.

“FAT” isn’t always a good thing — but in the world of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s crucial.

The acronym stands for Fairness, Accountability, Transparency — three words at the heart of Baylor’s approach to AI, as BU seeks to lead the way in addressing major ethical questions surrounding AI’s rapid growth and its impact on humanity.

In cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, the economics of a nice night out can get overwhelming. Dinner costs, concert ticket prices, and parking fees all add up in a hurry. Waco residents (including Baylor students) then have to add over two hours of travel (and perhaps a pricey hotel stay) to the cost, making the expense of such a night on the town approach the price of a vacation.

Those days are now over.

With Foster Pavilion now serving as a live event venue, Baylor Bears (and other Central Texans) can now enjoy a proper night on the town with far fewer impediments and a much shorter time commitment.

For almost a century now, Diadeloso has provided Baylor students with a much-needed day off just as the spring semester reaches its crescendo — a day to rest and relax, to have fun with friends, and to make memories on campus that will last a lifetime.

Yesterday was a perfect day for Dia — sunny, high of 75, just absolutely beautiful weather. Traditional Dia activities like music performances, inflatables and rides were mixed with newer favorites like goat yoga — Dia’s new top attraction.

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.

Baylor’s long history of military education dates back at least to 1888, just a couple of years after BU settled in Waco. Over the years, Baylor has prepared a long line of future military officers through the Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC programs; today, these programs offer students the option to earn their degrees while preparing for careers as officers in the U.S. military.

Baylor’s Air Force and Space Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC) recently added another milestone to its distinguished history. Earlier this year, Detachment 810 was named the No. 1 Medium Detachment in the country, outperforming 49 other detachments nationwide to claim the top honor.

Baylor students today have dozens of options to choose from when it comes to Chapel. Some prefer a large-group worship setting (similar to traditional Chapel services); others, a small group setting — perhaps one with friends from their residence hall, or one focused on how faith plays out in their field of study, or one connected to a campus ministry.

One of the more unique options available this semester: Chapel with the First Gent.

March is Women’s History Month, so all month long we’ve been celebrating the history of Baylor women — notable individuals such as Dr. Diana Garland, Angela Kinsey, Ann Miller and Leah Moncure, plus the long lists of Baylor women who have left their marks in fields like science and engineering, law and politics, the arts, and education.

To cap the month, two Baylor experts on women’s history — Dr. Andrea Turpin, an associate professor and director of the Baylor history graduate program, and Amy Achenbach, a doctoral candidate and Baylor history teacher — sat down to answer the big questions, like: Why study women’s history? What kinds of unique sources are used in researching women’s history? And how did higher ed change as more women enrolled?

On April 22, Baylor’s Foster Pavilion will host its first public concert event, featuring GRAMMY-nominated Baylor alum Forrest Frank (BBA ’17) — but Frank technically won’t be the first artist on the Foster stage that night.

That honor will go to Claire Leslie, a 23-year-old performer from San Antonio, who will perform as the concert’s opening act. In her day job, Leslie leads worship at Max Lucado’s Oak Hills Church, as she finds her way as an up-and-coming Christian singer-songwriter.