Presidential Perspective - January 25, 2018

Baylor Students, Faculty and Staff:

I have enjoyed seeing the bright lights shining at Baylor these past few days. And I mean more than the lighted benches, the fun photo-ops and events, including the special Dr Pepper Hour on Tuesday. You – our students, faculty and staff – continue to be shining examples of who we are as a Christian university as you lead and serve each other and our community in so many ways. I hope you will join me tonight at 6 p.m. for another opportunity to light up the Ferrell Center as our No. 3 Lady Bears take on sixth-ranked Texas for what is sure to be a great #BaylorLights game.

Here are a few noteworthy items for this week:

• To our Faculty: I hope you will join me and Interim Provost Michael K. McLendon at 3:30 p.m. today for our Spring Faculty Meeting on the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Center.

• As we develop strategies to expand the University's high-quality graduate professional education, Baylor Law School has announced that it will offer the first Executive LL.M. in Litigation Management in the nation beginning this fall. The master's degree program was created to address a critical problem facing professionals in the legal field – how to strategically manage litigation to control the continued escalation of costs. The program was co-created by Baylor law professors Liz Fraley and Jim Wren.

• Congratulations to two Baylor faculty members recently honored for contributions to their academic fields. Dr. Annie T. Ginty, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience who studies how the brain links psychological experiences, such as stress, with changes that affect health, has been selected as a "Rising Star" by the Association for Psychological Science for her promising research. Dr. Jay Yoo, associate professor of family and consumer sciences, has been selected to receive the 2018 American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences-Texas Affiliate Leader Award.

• New research by sociology professors F. Carson Mencken and Charles M. Tolbert in the journal Rural Sociology has found that the greater the proportion of local banks in a non-metropolitan area, the better the chances that a conventional business loan helped start or expand a business. This study suggests that a locally oriented financial sector should boost such a community's well-being. Their previous research has shown that a thriving small business sector leads to stronger communities with higher levels of income, less income inequality, less poverty, better public health, lower crime and less out-migration of residents to other areas.

• First Gent Brad and I – along with our puppy, BU – enjoy walking around our beautiful campus, and it's no surprise to us that Baylor is considered as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. But it's rewarding when a national organization agrees with us! Baylor was recently honored by the Professional Grounds Management Society with a Green Star Honor Award in the Mid-size University and College Grounds category for grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence. Congratulations to Andy Trimble, Mandie Johnson and our grounds maintenance leadership team for providing such a magnificent outdoor environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors.

Here's to a great remainder of the week. As always, thank you for being a light and for your dedication and service to Baylor.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President