Presidential Perspective - March 21, 2019

Baylor Students, Faculty and Staff:

Spring has sprung on the Baylor campus, and it was nice welcoming everyone back to the University from Spring Break with warmer temperatures, tulips in full bloom and trees budding with green. What a great reminder that Baylor is consistently recognized as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country! We are certainly blessed to study and grow academically, professionally and spiritually in such a nurturing environment.

• With some of the national dialogue – and even recent discussions on our own campus – regarding free speech and free expression, I hearken back to our University mission statement and the phrase: “…integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment in a caring community.” As an institution of higher education, we are committed to a thoughtful exchange of ideas and an academic environment that supports inquiry, discourse and diversity. However, as a Christian institution, we have an additional responsibility – to appreciate differing opinions and backgrounds in a respectful, loving manner that extends grace as Christ did. I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Lariat tomorrow and read the column penned by Dr. Burt Burleson, University chaplain and dean of spiritual life and missions.

• Over Spring Break, our remarkable student trumpet ensembles in the School of Music brought home top honors at the National Trumpet Competition at the University of Kentucky. Our Baylor Gold ensemble won first place in the small ensemble division while our Baylor Green ensemble played to a third-place national finish in the large ensemble division. To put in perspective our Baylor Trumpet Studio’s ongoing success, this is the sixth time in eight years that our students, led by premiere trumpeters and faculty members Wiff Rudd and Mark Schubert, have upheld Baylor’s name as the best in the nation.

• Sara Dolan, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, has been awarded a five-year, nearly $3 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for a project to improve clinical practice for children who have been victims of abuse and trauma. Dolan will collaborate with fellow psychology faculty member Stacy Ryan-Pettes, Ph.D., and a colleague at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler to develop and implement new training methods in evidence-based assessment and diagnosis for counselors and social workers, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for their patients. This grant helps Baylor move forward in growing our research portfolio, but most importantly, this project illustrates how Baylor research can impact lives for the better.

• Each March is recognized as Women’s History Month, which commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Here at Baylor, we have a long legacy of women who have made important contributions to their fields and generations of students. Meet seven Baylor women who blazed new trails in the sciences, thanks to our team at BaylorProud.

• Speaking of women making an impact … Our Lady Bears are the top overall seed in the NCAA Basketball Tournament and will host Abilene Christian this Saturday at approximately 4:30 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. With a win, Baylor will advance to play the winner of the California-North Carolina match-up on Monday. Faculty and staff can purchase all-session tickets for $35 or single-game tickets for $20 by contacting the Baylor Ticket Office at 254-710-1000. And students can swipe their ID at the door for either game to gain FREE admission.

I am en route to Salt Lake City for tonight’s men’s NCAA Tournament game as our 9th-seeded Bears face 8th-seeded Syracuse in the West Region. I will be behind the Baylor bench yelling next to the 6-foot-10 First Gent. You can’t miss us. Sic ’em, Bears!

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President