Academy for Leadership Development Will Host Spring Speaker Series
Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
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by Jessie Jilovec, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations
WACO, Texas (Jan. 29, 2019) – Several speakers will visit Baylor University this spring as part of Baylor’s Academy for Leadership Development (ALD) speaker series.
The ALD brings national and international speakers to campus to introduce students to the variety and complexity of leadership needs in contemporary society.
Lamar Bryant, director for student leadership education and development, said the speaker series is a unique opportunity to hear from some of the nation’s finest leaders.
“Each year, the Academy for Leadership Development brings a diverse group of speakers to campus to help our students learn about leadership and service from the perspective of the speakers' respective area of expertise,” Bryant said.
Speakers will highlight a pressing society issue and discuss how they each have worked to address the issue in their communities.
The following speakers will visit campus for the series:
• Thursday, Jan. 31: Mohammed Al Samawi was born in 1986 in Yemen. While involved in interfaith groups, he promoted dialogue between Muslim, Christians and Jews. In 2015, he fled from Aden to the United States during the Yemeni Civil War. Since arriving in the United States, he has worked with NGOs promoting peace and religious tolerance.
• Tuesday, Feb. 12: Jonathan Blake Evans is the team chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Baylor, as well as in the United Football League for the Virginia Destroyers. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2005.
• Tuesday, March 5: The Women in Leadership Panel will feature Dr. Nikki Ceaser-Small, project leader and faculty member at Cedar Valley College; Lucy Pinto, diversity systems and programs design manager at Google; and Rebecca Malzahn, director of development at Baylor.
The speaker series will be at 6 p.m. in Room 506 of the Cashion Academic Center, 1401 S. Fourth St. It is open to the public.
“We feel it is imperative for our students to be exposed to various leadership perspectives, as they prepare to live out our University’s mission of ‘worldwide leadership and service,’” Bryant said.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.