Baylor in the News – Dec. 13-19, 2020

Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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WACO, Texas (Dec. 20, 2020) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories as they shared their thoughts and expertise on cultural humility and racism, the role of Christianity in the justice system, conspiracies surround the COVID-19 vaccine and controversy on distributing the vaccine to the prison population.

Dec. 13, 2020

The Dallas Morning News: How a Baylor pilot study on rural hunger distributed 40M meals across the country this year
In this column, Jeremy Everett, executive director of the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and the author of “I Was Hungry: Cultivating Common Ground to End an American Crisis,” writes about how hunger is a complex issue that requires more than volunteering and philanthropy to solve.

Dec. 14, 2020

Psychology Today: Gratitude in the Midst of Conflict
“The Well-Lived Life: Evidence-based understandings of love, sex, and relationships,” a new blog in Psychology Today, is written by Maria Boccia, Ph.D., professor of child and family studies and graduate program director of human sciences and design in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. In her first installment, she writes about the positive physical and mental effects of gratitude.

Baptist Standard: Voices: Justice looks like living in the light of justification
In this issue of “Voices” by Baptist Standard, Kimlyn Bender, Ph.D., professor of Christian theology, writes about the understanding of justice through scripture, and how its teachings can be a guide through conflict.

Dec. 15, 2020

Phys.org: Best of Last Year: The top Phys.org articles of 2020
A team of Texas researches from Baylor University, Texas A&M and the University of Houston discovered evidence behind why temperatures 13,000 years ago dropped by about 3 degrees Centigrade using cave sediment samples. The research was featured as one of the top articles of 2020 posted on Phys.ed.

Catholic News Agency: As Italy hits record low births, is there a future for the family?
This article is about Italy’s 50-year steady decline in the country’s birth rate is a trend described by Pope Francis as a result of “disregard for families.” Philip Jenkins, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History and Co-Director of the Program on Historical Studies of Religion, counters this position by analyzing factors affecting birth rate from the perspective of faith.

Dec. 16, 2020

Baptist News Global: ‘Cultural humility’ fosters a lifelong self-examination of racism
In this article on “Cultural Humility,” Kerri Fisher, lecturer and diversity educator, expands on the meaning behind cultural humility from anti-racism to the self and societal behavior changes that contribute to the growth of anti-oppressive attitudes.

The Sport Review: How Exercise Affects Your Sleep
Studies have shown that high levels of activity during the day is linked to higher quality sleep; however, exercising late at night can have adverse effects on sleep quality. Michael Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, explains the benefits of staying active during the day, exercising outdoors and avoiding working out late at night.

Smithsonian Magazine: Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovers New ‘Sea Dragon’ Species on British Beach
A new species of the pre-historic ichthyosaur, a dolphin-like reptile that roamed the seas about 150 million years ago, has been discovered on the shores of Dorset in South West England. Megan L. Jacobs, Baylor doctoral candidate in geosciences, described the characteristics of the new found species and its connection to modern day sperm whales. The discovery also was featured on Sea Technology.

DW.com: American evangelicals and the resistance to COVID vaccines
With the COVID-19 vaccine steadily rolling out, suspicion, misinformation and myths surrounding the vaccine have been circulating throughout American evangelical congregations. Samuel Perry, Ph.D., professor of interdisciplinary core, finds the root of evangelical suspicion through its connection to government and Christian tradition.

Dec. 17, 2020

Forbes: New Research Shows That ‘Hypersensitive’ People May Be Better At Handling Stress
Annie T. Ginty, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience, discusses her study on college students that tested their heart rate responses during stressful situations such as doing mental math and the study’s connection to PTSD symptoms including those related to stress onset by the global pandemic.

Christianity Today: A Vaccine Could Save Prisoners’ Lives. Christians Can Help.
In this article about disbursement of the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable populations such as incarcerated Americans, Byron Johnson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of social sciences and director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor, describes the effects the pandemic has had on prison populations including many correction programs providing educational, vocational and religious value.

Dec. 18, 2020

Baylor Connections: Perry Glanzer, Ph.D.
AUDIO: What does it mean to help students discover meaning and build a moral foundation during their time in college? In this Baylor Connections, Perry Glanzer, Ph.D., professor of educational foundations in the Baylor School of Education, shares insights from research into religion and higher education and examines the role of a Christian university both now and in the future.

ABOUT BAYLOR MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Baylor's Office of Media and Public Relations (M&PR) supports the University's Illuminate strategic plan as a top Christian research university by proactively placing high-profile stories about faculty research and expert opinions, innovative teaching, major awards and recognition, and community involvement. The Baylor M&PR team develops faculty experts to effectively communicate the impact of their research or, as subject-matter experts, speak into national trends and conversations with media outlets, Hot Topics and on the Baylor Connections podcast. Our faculty expert directory is available on the M&PR website at www.baylor.edu/news/experts.

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 19,000 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 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.