Baylor in the News – June 20-26, 2021

June 25, 2021

Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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WACO, Texas (June 25, 2021) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories as they shared their thoughts and expertise on indications that the planet Venus is still geologically active, navigate life’s sometimes difficult transitions, discovering a pioneering Black singer’s compositions, traits of successful remote workers and how an organization’s increased support for employees' adoption efforts yields positive benefits.

June 21, 2021

EurekAlert: 'Pack ice' tectonics reveal Venus' geological secrets
A new analysis of Venus’ surface shows evidence of tectonic motion in the form of crustal blocks that have jostled against each other like broken chunks of pack ice. The study — which includes contributions by Baylor planetary physicist Peter James, Ph.D. — found that the movement of these blocks could indicate that Venus is still geologically active and give scientists insight into both exoplanet tectonics and the earliest tectonic activity on Earth. The research also was covered by several media outlets, including FOX News, Space Daily, Futurity and CNET.

San Antonio Report: Spurs add Michael Dell to investor group as Peter J. Holt gains full control of NBA team
Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing and executive director of the Center for Sports Strategy and Sales that the San Antonio Spurs are frequent partners with, is quoted in this article about the Spurs newly consolidated investor group that includes Austin billionaire Michael Dell and a San Francisco-based investment firm.

Glamour.com: Getting Over a Divorce Meant Saying Goodbye to All My Beautiful Clothes
Holly Oxhandler, Ph.D., associate dean for research and faculty development and an associate professor of social work at Baylor, is quoted in this article about the ways in which people move through and navigate life’s transitions, including divorce, by regularly assessing which items, practices and habits to continue to carry and which to let go of in light of current needs and situations.

June 22, 2021

Texas Monthly: A Pioneering Black Singer’s Compositions, Long Forgotten, May Finally Have an Audience
Waco-born baritone Jules Bledsoe starred on Broadway and toured Europe in the first half of the 20th century, but his original opera and other works languish in obscurity. Baylor music theory professor Horace J. Maxile Jr., Ph.D., hopes to change that.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Mosquitoes brush off brutal winter to make a summer comeback in Waco area
Baylor mosquito researchers Cheolho Sim, Ph.D., and Jason Pitts, Ph.D., were interviewed for this article on the rising summer mosquito population.

Business 2 Community: 7 Traits of High-Quality Remote Job Candidates
This article about business leaders and recruiters alike being able to recognize traits that indicate a candidate will be successful in a remote role cites a recent study by Baylor management professor Sara Perry, Ph.D., which found that individuals with both high amounts of emotional stability and autonomy were best able to cope with strain (i.e., exhaustion, disengagement and dissatisfaction) in a remote work environment.

Christianity Today: In the Push for Racial Justice, There’s a Middle Path Between Passivity and Aggression
Baylor sociology professor George Yancey, Ph.D., writes that to understand the path to ending racial alienation, it is valuable to understand first about using reason, power and moral suasion to affect others’ actions.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Census, redistricting delays could scramble Waco's election calendar in 2022
Mike Morrison, a former Waco mayor and Baylor Law professor the city hired for the redistricting process, says pandemic-induced delays in the 2020 Census will have a domino effect on the redistricting process in Texas and might affect the timing of the Waco City Council elections in 2022.

June 23, 2021

EurekAlert: Increased organizational support for employees' adoption efforts yields positive benefits
When an organization supports its employees who choose to adopt children, the employees, their families, the adopted children and the organization itself experience positive benefits and outcomes, according to new research from Baylor University. The research also was reported on by Phys.org and Health Medicine Network.

Texas Monthly: Scott Drew on What’s Next After Baylor Basketball’s NCAA Win
The Bears head coach reflects on bringing a title to Waco and keeping faith front and center in the Baptist university’s hoops program.

June 24, 2021

The Welch Foundation: The Welch Foundation Announces Nearly $23 Million in Texas Research Grant Funding
Leila Romero, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research at Baylor, has received a grant from the Welch Foundation to begin exploring modes of asymmetric catalysis and to study how these new processes work. The funding also will support the training of young graduate students who may one day themselves become future innovators in chemical synthesis.

EurekAlert: UN-endorsed CityU project on monitoring global estuaries
Baylor environmental scientist Bryan Brooks, Ph.D., is among the collaborative partners of the Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, which will collect and study environmental pollutants in the estuaries of major cities around the globe to formulate a long-term policy of promoting clean estuaries. The State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution at City University of Hong Kong has been endorsed by the United Nations to initiate the 10-year initiative.

June 25, 2021

Baylor Connections: Jessica Cope, Baylor 2021 Young Alumna of the Year
AUDIO: Jessica Cope co-founded The Hopeful Theatre Project in Dallas/Fort Worth, a nonprofit theatre group that donates 100% of ticket proceeds to charity. In this Baylor Connections, the 2015 Baylor graduate and 2021 Young Alumna of the Year shares the story behind The Hopeful Theatre Project and the calling to use her passion for the stage as a way to support other organizations that make the community and world a better place.

American Bible Society: 3 Free Resources that Equip You with Trauma Healing Basics
In this article about helping people begin a journey of healing cites a recent study from Baylor University and American Bible Society that shows that men in U.S. prisons who participated in trauma healing groups experienced a significant, long-term decrease in PTSD and other negative symptoms of trauma.

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 focusing on faculty research and expert opinions, innovative teaching, major awards and recognition, and community involvement. Through its media training workshops, the Baylor M&PR team develops faculty experts to effectively communicate the impact of their research or speak as subject-matter experts into national trends and conversations with media outlets, through 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.