Baylor in the News – Dec. 5-11, 2021

Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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WACO, Texas (Dec. 12, 2021) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories as they shared their thoughts and expertise on President Joe Biden’s administration, the power of gospel singers and what they can teach the Church about unity and how data misuse can be a threat to our human dignity.

Dec. 5, 2021

The Dallas Morning News: Biden will continue to struggle and founder as Obama’s heir apparent
This column by Curt Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, focuses on “heir-apparent presidents” who, according to American political history, find that following transformative presidents tends to lead to problematic presidencies.

The Dallas Morning News: What gospel singers can teach the church about unity
As denominations split over politics, Robert Darden, professor of journalism and founder and director of the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, suggests in this column that the American church should turn to the gospel traditions in African American churches.

Dec. 6, 2021

Waco Tribune-Herald: New Truett Seminary master's program combines agriculture, theology, social justice
Jennifer Howell, Ph.D., director of the Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice Program at Baylor’s Truett Seminary, is quoted in this article about Truett’s newest master’s program that digs deep into the connections between hunger, agriculture and religion.

EurekAlert: Meth Use, Intimate Partner Violence Weaken Immune Function
Chukwuemeka Okafor, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology, is among the authors of a new study of how methamphetamine use combined with intimate partner violence among HIV-positive black and Latino men who have sex with men boosted the activity of genes that regulate the body’s inflammatory and antiviral functions, increasing the risk for developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and other disorders.

Dec. 7, 2021

Baptist Standard: Family’s support helps Baylor protect Black Gospel music
Baylor University recently dedicated the Black Gospel Archive and Listening Center at Moody Memorial Library, establishing a permanent home for the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project’s collection of recordings from that genre’s Golden Age, 1945 to 1975.

Dec. 8, 2021

Baptist Standard: Around the State
Alexandra Ronnenberg, who graduated from Baylor University in May with an undergraduate degree in elementary education, has been named Texas Clinical Teacher of the Year for her outstanding instruction and interaction with children while a senior at Baylor.

KWBU-FM: Business Review - The Dignity of Data
AUDIO: As more and more data is being collected on our personal lives, in new and different ways, Dorothy Leidner, Ph.D., professor of information systems, shares how data misuse can be a threat to our human dignity.

Dec. 9, 2021

KXXV-TV: New research shows importance of fathers in childhood obesity interventions
Researchers from Baylor University, Texas A&M and Texas State University teamed up to create a new program aimed at combating childhood obesity by involving fathers.

KUNR Today: Caldor Fire caused by arson, Nevada seniors facing food insecurity
AUDIO: Craig Gundersen, Ph.D., Snee Family Endowed Chair at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and a professor of economics, was interviewed by Mountain West News Bureau about food insecurity among the 60 and older population in New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado.

Healthy Simulation: SiMULCON India 2021: Driving Collaborative Practice Through Healthcare Simulation
Jeanne Carey, RN, CHSE-A, director of simulation at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, writes about how simulation affords healthcare professionals an arena for learning how to better work together, as exhibited at the recent SiMULCON India 2021 conference.

The New York Times A Surge in Trading Preceded Trump’s SPAC Deal
Mike Stegemoller, Ph.D., The Harriette L. and Walter G. Lacy, Jr., Chair of Banking and Finance, is quoted in this article about special purpose acquisition company or SPACs.

Dec. 10, 2021

Baylor Connections: Brian Raines, Ph.D.
AUDIO: Brian Raines wears numerous hats at Baylor as he teaches students, serves his fellow faculty and sits on the Board of Regents. Raines, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, associate dean for research and strategic planning in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences and faculty regent, talks about those roles and the threads that tie them together in service to students and the Baylor mission.

KWBU-FM: Central Texas Leadership Series - Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez
AUDIO: Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., professor and chair of journalism, public relations and new media, is a guest on the Central Texas Leadership Series. Moody-Ramirez is a nationally known expert on mass media representations of minorities, women and other underrepresented groups.

Mere Orthodoxy: Omnirationality and Divine Providence
This column about how God doesn’t just act for some of the good reasons there are to do what he does. He acts for all of them, a divine attribute called omnirationality by philosophy professor Alexander R. Pruss.

Vox: The holidays feel more expensive this year because they are
Pedro Reyes, Ph.D., associate professor of operations and supply chain management, is quoted in this article about ongoing supply chain issues, which he said happened well before the pandemic, pointing to the rise of the practice of factory offshoring dating back to the 1990s and 2000s.

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 20,000 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.