Baylor University to Inaugurate Linda A. Livingstone as University’s 15th President on Oct. 26

Public inauguration ceremony highlights week of events celebrating students and exploring transformational faculty research

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Oct. 11, 2017) – Baylor University will officially inaugurate Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., as the 15th president in Baylor’s 172-year history during a public installation ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Ferrell Center.

Dr. Livingstone’s Inauguration will highlight a week of events centered on the Baylor and Waco communities, including a traditional Dr Pepper Hour, a “Family Dinner” for students along Third Street near the president’s home and academic symposia on transformational research by leading University faculty.

The latest information on inaugural activities is available at www.baylor.edu/inauguration.

Inauguration Events

Dr Pepper Hour for Students, Faculty and Staff
3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017

Traditional Dr Pepper floats will be served in commemorative inauguration glasses during Dr Pepper Hour for students, faculty and staff in Barfield Drawing Room on the second floor of the Bill Daniel Student Center, on the sixth floor of Clifton Robinson Tower and at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas.

Family Dinner with the Livingstones
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017

Dr. Livingstone and First Gent Brad Livingstone will host this student-only event near Allbritton House along Third Street between Bagby and Speight avenues. Food truck vendors will provide the meal, with tents and seating on the lawn between Allbritton and the Foster Campus. The night also will feature student performances and photo opportunities.

Cultivating Human Flourishing: An Academic Symposium
3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017
Waco Hall, 624 Speight Ave.

In this academic symposium, Dr. Livingstone and Interim Provost Michael K. McLendon will explore the crossroads of human flourishing with four leading Baylor scholars, whose works cross a range of disciplines as they engage in research and dialogue about factors that shape and nurture the human condition. The faculty presenters are:

• Dawn S. Carlson, Ph.D., The H.R. Gibson Chair of Management Development, Hankamer School of Business
• Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences
• Byron R. Johnson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences and founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion
• Dwayne D. Simmons, Ph.D., The Cornelia Marschall Smith Endowed Professor and chair of the department of biology, College of Arts & Sciences

Unlocking Doors to Discovery in Health: An Academic Luncheon and Panel Discussion
Noon Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017
Paul and Jane Meyer Conference Center, Foster 250, 1621 S. Third St.
*** Invitation Only ***

In this academic discussion, Dr. Livingstone and Interim Provost McLendon will lead a conversation with four preeminent Baylor cancer researchers about how their callings have led to remarkable discoveries and promising results that bring the world closer to unlocking the mysteries of this disease. The faculty presenters are:

• Kevin G. Pinney, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences, member of The Institute of Biomedical Studies
• Daniel Romo, Ph.D., The Schotts Professor of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences
• Touradj Solouki, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry, College of Arts & Sciences
• Mary Lynn Trawick, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Installation Ceremony with Reception to follow
3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017
Ferrell Center, 1900 S. University Parks Drive

Since 1902, Baylor University has introduced its new presidents in public ceremonies through which the Baylor Board of Regents officially installs the institution’s leader. The University will welcome the Baylor Family, the Waco and Central Texas communities and distinguished guests from across the state and nation to the installation of Dr. Livingstone as Baylor’s president.

Dr. Livingstone was announced as president of Baylor University on April 18, 2017. Her distinguished academic career began at Baylor, where from 1991 to 2002 she was a tenured faculty member in the department of management before serving four years as associate dean of graduate programs for Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. She led The George Washington University School of Business from 2014 to 2017 and Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management from 2002 to 2014. She is a strong voice for the role of Christian higher education and has established herself as a scholar in organizational behavior and leadership and an expert in the area of university accreditation.

She is a native of Perkins, Oklahoma, and was a four-year letterwinner in basketball at Oklahoma State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in economics and management, a master of business administration and a doctor of philosophy in management and organizational behavior. Her husband, Brad, a teacher, also lettered in basketball at Oklahoma State. They have one daughter, Shelby, who is a senior student-athlete on Rice University’s volleyball team.

The installation ceremony will be streamed beginning at 3 p.m. (Central Time) at baylor.edu/inauguration.

Classes on the Waco campus will be suspended from 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. so the entire campus community has the opportunity to attend. Following the ceremony, classes that begin at 4:45 p.m. or later will proceed as usual.

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.