Baylor in the News – Oct. 24-30, 2021

Media Contact: Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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WACO, Texas (Nov. 1, 2021) – Baylor University researchers and faculty experts were featured in national and local media stories as they shared their thoughts and expertise on culturally sensitive Halloween costumes, the impact of COVID-19 on pediatric advance practice nurses and how Bible studies can positively impact prisoners.

Oct. 24, 2021

Salon: Students can learn with their mouths as well as with their eyes and hands
Bryan Shaw, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Katelyn Baumer, doctoral candidate, are both quoted in this article for their work on a study on the use of oral tactile visualizations and how they will make science more accessible to blind or visually impaired people.

The Atlantic: The Evangelical Church Is Breaking Apart
Alan Jacobs, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Honors Program, is quoted in this article about consequences when people’s values are shaped by the media they consume, rather than by their religious leaders and communities.

Oct. 25, 2021

USA Today: Is my Halloween costume offensive? What to know about cultural appropriation
Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D, department chair and professor in the journalism, public relations and new media department, is quoted in this article on culturally insensitive costume choices for children and how to avoid them.

Yahoo Life: Black creators say latest TikTok audio trends are perpetuating digital blackface: 'This is hurting Black people'
Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D, department chair and professor in the journalism, public relations and new media department, is quoted in this article explaining stereotyping through new technology and platforms.

Baptist Standard: Baylor study analyzes impact of COVID-19 on pediatric nurses
While pediatric advance practice registered nurses are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in multiple ways, the most difficult challenge is mental health struggles experienced by themselves and their families, according to a new Baylor University-led study. The study, led by Jessica Peck, DNP, clinical professor in Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, examined the holistic effects of COVID-19 on pediatric-focused advance practice registered nurses.

Oct. 27, 2021

Baptist Standard: Around the State: Baylor University receives $2 million gift
A $2 million gift to Baylor University from alumnus Matthew B. Lindner of Cincinnati, Ohio, will support the University’s Department of Film and Digital Media develop and implement the Baylor in L.A. program.

KWTX: Kathleen Morley receives the Champions of Christian Service Award
VIDEO: Kathleen Morley, Ph.D., assistant vice provost of institutional research, received the Mission Waco Champions of Christian Charity award for her commitment to volunteering since 2000.

Oct. 28, 2021

The Dallas Morning News: McKinney’s Globe Life saw COVID-19 insurance payouts soar as the delta variant swept the South
Paul Anderson, J.D., clinical associate professor of finance, insurance and real estate, is quoted in this article on how pandemic-related mortality is leading to record death benefit payouts across the life insurance industry.

Baptist Standard: Research shows Bible study helps reform prisoners
Byron Johnson, Ph.D., founding director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion and Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences, is quoted in this article about the impact of faith-based programs on prisons. Incarcerated individuals became more forgiving, accountable, grateful and capable of self-control after taking an eight-week Bible study, a newly released study from Prison Fellowship International and Baylor University found.

Oct. 29, 2021

Baylor Connections: Jonathan Tran, Ph.D.
AUDIO: As the son of refugees, Jonathan Tran, Ph.D., says the refugee experience is formative to each aspect of a person’s life. Tran serves as associate professor of philosophical theology and The George W. Baines Chair of Religion at Baylor. In this Baylor Connections, he shares his family’s story, unpacks scholarship in ethics, religion, language and more and examines lessons from his new book “Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism.”

Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor wins $43.4 million to research 'global flourishing' with Harvard, Gallup
Baylor University will use the largest research grant in its history to partner with Harvard University and the Gallup organization to gauge “human flourishing” across the globe. Baylor received a $43.4 million grant from a consortium of foundations to conduct a five-year Global Flourishing Study (GFS) of 240,000 people in 22 countries with Harvard and Gallup. The GFS was covered in additional media outlets, including AP, Baptist Standard, Texas State Network Radio News, Baptist News Global and KCEN-TV.

The New York Times: Trump’s $300 Million SPAC Deal May Have Skirted Securities Laws
Mike Stegemoller, Ph.D., professor of finance, insurance and real estate, is quoted in this article on how former President Donald Trump began discussing a deal with special purpose acquisition companies shortly after leaving the White House.

Oct. 30, 2021

New York Post: Pandemic restrictions were a blow to religious liberty
This opinion column reflects on the toll congregants have paid when houses of worship were shuttered because of COVID-19 restrictions. The column cites Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion research by Byron Johnson, Ph.D., about faith-based organizations shouldering the bulk of the homelessness burden in cities and how cutting off in-person worship impacted one of the primary ways that houses of worship serve their broader communities.

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.