Presidential Perspective - May 5, 2022

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

It’s hard to believe that today is the last class day of the spring semester! To celebrate the occasion and to provide students a little energy heading into final exams, I will be handing out FREE Gelato Mio from 1-2 p.m. today in the SUB. I would love to see you and wish you well as we conclude the spring semester and enter the summer season.

Some updates for this week:

• Today is the National Day of Prayer, a day set aside “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.” This year, as we unite our hearts and “exalt the Lord who has established us” (Colossians 2:6-7), I invite you to find a quiet time today and pray together as a community bound by faith this prayer by University Chaplain Burt Burleson.
• While the end of the semester is a time to celebrate, it can also be a stressful time of transition and change for some students. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I want to make sure that students are aware of the many available resources to assist in maintaining your mental health. CARE Team is a dedicated group of professionals available to all students both on- and off-campus provides support through trusting relationships and holistic care. Baylor University Counseling Center offers on-campus and virtual appointments through Baylor Health by Academic Live Care. At Baylor, students also have access to Pastoral Care through the Office of Spiritual Life. If you ever find yourself in a state of crisis, please call 254-710-2467 for help.
• As we wrap up a remarkable academic year, I again want to express my deep gratitude to our faculty for your commitment to excellence in teaching, your care in mentoring and guiding students, your service to local communities and churches, and your research and creative contributions that elevate Baylor not only as an R1 institution but as a Christian research university. A special congratulations to this year’s faculty awards recipients:
  • Centennial Professor Award: Jay Yoo, Ph.D., Apparel Merchandising, and Byron Newberry, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering;
  • Collins Outstanding Professor: Mojgan Parizi-Robinson, Ph.D., Biology;
  • Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year: Kenneth Van Treuren, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering; and
  • Outstanding Faculty: Teaching (tenured): Jeremy Counseller, J.D., Law; Jon Eckert, Ed.D., Education. Teaching (tenure-track): Jessica Akers, Ph.D., Education, and Kelly Jo Hollingsworth, Ph.D., Music. Teaching (non-tenure track): Rachel Woods, J.D., Business; Joel Weaver, Ph.D., Truett Seminary; Tommy Bryan, Ph.D., Mathematics. Scholarship (tenured): Jonathan Hu, Ph.D., Engineering & Computer Science; Tonya Davis, Ph.D., Education; Patrick Flavin, Ph.D., Political Science. Scholarship (tenure-track): Angela Gorrell, Ph.D., Truett Seminary. Significant Contributions to the Academic Community: Michael Muehlenbein, Ph.D., Anthropology.
• Baylor students continue the momentum of a record-setting academic year of attaining some of the most prestigious national and international scholarships and awards. It’s exciting to add more students to the list:
  • Senior University Scholar Faith VanVleet has won Baylor’s 14th Fulbright, doubling the University's previous high of seven in 2019. Her Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award (ETA) is to Ukraine, but she will spend her Fulbright year in Poland; and
  • Senior philosophy/international studies major José Arráiz-Rada and junior language and linguistics major Madeline French have been awarded Boren Scholarships. José will study Mandarin at National Taiwan University while Madeline will study Japanese at Hosei University in Japan.
• To celebrate the notable efforts many faculty, staff and students have put forth in championing diversity at Baylor, I am pleased to be attending this year’s Cultural Connection Celebration. Sponsored by the Campus Diversity Committee, the May 10 event will celebrate the accomplishments of Geoffrey Griggs and his involvement with Males Inspiring Success Through Education and Relationship (MISTER), as well as Dr. Dominque Hill and his work with the Black Faculty and Staff Association, Staff Council and the Commission on Historic Campus Representations. Their work at Baylor has continued to make our University an even richer cultural environment, which benefits all who call Baylor home. Everyone is invited to join in celebration.
• While May is officially Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we will formally celebrate our AAPI family in the fall when students are back on campus. We look forward to announcing plans for events such as the Autumn Moon Festival, AsianFest and our Asian Heritage Banquet.
• Congratulations to Baylor’s Acrobatics & Tumbling team on the program’s seventh-straight NCATA team national championship! Our top-ranked Bears closed out the season with a perfect 11-0 record while capturing three individual event national titles in addition to the team trophy. Including her stint at Oregon, head coach Felecia Mulkey has won 11-straight A&T national championships. Amazing!

Be sure to check your Baylor email throughout the summer, as I will continue sending Presidential Perspective most every Thursday. I pray that you all have a fun, relaxing and safe summer. And be sure to fling your green and gold afar!

Sic ’em, Bears!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

I always love to see Baylor Moms hugging their graduating seniors along Founders Mall. There’s so much emotion and optimism for the future. Don’t forget that this Sunday is Mother’s Day.