Campus

Even as a doctoral student, Baylor associate biology professor Dr. Jason Pitts wrote off the danger of mosquitoes — just as most people do. Although for over a decade the Center for Disease Control has promoted the pest as the world’s deadliest animal due to its ability to transmit diseases, it’s more commonly associated with its short-lived, itchy bite than its

When most people think of aging, they envision graying hair and lines on the face. But for many cancer survivors, aging can take on a different form: one that begins at the level of the heart, muscles, and even the regulation of genes. In the years after cancer treatment ends, many survivors face the invisible

Cowboy hats, riding helmets, and saddles are not part of typical athletic gear, but for one Baylor team, they’re the standard uniform. For 20 years, Baylor equestrian has empowered student-athletes and women to participate in varsity collegiate competition. The Baylor Bears won the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) National Championship in 2012 and have a

For much of the year, the skies above Central Texas are busier than they appear.  Birds migrating between North and South America pass through the region along the Central Flyway, making Waco and the surrounding communities a stopping point for hundreds of species. For those who know where to look, a walk through Central Texas

Every year, more than 85,000 people sit for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). Considerably fewer go on to apply to medical school. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), 54,699 people applied to MD-granting medical schools in 2025 — a 5.3 percent increase over the year before, and the largest gain in

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft in recent years have progressively added features for consumers to personalize their transportation — the ability to request certain vehicle models, schedule future pick-ups, and even request a driverless car from Waymo. Now, researchers in Baylor University’s Advanced Vehicle Intelligence and Autonomy (AVIA) Laboratory are imagining a new future

Academic recruitment strategies at colleges are universities are changing, driven by drifting social attitudes toward the value of a college degree and technological advance. American colleges and universities are competing to adapt their image to be more attractive to prospective students in the coming decade. “The days when a college degree was a virtual guarantee

In a world where so much of science relies on experimentation in a laboratory and drawing visual conclusions, being blind or visually impaired presents a struggle for those seeking an education that relies on anything other than theoretical learning. Baylor professor Dr. Bryan Shaw has spent the last decade and more changing that perception. From

As anthropologist Loren Eisley wrote nearly 70 years ago: “If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in water.” Surely, every American who turns on their tap to seemingly endless streams of clean, drinkable water must agree. Although these days, with emerging contaminants like PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” and trace pharmaceuticals joining

Accounting and management information systems student Charlotte Tran hadn’t even begun classes pertaining to her major — much less the internship she was interviewing for — when the Big Four accounting firms came recruiting summer interns this spring. But the rising sophomore wasn’t coming unprepared. Instead, she was ultimately preparing for an internship experience she

A walk across Baylor’s 1,000-acre campus surely illuminates the care and artistic details put in at every step. It’s easy to notice the striking red brick and white cornices that make up the buildings’ Georgian-style architecture, Pat Neff Hall’s gleaming 23.5-karat gold cupola, and the many eye-catching statues and monuments that serve as iconic waypoints

When rising junior Natalie Weissinger was growing up, she often heard stories about her mother’s time studying abroad in Japan as a Baylor student.  She marveled at the images these stories conjured in her mind — the historic sites, the amazing food. But more than anything, the older she got, the more Weissinger thought about

A day in the life of a local pastor might include one-on-one counseling with congregants, preparing a sermon, leading staff meetings, and now… consulting on AI?  In Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas — his first encyclical, which was published for the public on May 25 — he focuses on the dangers of artificial intelligence and

Dr. Elizabeth Palacios spent 40 years of her career at Baylor. During that time, she learned what it takes to succeed as a Hispanic woman within the predominantly white Baylor faculty. “For a long time, I was the only minority faculty in the School of Education,” Palacios explained. “They would hire [minority faculty], but they

The sun hung high over the badlands of New Mexico when Dr. Daniel Peppe crouched over a patch of rock. It was the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Peppe, associate professor of geosciences at Baylor University, was hard at work on a long-running project. With careful, practiced sweeps, he brushed away the layers of

First-generation students — defined federally as those whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree — face specific and well-researched barriers to entry when considering attending college. They’re historically less familiar with financial aid, scholarships, FAFSA, and college-level academic expectations. They’re more likely to have attended less-privileged K-12 schools, to be first-generation and low-income, and have

The seed of the Heart of Texas Network for Immigrant Rights (HOTNIR) was planted on the steps of Seventh & James Baptist Church as co-founders Dr. Blake Burleson and Dr. Mark Brickhouse ran into each other as they exited the Sunday service.  “We talked a little bit that day about concern for our undocumented neighbors

Dr. Robert Baird dedicated 47 years of his life to Baylor — and he’s worried that the University’s history is repeating itself.  Baird, professor emeritus of philosophy, earned his degree from Baylor before the University was even desegregated, and by the time he graduated, Baylor was still not admitting Black students. Although Baylor eventually integrated

Dr. Michael Korpi was working for Liberty University, capturing visual content on university-organized mission trips, when he witnessed a young girl die before his very eyes from sickness and starvation in a small home in Haiti.  Feeling disturbed and heartbroken at the sight, Korpi moved to turn off his camera – but as he did,

Dr. Kevin Dougherty was reviewing submissions for a class project in his SOC 1305 Introduction to Sociology course in 2016 when a pattern emerged. The task was straightforward enough: Students were to take photos of tattoos they saw around campus and analyze them. “Every day we’d start class with a photo of a tattoo, and

Ollie Mintz sought to charter a Turning Point USA chapter at Baylor because he felt there was something different about the late founder Charlie Kirk — something that set him apart from other conservative activists.  But now, Mintz says he has questions as the organization continues to diverge from what he remembers.  “I think Charlie

Under one of the bridges on Baylor’s campus (a bridge that for the sake of secrecy must remain unnamed) a group of students gathers long after dark to read aloud poetry. Since the group, Baylor’s very own secret poets society, meets sporadically and follows no set schedule, it is impossible to find them — unless

In 1998 Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson (he was senior scribe to Queen Elizabeth II) to create a handwritten and illuminated Bible similar to the richly embellished manuscript Bibles that monks produced in workshops during the Middle Ages. The first Benedictine illuminated Bible to be completed since

According to David Grover, Baylor’s senior director of cyber initiatives, most people have a very clear – if inaccurate – picture in their head of online threats. “Most people believe what they see on TV: the hooded hacker that’s selling your banking secrets or something,” he laughed. “While there are aspects of that, it’s usually

Out of the roughly 6 million students worldwide studying abroad, the United States currently hosts more than 1 million. “And higher education in America is considered No. 1 in the world,” said Dr. Mary Landon Darden, president of Higher Education Innovation, LLC, and a Baylor University alumna. “We’re the top of the food chain. Our higher

As the October 1, 2025, federal government shutdown stretched from days to weeks, one consequence was the disruption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments to more than 42 million people in the United States. But while food insecurity was fast becoming a national issue, students at Baylor University could rely on the many initiatives

Decades ago, artificial intelligence was something for sci-fi novels: an imagined future where robots with humanlike intelligence would clean our houses, cook our meals, and otherwise set us up for a life of leisure. A life where we could pursue our passions–write, make art, play music, whatever we liked.  Cut to 2025 and the future

Tom Everett thinks a lot about first impressions. As the grounds manager for HES Facilities Management, he and his team are responsible for everything that grows across Baylor University’s 300-acre Waco campus, including the flower beds at the entrances that greet prospective students and their families as they drive in for the first time. Right

The most important challenge facing a student at Baylor University should be acquiring the best education the school offers. However, other issues can get in the way, including those related to financial uncertainty, mental health and wellness, and adjusting to a new living environment, among others.  Data from Inside Higher Ed’s 2024 Student Voice survey

For Dr. Michael K. Scullin, principal investigator in the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory, the lab’s new exhibit at the Mayborn Museum Complex exploring sleep signifies the culmination of his last decade of research at Baylor. “If you’d asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the last thing I would have

Editor’s note: As you enjoy gathering with friends and family for Thanksgiving feasts, we encourage you to think of our less fortunate neighbors who may not be able to experience the same bounty during the holidays.   Every year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases a report on the household food security of the

For almost 30 percent of the student population of Baylor University, the campus is not only where they learn but also where they live. First-year students are required to live on-campus for their first two semesters. “It’s a big part of our campus culture and student life experience,” said Jeremy Vickers, Associate Vice President, Innovation and Economic Development at Baylor. “Living on campus helps them to get grounded in the academic environment, to build relationships with peers, and we can provide a significant amount of support systems for students.” Baylor has 16 residence halls on campus. The rates are per semester and range from $3,850 for a shared double room to $6,100 for the best single rooms. The buildings on campus are built in a Georgian style, and almost a decade ago a renovation plan began. South Russell Hall was completed in 2014, North Russell Hall in 2015, Penland Hall in 2016, and Martin Hall in 2017.

Why am I here? What was I made to do? Existential questions to be sure and ones that many students grapple with during their college years. In his experience as Assistant Director for Pastoral Care, Tyler Conway has found that students at Baylor have “a desire to connect with God or a community of people to find a sense of meaning and belonging,” and as an unapologetically Christian university, Baylor strives to help them make those connections. “There is a beautiful tapestry of ministers, staff and students whose dedication enhances the spiritual environment at Baylor and that ultimately has resulted in increasing numbers of church attendance,” said Charles Ramsey, Ph.D., Associate Chaplain, Director of Campus Ministries & Church Connections. “Can we track the numbers of students in church? Not yet. But from what we see and hear, there is a vibrancy of faith in our Baylor community, and this is translating into increased Christian commitment and church participation.”

Candi K. Cann calls herself a death scholar. Technically, the associate professor in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core of the Honors College is a thanatologist, though she allows that most people don’t know what that is. For the record, a thanatologist is a specialist who studies death, dying, grief, and loss. It’s no secret that Americans have been remarkably averse to talking about death, but a 2018 survey released by The Conversation Project suggests that a huge cultural shift may be under way. “We have begun to break the taboo around talking about death,” Ellen Goodman, founder of The Conversation Project, reported at the time.

From working alongside healthcare and community development specialists combating poverty throughout the United States and heading to Washington for a congressional internship or spending nine weeks in the lab alongside leaders in tropical disease research, Baylor University’s plentiful internship opportunities are thrilling and diverse. Internships are a sure-fire way for undergraduate students to not only put their academic studies to real-life practice — they are also a launching point for future employment and a valuable way to maximize collegiate experiences. They also help students decide if their career aspirations are on the right track. Across disciplines and interests these are six internship opportunities Baylor students should consider.

From miniskirts to platform shoes, leg warmers to parachute pants, ripped jeans to cargo pants, fashion trends come and go. Classic looks like a plain white tee seem never to go out of style, but even some fads, like athleisure, that seem like passing trends end up having real staying power. Others — acid-wash denim, stirrup pants, and jelly shoes — have become downright cringe-worthy in retrospect. So, what influences our fashion choices in the first place?

In 1903, a ritual known as “tree-planting” was born. Each year, students would gather on the Quadrangle and scoop dirt around the roots of a new tree. The annual ceremony was discontinued after 1919, but as the campus expanded over the century, the old traditions so well-established in the roots of the university meant that tree-planting became a part of the construction of every new building.

To feel at home. To tell one’s story. To have fun. To challenge perceptions. To educate. To celebrate. To learn. These are how Baylor students describe the university’s remarkable cultural exchange that takes place on campus and in Waco. “Our different cultural events are an important way for students to drop their guards and see

From Ukraine to Waco, a Baylor professor spreads his story and expertise on the Ukrainian-Russian War.

All University Sing is a Baylor tradition that alumni and students both are familiar with, but are the Sing productions today the same as they once were? Kristin Dreyer Anderson (‘92) was Sing Chair her junior year in 1991 when her organization, Pi Beta Phi, paired with Sigma Chi. Anderson expressed how Sing has become

Photos and video by Olivia Bragg [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqd0qOmTp34[/embedyt] [envira-gallery id=”10156″] Besides Christmas on 5th finally falling on the 5th of December, this annual event hosted on Baylor’s campus was a continuation of tradition. Christmas on 5th is more than an excuse for couples to walk around campus under the string lights. It’s a platform for

Photos by Olivia Bragg and Andi Risk It’s not often that you find Waldo and Nemo in the same place. Or Brooklyn and Bailey separated. Or find the secret service standing stoically in the student section. But for Baylor’s game against West Virginia, it wasn’t hard to find lots of things – including clever costumes