University Business
During the Baylor board of regents’ regular May meeting it voted on board and committee leadership, $14.9 million in renovations to the Ferrell Center, a $995.8 million operating budget for the 2025-2026 school year, and two new master’s degree programs.
- William “Bill” E. Mearse (‘79, MBA ‘79) will remain board chair for a third year.
- The Ferrell Center will get $14.9 million in infrastructure-related renovations. According to a University release, “The project is expected to focus on strategic deferred maintenance, including new building systems such as chillers, A/C units, retractable bleachers and LED fixtures in the main arena. In addition, renovations will provide updates to better accommodate the 10-time national champion Acrobatics and Tumbling (A&T) program and Baylor Athletics Medicine.”
- The University’s approved $995.8 million operating budget is “a relatively modest increase of $33 million, or 3.4%, from last fiscal year.”
- A new hybrid Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy is meant to address the growing demand for licensed therapists, while an online Master of Arts in Social, Nonprofit, and Public Leadership “will address complex challenges, such as poverty, within a framework shaped by Christian faith and values.”
Epps’ Emmy
Deonte Epps (’13), a content associate working his dream job at ESPN, was recently part of a team working on ESPN’s NFL Live which won the Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily. Epps stays humble, admitting he didn’t even know he was part of the winning team at first since he did not work on the show year round.
“I thought, ‘Wow, great for those guys,’ because I’m not really on the team from a year-to-year basis, but I was on during those three months,” Epps said in Baylor Proud’s blog post. “And then a friend of mine from the show hit me up. He said, ‘Man, we won!’ I thought, ‘What??’ And I saw my name in the credits as a content associate, and thought, ‘Wow, Emmy winner.’ So great.”
Tariff Effects Explained
Supply chain expert Dr. Adé Oyedijo – who also serves as an agenda contributor at The World Economic Forum – listed three primary ways he’s observed tariffs influence the global supply chain:
- Tariffs may result in increased prices for goods and materials, due not only to the tariffs themselves but also the administrative burdens, compliance procedures, and other hidden costs that come along with them.
- Businesses may rethink their sourcing strategies (onshore, nearshore, or diversifying suppliers) to minimize impacts, leaning into a more flexible supply chain model. “While this readjustment can mitigate the effects of tariffs and maintain cost efficiency for companies, a significant financial investment is still required to restructure those logistical networks,” according to the Baylor release.
- Uncertainty within the geopolitical trade environment may make it difficult for companies to form long-term plans, leading to a more volatile system.
Terrified of tariffs? Want to learn more? Listen to our episode of The Green Room podcast where economist and professor emeritus Dr. Steve Gardner explores the broader economic theories behind tariff policies.
Seeking Baylor Grads
According to a Baylor Proud post, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and JPMorganChase make up the top 10 employers hiring the most Baylor grads right out of school. Add The Baylor Line to that list – we may be small in number, but currently employ a team of 100% Baylor students and graduates!
On Track for Success
The track and field team is competing this week at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in College Station, joined by over 100 schools from the West region. They’ll battle through Saturday, and those who finish in the top 12 of their respective events will earn a spot in the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon.
On Thursday, freshman Igor Olaru became the first Bear to punch his ticket to nationals this year, the first Bear in program history to advance in the hammer throw event, and the only freshman to advance out of the top 24 in the east and west.
Remembering Alex Foster
The Baylor community is mourning the unexpected passing of redshirt freshman defensive lineman Alex Foster. Foster died early Wednesday after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds in his Mississippi hometown, a tragic event in a string of “senseless killings” that have occurred in the community, according to the AP.
