Willie Nelson Returns to Baylor
On May 14th at Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark, country singer and songwriter Willie Nelson is returning to Baylor for the first time since he attended the university in 1954.
“Seventy-two years after Willie Nelson walked our campus as a Baylor student, I am thrilled this Texas legend will finally take the stage at his alma mater for a once-in-a-lifetime concert event along the banks of the Brazos River,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D according to a Baylor Press Release. “There’s long been a rumor that Willie had been ‘banned’ from campus, but we are not aware of any such ban. I look forward to welcoming Willie home to Baylor and Central Texas, along with his Family, his fellow Baylor Bears and the Waco community for a momentous concert event at Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark.”
Willow Nelson attended Baylor in the spring and summer quarters of 1954 before going on to become one of the most notable artists in country music. Just two weeks after his Baylor appearance, Nelson will release his 156th album overall, “Dream Chaser.”
Bear Foundation members and Baylor students can purchase their tickets on April 9th, and ticket sales for the general public will open on April 10th.
Global Flourishing Study Releases New Data
A collaboration between Baylor, Harvard, and Gallup, the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) made its first two waves of data public, at no cost, through the Center for Open Science.
“We built this study because we believed the world needed a rigorous, shared language for what makes life go well,” said Byron R. Johnson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University and co-director of the GFS, according to a Baylor Press Release. “Today we’re putting the evidence in everyone’s hands.”
The study is co-directed by Tyler VanderWeele, Ph.D of Harvard and tracks flourishing across 22 countries and one territory.
Our Power, Our Planet
This April, Baylor is hosting a variety of events across campus in support of Earth Month and Earth Day 2026. The theme is “Our Power, Our Planet.”
“Sustainability is woven across the commitments and strategies for Baylor in Deeds,” said Gary Cocke, senior director of sustainability at Baylor, according to a Baylor Press Release. “Earth Month 2026 events support commitments 3 and 4 – Demonstrate Christian Stewardship and Build a Vibrant, Caring, Global Community – as we celebrate environmental stewardship and educate about issues impacting local and global communities.”
Throughout the spring, Baylor will implement changes to make recycling easier on campus, support the Bear-ly Used student initiative — which reduces waste among students moving out of residence halls — and continue to support other sustainability programs.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Baylor will join other universities across the nation in working to increase awareness in their communities.
Baylor hosted the kickoff event on April 7th, and students visited the Barfield Drawing Room to pick up awareness ribbons, stickers, and treats. The events continued the following day with a farmers’ market where students could pick up their own succulents as a reminder of survivors’ resiliency.
Events will continue into next week, culminating on April 29th with Denim Day, when students are encouraged to wear denim on campus to demonstrate their support for survivors.
Healthcare MBA Essay Competition
A student in the Robbins Healthcare MBA Program, Michael Tran, earned first place in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Richard J. Stull Student Essay Competition in Healthcare Management.
Tran’s essay focuses on the CARE Model, which is designed to help healthcare leaders as they implement artificial intelligence in a patient-centered way for chronically ill patients. While Tran has an academic interest in patient care, the work is also personal for him. Tran has watched his own father navigate chronic care, and it has inspired him to consider how healthcare leaders can tackle some of the greatest challenges patients are facing.
“Winning this competition means a lot, not just because of the recognition, but because of what it represents,” Tran said, according to an article from Baylor’s Hankamer School of Buisness. “Coming into the program without a business background, I sometimes felt like an imposter. This experience gave me confidence and reinforced that I’m on the right path in healthcare administration.”
Moody Doctoral Graduate Wins National Dissertation Award
Dr. Lianne Jones, a 2024 PhD graduate in Curriculum and Teaching, received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the School Science and Mathematics Association for her dissertation. Her research focused on coaching future teachers to prepare their classroom questioning to intentionally improve student interaction.
“The SSMA award feels like a celebration of the work that was done in partnership with my chair, my Baylor student participants, and the students in their classrooms. Mentoring preservice teachers is close to my heart, so it is affirming to know that others see the need and value the research,” Jones told Instant Impact.
Currently, Jones is an assistant professor of elementary education at Appalachian State University.
