Fan Fest
As a part of its new Fan First initiative, Baylor Athletics recently announced the details for Fan Fest – a festival-style celebration of Baylor football for the Waco community. Fan fest will take place Saturday, April 25, at McLane Stadium and is presented by McLane Children’s.
The event will include live music, on-stage interviews with Baylor football players, a kids zone, food trucks, and more.
Admission is free and open to the community.
Baylor Alumnus named a 3-star general
Lt. Gen. Joel Carey (BA ’92) received a recent promotion and is now commander of the service’s oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. Carey previously served as chief of staff at Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.
Carey is a former Baylor quarterback, was a member of the service fraternity Kappa Omega Tau, and a member of Baylor’s Air Force ROTC. Following his graduation, his military career took him across the world, from Germany to Afghanistan. In 2023, he was honored as Baylor Alumnus of the Year.
Dave Harper to Join Baylor Athletics
Dave Harper is the newest member of the Baylor Athletics executive leadership team. Joining from Duquesne University, where he formerly served as University VP & Athletic Director. According to a letter from athletic director Doug McNameee, Harper will focus on managing NIL efforts and ensuring effective revenue distribution.
Harper began his career as a college football coach and later served as Vice President for University Advancement at the University of Dayton before transitioning to Duquesne.
Outstanding Student Mentors
Each year, the Elizabeth Vardaman Faculty Awards, informally known as “the Betsys,” are presented to faculty members in the College of Arts & Sciences who go above and beyond in mentoring undergraduate students.
This year, five professors were honored with the award: Kara Poe Alexander, Ph.D. (English), Jane Damron, Ph.D. (Communication), Gabrielle Miller, Ph.D. (Modern Languages and Cultures), Jacques Nguyen, Ph.D. (Psychology & Neuroscience), and Jay Yoo, Ph.D. (Human Sciences and Design).
Additionally, Lauren Barron, Ph.D., clinical professor, director of the Medical Humanities Program, and the DeBakey Chair for Medical Humanities, was honored with the Betsy award for Excellence in Research Leadership – given to a professor who demonstrates leadership and persistence in developing research opportunities for undergraduate students.
Lumière Award – Breakthrough in Digital Color
A team of researchers, led by Corey P. Carbonara, Ph.D., and Michael F. Korpi, Ph.D., from Baylor’s Film & Digital Media Department, recently received the Lumière Production Technology Award from the Advanced Imaging Society.
They were awarded for their project, 6P Color Inc – a transcendent Full Color Range display system. The award is given to technologies and innovations that advance the production of visual media.
“It is humbling to receive the Lumière Award from the Advanced Imaging Society and I am grateful for what this recognition means for Baylor University and 6P Color Inc.,” Carbonara said, according to a Baylor Press Release. “… Being recognized for this technical achievement by the entire Hollywood Motion Picture community was a true blessing for me and the team and I thank God for this and all of His Blessings He has bestowed on this project.”
AAAS Lifetime Fellows
Two Baylor professors, Dwayne D. Simmons, Ph.D., The Cornelia Marschall Smith Endowed Professor of Biology, and Samuel S. Urlacher, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, have been elected to the rank of 2025 AAAS Fellow.
This lifetime honor from the world’s largest scientific society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recognizes scientists, engineers, and innovators for their notable achievements.
Simmons was honored for his contributions to the field of auditory neuroscience and for his outstanding dedication to the research training of undergraduates. Urlacher was recognized for his contributions to the understanding of life-history trade-offs in human physiology.
Make it with Wool Competition
Baylor senior apparel design major Torrin Longenecker recently earned top honors at the national “Make it with Wool” competition. His project, a purple three-piece suite with a navy wool overcoat, demonstrates a commitment to craft with couture tailoring techniques.
The competition is open to college students from across the country. Every year, students submit projects demonstrating creative uses of wool and specialty wool fibers for prizes and awards.
Longenecker has been designing since age 13 and, following graduation, will move to London to work with Locke & Co. Hatters – one of the oldest hatmakers in the world.
