Regents Meeting
The Baylor Board of Regents held its regular May meeting on the 20th- 21st. Here are the highlights.
The regents approved a $982.2 million operating budget for 2026-27 – an increase of 2.4 percent compared to last year. They also elected a new Chair of the Board, Todd Patterson, B.S. ’90, J.D., of Richmond, Texas, and approved committee chairs and vice chairs for the upcoming year. Additionally, the regents approved a new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Plus (MSAI+).
Regents also received important updates on Baylor’s endowment, which is currently on an upward trajectory. Since June 1, 2017, the value of Baylor’s endowment has more than doubled from $1.2 billion to over $2.5 billion.
Baylor Alumnus Ken Paxton Wins the U.S. Senate GOP nomination
Baylor graduate Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Last week, President Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton and called him a “true MAGA warrior.” Paxton’s defeat of four-term Senator John Cornyn makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose their party’s nomination for reelection.
“The result is a triumph for Paxton and his wing of the GOP, which prioritizes politicians’ zeal for destroying the left over traditional values like statesmanship and dealmaking,” reports the Texas Tribune. “And it’s a massive blow to the Republican old guard in Texas and the political establishment in Washington, who were firmly behind Cornyn amid concerns about Paxton’s electability in November.”
Baylor Law Professor Presents at Junior Faculty Forum
Chris Jager, Associate Professor of Law at Baylor Law School, was selected for the Harvard/Stanford/Yale Junior Faculty Forum. Hosted this year by Yale Law School, Jager presented his paper titled “A Two-System Theory of Negligence.” Each year, the event brings together emerging law scholars from across the country, and Jager was one of nine junior faculty members selected to present.
“It was an honor to have ‘A Two-System Theory of Negligence’ selected and to participate in the Harvard/Stanford/Yale Junior Faculty Forum,” Jaeger said, according to an article from Baylor Law. “The Forum was incredibly energizing for me as a scholar. The high-quality feedback and conversations will help me improve not only this paper, but the papers to come.”
Dr. Gospel Kim awarded 2026 Baylor Outstanding Faculty for Teaching
Gospel Kim, Ph.D., BCBA-D, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, was honored by Baylor with the 2026 Outstanding Faculty Award for tenure-track teaching. Kim joined the Baylor faculty in 2024, and her work focuses on supporting children with developmental disabilities.
“I am honored to receive this recognition and grateful for the opportunity to teach and mentor students at Baylor,” Dr. Kim told Baylor Instant Impact. “My goal is to help students develop the confidence and practical skills to support children and families in meaningful and inclusive ways. One of the greatest joys of my work has been learning alongside students through classroom discussions, community partnerships, and collaborative research projects that connect research and evidence-based practices to real-world settings.”
Historic Trip for Moody School of Education
Doctoral students in Baylor’s EdD in Learning and Organizational Change took a recent international service trip – the first opportunity of its kind in the school specifically for online doctoral students. The trip allowed the online students to meet and connect, practice the skills they were learning, and earn real-world experience.
“One of the most powerful aspects of this experience was watching our students recognize the value of what they already bring as professionals,” Laila Sanguras, Ph.D., Chair of the Professional Online Learning unit and co-faculty lead for the trip, told Baylor Instant Impact. “They leveraged years of leadership and organizational expertise to serve others, and in doing so, many gained a renewed confidence in their voice and their impact. This trip affirmed that their learning matters in real communities and real moments of need.”
Baylor Law Professor’s Research in the Media
Assistant Professor of Law at Baylor Law School, Dyllan Taxman is gaining rapid media attention for his scholarship focused on how courts and prosecutors address parental accountability in the wake of high-profile acts of violence.
Regarding his scholarship, which includes an article in the William & Mary Law Review, he has been interviewed by CNN, BBC Radio 4’s Today, The Guardian, and WABE. He also wrote an op ed for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His commentary centers on the legal challenges these cases present and the policy implications of extending liability beyond the person who committed the crime.
New Eco Social Work Practicum
While the partnership between Donna Nickerson, Ph.D., LCSW, owner of Da’Shack Farmer’s Market Health, and Wellness, Inc., and the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work has existed for several years, just this year it evolved into a formal practicum.
The partnership is designed to prepare students for ecologically informed social work. Students who participate learn Earth-kind gardening practices and community building strategies. Students then take what they learned and apply it across their communities – such as through gardening education, composting initiatives, and other activities.
Nurse Leader of the Year
Annie Abraham, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE, Clinical Associate Professor and DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner Track Coordinator at Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, was named Nurse Leader of the Year by the Indian American Nurses Association of North Texas.
“Congratulations to Dr. Abraham on her well-deserved recognition,” said Linda Plank, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, Dean of Baylor’s nursing school, according to an article from Baylor. “At the heart of our school is an exceptional faculty, such as Dr. Abraham, each and every one committed to the success of our students. They are always accessible and always focused on the needs of their students.”
Dr. Grant Morgan Receives Research Award
Grant B. Morgan, Ph.D., professor in the Quantitative Methods graduate program in the Department of Educational Psychology, was recently awarded Baylor’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Research. He is in the top 2 percent of scholars worldwide for citations by other researchers and is a leader in advanced quantitative methods.
“The value placed on my scholarship through recognition like the Outstanding Faculty Award for Research is truly humbling,” Dr. Morgan told Baylor Instant Impact. “In honor of my upbringing and later academic training, I just try to give my best to any task worthy of the time it requires. My scholarship being recognized in this way serves as a great motivator to continue seeking opportunities to learn, reflect, share, and partner with others to give our collective best to work that’s good, useful, and worthy of our time.”
