Provost Search Committee
This week, President Linda Livingstone, Ph.D., announced the Baylor Provost Search Advisory Committee. With outgoing provost Nancy Brickhouse’s impending departure, the committee will be responsible for finding and identifying candidates to serve as the next chief academic officer.
The committee’s co-chairs are Shanna Hagan-Burke, Ph.D., Dean of the Moody School of Education, and Charles A. Weaver III, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Master Teacher.
“The search committee will hold its first meeting later this month, and potential candidates will be assessed based on their academic credentials, demonstrated leadership, and commitment to Baylor’s unwavering Christian mission. Additionally, candidates must be able to continue the work and momentum of Baylor in Deeds as we strive to be the premier Christian research university,” Livingstone wrote in a presidential letter.
World Labyrinth Day
The first Saturday of May every year is World Labyrinth Day – and researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work know the power of these elaborate pathways. Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Ph.D., has found through her research that walking in a labyrinth can create a strong sense of unity. In her study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, more than 600 participants walked Labyrinths on World Labyrinth Day during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiment revealed that walking with a shared intention can create a sense of unity.
“The ancient practice of labyrinth walking can be likened to a prayer in motion,” McGee said, according to a Baylor press release. “This contemplative practice cultivates walkers’ capacity to embark on a spiritual journey by stepping onto a meandering, often unicursal path, patterned after sacred geometry.”
Since publishing her study in 2023, McGee has continued to explore the positive benefits of labyrinth walking both in the classroom and in her research.
School of Earth and Environmental Science
On June 1, the School of Earth and Environmental Science will debut at Baylor University, merging the Department of Geosciences and the Department of Environmental Science.
“I am excited about the interdisciplinary opportunities this new School creates,” outgoing Provost Nancy Brickhouse wrote in a campus email newsletter. “I look forward to the important work ahead for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.”
Discussions about a potential merger began in 2024, and faculty surveys concluded that creating a new entity, rather than a larger department, was in the University’s best interest.
Truett’s First Houston Based Faculty Member
Chris Kugler, PhD, has been appointed as lecturer in Christian Scriptures at Truett Theological Seminary campus in Houston – marking the first faculty position at Truett to be based in Houston.
Kugler earned his Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of St Andrews, a Th.M. from Duke University, an M.Litt. from the University of St Andrews, and a B.A. from Lee University.
“It is with a great sense of gratitude and excitement that I take up the appointment of lecturer in Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary’s campus in Houston,” Kuguler said, according to an article from Truett Seminary. “To serve, to teach, and to research alongside Truett colleagues is a dream; to do so at the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center—one might be forgiven for thinking—is almost a fantasy. I am grateful to join this work, and I hope that we have exciting days ahead.”
New ISBA Chair
Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business announced a new chair of the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics – Daniel Chen, Ph.D. Currently, Chen holds the Mr. and Mrs. Randall W. Ferguson (Sandra) Professorship of Information Systems. He earned his PhD in Business Administration from the University of Georgia and joined the faculty at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business in 2004 before coming to Baylor in 2023.
“I am honored to serve as department chair of the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics and deeply appreciate the confidence and support of Dean Szymanski and my colleagues in this appointment,” Dr. Chen said, according to an article from Hankamer School of Business. “In alignment with the values of the Hankamer School of Business, I look forward to working closely with our faculty, staff and students to foster a collaborative and supportive environment that advances impactful research, excellent teaching and the development of principled leaders who serve both the business community and society.”
Fundraising at Keston Center for Religion, Politics, & Society
Through May 11th, the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, & Society endowment will benefit from triple benefits. All donations made to the center will be matched up to $10,000 by one donor and up to $100,000 by another.
“When these two donors approached me, I was overwhelmed,” said Keston Center Director Kathy Hillman, according to an article from Baylor Libraries, Museums, and the Press. “But they understand the importance of Keston’s mission to be a voice for the voiceless persecuted believers by collecting, preserving, and sharing their stories of the past, present, and future.”
Director of Inaugural Program for New Master of Architecture
Yoonjee Koh has been appointed as Program Director for Baylor’s new Master of Architecture degree program in the Department of Human Sciences and Design. Koh earned her Master’s in Design Studies, History, and Philosophy of Design and her Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University.
“The opportunity to serve as the founding director of Baylor’s Architecture program is certainly an exciting one,” Koh said, according to an article from Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. “I am grateful to be part of a pioneering effort to shape the next generation of architects at an institution that values purpose and intention. Upholding Baylor’s vision, I look forward to working with fellow colleagues to create a meaningful architectural education.”
Baylor Wins Inaugural Rocket League Invitational
Baylor University was announced as the champion of the inaugural Chalked Cast Collegiate Invitational: Powered by Shopify Rebellion & Follett Campus Stores. The tournament brought together 16 teams from across North America in a live broadcast competition. As champions, Baylor earned a scholarship prize and all-expenses-paid VIP experience at the 2026 Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) World Championship.
“We are grateful to Follett and Shopify Rebellion for the chance to showcase collegiate Rocket League,” said Andrew “Andy” Nolan of Baylor University, according to PR Newswire. “Thank you to everyone who made it happen.”
