As another semester draws to a close, Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., reflects on the 2022-23 year at Baylor and looks ahead to important initiatives and projects on the horizon. In this Baylor Connections, she shares more about next steps in strategic planning, Baylor’s live bear mascots, construction projects like the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center and Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, the Big 12 Conference and more.

Last month, Baylor unveiled statues honoring the University’s first Black graduates, Rev. Robert Gilbert and Barbara Walker. Despite physical limitations and the burdens of being a trailblazer, Rev. Gilbert served his hometown of Waco and made an impact far beyond campus. In this Baylor Connections, his son, Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert, expands on his father’s journey and legacy. Dr. Gilbert, professor of homiletics at the Howard University Divinity School, is joined by Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley, Special Advisor to the President for Equity and Campus Engagement and Director of Black Church Studies at Truett Seminary, sharing more about Baylor’s efforts to tell the University’s complete history and honor trailblazers like Rev. Gilbert.

Narrative as Reality: Constructing an Identity is the newest exhibit at Baylor’s Martin Museum of Art, featuring pieces from the Jessica and Kelvin Beachum Family Collection. The exhibit brings together 21 works of art from 19 artists across the globe, with a focus on human experiences, discovery and expression of oneself. Jessica Beachum, a 2011 Baylor graduate who shared her family’s collection with the University, and Allison Chew, Martin Museum of Art director, take listeners inside the collection on this Baylor Connections.

Research within Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business yields insights in business ethics, management, leadership, human behavior and more. Mitch Neubert serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, Chavanne Chair of Christian Ethics in Business and Professor Management. In this Baylor Connections, he examines the role of business research at Baylor and takes listeners inside the factors that make Hankamer scholarship distinct in higher education.

DNA replication and repair is a constant process with implications for health challenges like cancer, infertility and more. Michael Trakselis, professor of biochemistry and director of graduate affairs in Baylor Chemistry and Biochemistry, is a leading researcher into this process. In this Baylor Connections, Trakselis helps listeners better understand DNA replication and repair and its impact on human health, and examines the impact of graduate program growth on chemistry and biochemistry research.

Preparing the next generation of pastors is central to Jared Alcantara’s work at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and his research advances understanding of cultural engagement, race and ethnicity in preaching. In this Baylor Connections, Alcantara shares more about his role as holder of the Paul W. Powell Endowed Chair in Preaching, highlights figures whose work animates his research, and examines qualities he hopes to nurture in future ministers.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month nationally, and Baylor offers resources and programming to educate and serve students on topics like healthy relationships, boundaries, bystander intervention and more. Tracey Tevis serves as education and prevention specialist in Baylor’s Office of Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX. In this Baylor Connections, Tevis takes listeners inside resources, training opportunities and programming to support a healthy and safe campus community throughout the year.

National Graduate Student Appreciation Week runs April 3-7 this year, affording the perfect time to celebrate the more than 5,000 graduate students who daily enrich the Baylor campus community. In this Baylor Connections, Sara Dolan, Associate Dean for Professional Development in the Graduate School and longtime psychology professor and researcher, shares how graduate students impact teaching, research and scholarship at Baylor, and examines their impact long after their last class at Baylor.

How can a university help new members of their community feel like a true stakeholder with a deep sense of belonging? Last fall, Dr. Stephen Reid was appointed as Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Belonging. As a Christian research university, Baylor seeks to build a nourishing and hospitable environment that promotes excellence and equity in living out the Baylor mission. In this Baylor Connections, Reid shares both the vision and specific approaches to support underrepresented faculty at Baylor.

Sports analytics as a tool to inspire the next generation of data and statistical scientists—that’s the idea behind a new project, led by Baylor and funded by the National Science Foundation. Rod Sturdivant, associate professor of statistical science and director of Baylor’s Statistical Consulting Center, is a co-principal investigator on the million-dollar project. In this Baylor Connections, Sturdivant shares how students will interact with sports-driven content and examines partnerships with 70 sports teams and five universities to train up a new generation of data and statistical scientists.