Baylor Connections

Todd Still

Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary enjoyed incredible growth in 2021, from new academic programs and campuses to initiatives that reduce the cost of tuition for students. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Todd Still, The Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran DeLancey Dean and The William M. Henson Professor of Christian Scriptures at Truett, takes listeners inside a variety of exciting benchmarks and explains how they enhance the ways Truett is “of, by, and for the Church.”

Kimberly Monzon and Lauren Weber

How can vocal athletes perform at their best, and with optimum health? Kimberly Monzon and Lauren Weber are teachers and performers who seek to help people who use their voices on stage and in other settings. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Monzon, assistant professor of voice in Baylor’s School of Music, and Weber, a certified vocologist who serves as a lecturer of musical theatre at Baylor, take listeners inside their research and training to advance new understanding in vocal performance.

President Livingstone

Baylor University is now an R1 research institution. The end of 2021 brought this exciting news, as this long-pursued goal became a reality. Additionally, the University celebrates the announcement of an agreement with the City of Waco to locate Baylor’s new basketball facility along the Brazos River near downtown Waco. In this Baylor Connections, President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., discusses these major benchmarks and their impact going forward.

Jameson Graber

What is game theory and how can it shape our understanding of economics, business, politics and more? Baylor’s expert in game theory, Jameson Graber, recently earned a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to conduct interdisciplinary research that seeks answers to important societal questions. In this Baylor Connections, Graber, an assistant professor of math, gives listeners a lesson in “Game Theory 101” and shares more about his research.

Brian Raines

Brian Raines wears numerous hats at Baylor as he teaches students, serves his fellow faculty and sits on the Board of Regents. On this Baylor Connections, Dr. Raines, professor of mathematics, associate dean for research and strategic planning in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences and faculty regent, talks about those roles and the threads that tie them together in service to students and the Baylor mission.

Angela Gorrell

Amidst the joy of the holiday season, many dealing with loss or trauma in their own life feel grief. Angela Gorrell, assistant professor of practical theology, has experienced that type of dichotomy. While studying joy at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, her family suffered a string of tragedies that led to her to question what it means to find joy in the midst of suffering. Her book, The Gravity of Joy: A Story of Being Lost and Found, walks readers through those struggles and what she learned in the process. She takes listeners inside that journey and offers insights on joy in this Baylor Connections.

Sarah Kienle

Sarah Kienle is the world’s top expert on the craniofacial anatomy of pinnipeds. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Kienle, assistant professor of biology, explains what that means and provides a broader understanding of this little-studied area. Pinnipeds are a group of animals that includes seals, sea lions and walruses. They feed underwater, and Dr. Kienle’s foundational study of their facial muscles in Journal of Anatomy deepens understanding of the role those muscles play in feeding and more.

Danielle Parrish

As a young social worker in the 1990s, Danielle Parrish noticed significant gaps in the support provided to young women in the juvenile justice system. She’s since dedicated her career to changing that. Dr. Parrish today serves as a professor at the Houston campus of Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. In this Baylor Connections, she shares the needs faced by this at-risk population and how advancing beyond siloed care can lead to better outcomes for their future.