Baylor Connections

The start of a new semester heralds much to celebrate. In this Baylor Connections, President Linda A. Livingstone Ph.D., shares the excitement of a new year, and discusses a variety of important topics with the Baylor Family, including the University’s record incoming class, R1 research momentum and ongoing conference realignment developments.

A lot goes into promoting student success. At Baylor, a coordinated campus effort provides resources and relationships to serve students and enhance their college experience. Sinda Vanderpool serves associate vice provost for academic enrollment management—Baylor’s chief student success officer. In this Baylor Connections, she shares practical and philosophical insights and examines programs that build engagement, resilience and retention.

A new semester is here at Baylor University and with it comes opportunities to connect students to Baylor’s caring community, share in longstanding traditions together and tell the Baylor story. In this Baylor Connections, Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer, shares how the University communicates with Baylor Family members and friends both on and off campus and highlights the strength of the Baylor brand.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a message or advertisement, but were unable to fully express exactly why it was appealing, then you can see the value of JaeHwan Kwon’s research. Kwon, associate professor of marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, utilizes eye-tracking technology to determine attention and physiological responses to messages. In this Baylor Connections, he examines the role of psychology and physiology in uncovering clues to what draws and keeps our attention.

Few professors have a resume quite like that of Dr. Sparky Matthews, clinical professor in Baylor’s Honors Program. Dr. Matthews is a retired Air Force flight surgeon who served as the first surgeon general of the United States Space Force. In this Baylor Connections, he shares how a Baylor mentor shaped his career journey and how returning to teach at his alma mater represents a personal mission.

Olympic competition is rarified air reached by few athletes in the world—among them, a Baylor professor. In this Baylor Connections, meet Alex Yokochi, professor of mechanical engineering and a swimmer for his native Portugal in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 games. Yokochi shares his Olympic journey, training regimen and memories, and examines similarities between high-level athletic competition and academics.

How does urban pollution impact thunderstorm activity? It’s a question of interest to the Department of Energy, which turned to two Baylor professors to investigate. In this Baylor Connections, Rebecca Sheesley and Sascha Usenko, professors of environmental science at Baylor, discuss research that can uncover clues about thunderstorms in urban areas and lead to improvements in public health in Texas and beyond.

A banner year for Baylor Athletics included the University’s first men’s basketball national championship, record highs in student-athlete graduation and GPA, new coaching hires and more. That success drew national attention, with Mack Rhoades, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, earning Sports Business Journal’s 2021 Athletics Director of the Year honors. In this Baylor Connections, Rhoades reflects on the impact of the past year, looks ahead to normal operations in the 2021-22 sports season and extolls an Athletics staff that thrived amidst COVID-19’s challenges.