Baylor Connections

Stacie Petter

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month, highlighting a complex problem that challenges communities close to home and around the world. Stacie Petter, the Ben H. Williams Professor of Information Systems and Business Analytics, uniquely applies her discipline to combat trafficking and slavery. In this Baylor Connections, Petter shares information systems’ role in that fight and explains how a grant from the National Science Foundation will help equip law enforcement with resources to identify and prosecute trafficking in their area.

Joaquin Lugo

The CDC estimates that 1 in 54 U.S. children meets criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder, a figure which brings into clear focus the importance of autism research. Joaquin Lugo, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, is a leading autism researcher focused on uncovering connections between autism and other genetic conditions. In this Baylor Connections, he shares how he follows the data in research in search of autism treatment and analyzes ways families seeking to support their children can sift through a vast array of information and rumor to find evidence-based ASD insights.

Emily Smith

To over 50,000 Facebook followers, she’s known as “Your Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist,” sharing accessible and actionable insights into the COVID-19 pandemic. Those followers, however, may not know that the Baylor professor behind that account is a leader in global health and an advocate for surgical care for children around the world. In this Baylor Connections, Emily Smith, assistant professor of epidemiology, shares the story behind her highly-regarded social media outreach and takes listeners into the halls of the United Nations to understand the need for increased access to surgical care for children and their families.

Benjamin Ryan

An expert in environmental health and disease, Benjamin Ryan, clinical associate professor of environmental science at Baylor, has been called on by organizations like the United Nations, World Health Organization and more to address disasters and disease. In this Baylor Connections, he shares what it means for communities to be resilient in the face of such challenges and explains a program he and other colleagues developed which has helped over 4,000 communities around the world equip and prepare.

Perry Glanzer

What does it mean to help students discover meaning and build a moral foundation during their time in college? In this Baylor Connections, Perry Glanzer, professor of educational foundations in the Baylor School of Education, shares insights from research into religion and higher education and examines the role of a Christian university both now and in the future.

William Bellinger

The season of Advent provides a time to think, reflect and prepare our hearts for Christmas. In this Baylor Connections, William Bellinger, the W. Marshall and Lulie Craig Chairholder in Bible and Professor of Hebrew/Old Testament, shares thoughts on maintaining a faithful hope amidst the trials of the year. An expert on the Psalms and worship texts of the Old Testament, he examines stories of hope and the bonds of community that resonate today.

President Livingstone

As the year draws to a close, President Livingstone reflects on the factors that led to a successful in-person semester. In this Baylor Connections, she shares takeaways from the fall, looks ahead to the Spring Semester, and examines new programs like the Hord Scholarship Challenge and Trailblazer Scholars Program, which will open the Baylor experience to greater numbers of future students.

Michael Muehlenbein

From working on COVID-19 task forces with Baylor University and McLennan County, to partnering with Waco’s Family Health Center to survey the spread of the virus, Michael Muehlenbein’s work has provided insights into the local behavior of a global pandemic. In this Baylor Connections, Muehlenbein, chair and professor of anthropology at Baylor, analyzes ways we can better understand and slow the spread of COVID-19 and shares why safety measures remain vital heading into the winter.