Baylor Connections

President Livingstone

As a semester like no other draws to a close, President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., shares insights into leadership during a public health crisis and Baylor University’s response to COVID-19 on this Baylor Connections. From ensuring that student support services remained readily available to planning for potential challenges throughout higher education, she shares how Baylor adjusted and communicated those changes. Looking ahead, she highlights new programs and talks about Baylor’s plans for a phased re-opening of campus for the fall.

Pedro Reyes

COVID-19 has forced the global supply chain into the spotlight as consumers seek products that have been, at times, difficult to find. What factors impact the supply chain, and how do industries respond? In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Pedro Reyes, Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business and longtime operations leader, shares lessons in “Supply Chain 101.” He details how disruptions lead to a domino effect and analyzes how supply chain professionals can process current challenges to ensure more products on the shelves when consumers need them.

Mona Choucair and Anne Jeffrey

On this Baylor Connections, Baylor faculty share lessons in building community and engaging with students remotely during COVID-19. Dr. Mona Choucair, Senior Lecturer of English and Faculty-in-Residence at South Russell Hall, has spoken to many students after the suspension of in-person classes, and talks about maintaining community ties and being there for them amidst uncertainty. Dr. Anne Jeffrey, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, pivoted her Bioethics class to focus on real-world ethical questions related to resource allocation and more during the pandemic. She shares how students can engage with classmates and topics from separate locations.

Kevin Jackson

While the Baylor campus is sparsely populated during the COVID-19 public health crisis, the University continues to provide services and resources to address students’ educational, spiritual and emotional needs. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Kevin Jackson, Vice President for Student Life, shares how the University quickly ramped up a number of key programs when it became apparent that instruction would be moving online. Learn more about Bear Care, where Baylor faculty coach and support students amidst today’s myriad changes, telecounseling, Spiritual Life programming, and adjustments to longstanding Spring campus traditions like Diadeloso and Steppin’ Out.

Todd Still

How does the Church celebrate Easter amidst a worldwide pandemic? In this Good Friday edition of Baylor Connections, Dr. Todd Still, The Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran DeLancey Dean and The William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures in Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, examines what it means to be the Church when we’re physically separated, recounts how the Church has grown during past times of plague and crisis and shares how the current moment compels us to find hope more deeply in Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

Cheryl Gochis

For each of the last nine years, Baylor has been recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. In this Baylor Connections, Cheryl Gochis, vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer at Baylor, shares reasons why. From the university culture to benefits and more, Gochis examines ways that Baylor supports faculty and staff year-round, and specifically talks about the University’s response to help employees transition to remote work during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Jeremy Everett

The Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty recently announced a partnership to provide nearly one million nutritious meals weekly across the U.S. through a private/public partnership to ensure more children are fed when school is not in session. The COVID-19 public health crisis has forced the closure of schools across the country, and the United States Department of Agriculture has called on Baylor to help meet the escalating need. In this Baylor Connections, Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of the Collaborative, shares how they have responded to COVID-19, ramping up long-standing efforts to end hunger across the state of Texas and around the nation.

Sara Perry

The response to the COVID-19 public health emergency means that many across the U.S. will be working from home in the weeks ahead to promote social distancing and slow the spread of the virus. Dr. Sara Perry, associate professor of management in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, is a leading expert and researcher on remote work. In this Baylor Connections, she shares how individuals and families can approach working from home from a variety of angles—a work-from-home checklist, parenting considerations for children home from school, physical workspace, routines, connectedness with coworkers and more.