Baylor Connections

Peter Hotez

Vaccine development and public health approaches to contagious diseases have captured public attention in recent months. Dr. Peter Hotez is an international leader in tropical medicine and vaccine development. He serves as the Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Co-Director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and University Professor of Biology at Baylor University, and leads a unique partnership with Baylor to provide a summer tropical medicine institute experience for Baylor undergraduate students. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Lee Nordt, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Baylor, engages Dr. Hotez on a variety of subjects such as COVID-19, vaccines, undergraduate research and more.

Ramon Lavado

Chemical compounds found in many household products can be major contributors to obesity and other lipid diseases, a Baylor study has found. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Ramon Lavado, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, shares important information from his research. Learn more about where such compounds are found, the impact of early exposure to those chemicals, and the ways the study expands our understanding of weight gain and disease.

Matt Burchett

How do you help students maintain social connections and meaningful traditions amidst a time of social distancing? In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Matt Burchett, Director of Student Activities, shares ways Baylor helped students stay connected to campus during the semester and honored the Class of 2020 during a different kind of Senior Week. Learn more about what Burchett and student life professionals have learned about interpersonal connections, the power of social media and other online tools, and ways these unplanned adjustments can shape future interactions.

Daniel Romo

Dr. Daniel Romo, The Schotts Professor of Chemistry at Baylor, describes his lab’s role as “construction engineering at the molecular level,” spurring potential drug leads for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and more. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Romo shares how he and his lab students go about that process through the synthesis of natural compounds, the innovation of new synthesis strategies and more.

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.