Baylor Connections

Daniel Pack

Dr. Daniel Pack was appointed as Dean of Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) after a successful tenure as dean at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In this Baylor Connections, get to know Dr. Pack and learn more about his insights into the school’s research, teaching and future growth.

Nancy Brickhouse and Tiffany Hogue

Baylor has started the process to pursue the University’s next strategic plan. Provost Nancy Brickhouse and Chief of Staff Tiffany Hogue serve as co-chairs of the Strategic Planning Group, whose members will walk with the Baylor Family through the comprehensive, year-long process. In this Baylor Connections, they take listeners inside the goals and process of strategic planning, examine the success of Illuminate as Baylor pursues its successor, and examine the pillars that Baylor will follow to elevate the University’s mission and impact on the world.

President Livingstone

At the start of a new year, President Livingstone examines a variety of topics on this Baylor Connections. The Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, research momentum, Big 12 expansion, a new strategic plan and the addition of Indy and Belle to the Baylor campus are all on the agenda in this week’s conversation.

Kevin Villegas

In his role as Dean of Intercultural Engagement and Division of Student Life Initiatives, Kevin Villegas works with students and colleagues to create a more vibrant, inclusive, and supportive campus environment. In this Baylor Connections, Dr. Villegas examines those efforts, provides insights from his work with students and shares how this work is an expression of the Baylor University mission.

Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center

The Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center has arrived, a spectacular new front door to Baylor University. The beautiful, technology-rich facility houses a variety of features and amenities—among them, four columns which offer unique interactive experiences to visitors, an alumni center, ballroom, auditorium, spirit shop, coffee shop, meeting spaces and more. Learn more about the Hurd Welcome Center from Jason Cook, Vice President for Marketing and Communications; Toby Barnett, Interim Vice President for Advancement; and Ross VanDyke, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Recruiting, in this Baylor Connections.

Joel Carey

Major General Joel Carey serves as Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration of the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, based in Germany. This year, he was recognized as Baylor’s 2023 Alumnus of the Year. In this Baylor Connections, General Carey shares where Air Force service has led him and his family, looks back on his time as a Baylor student and football player, and examines the privilege of working with the men and women of the Air Force.

Rebecca Kennedy and Mason Flippin

BearAid is Baylor’s disaster relief outreach team, where students partner with Baylor Spiritual Life to meet needs in Texas and across the country after national disasters like tornadoes, ice storms and floods. In this Baylor Connections, Rebecca Kennedy, Assistant Dean of Spiritual Life, and Mason Flippin, a Baylor senior and BearAid team member, take listeners inside BearAid’s work and mission as they serve neighbors in need.

Ben Rose

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’S next flagship mission and offers significant technological advancements to explore the universe. Among those helping to prepare for that mission is a new Baylor faculty member—incoming assistant professor of physics Ben Rose. Rose is one of four leaders on a project infrastructure team preparing for the 2027 launch. In this Baylor Connections, he shares the story of the Roman Telescope and why NASA is investing $11 million in his research team’s work.