The need to recruit and retain qualified, gifted, and nationally renowned faculty is critical to accomplishing the goals set forth within the pillars and priorities of our academic strategic plan and this campaign. The new programs, new endowed chair positions, and the graduate fellowships needed to provide mentorship to undergraduate students and scholarly research that enhances Baylor's presence within its priority areas will only be accomplished with the Baylor Family's support of endowment.
Thanks to creative initiatives like the Foster Academic Challenge and others, the Give Light Campaign has generated 46 new endowed faculty positions, to date, that will bolster the University’s academic initiatives in a compelling way. These Chairs and Professorships span the University—from medical humanities, materials science, and business to law, food security, Christian leadership, preaching and more
Prestigious chairs and professorship positions, secured by endowed funds dedicated to the long-term support of programs and research, will help the University attract outstanding Christian scholars who currently only find this support in larger state schools and private universities that have forfeited their faith foundation. The funding of graduate fellowships to provide research support, while helping to attract highly qualified and high-achieving graduate students, will also ease the burden to help faculty remain in the classroom, a hallmark of the Baylor experience.
Additionally, a growing endowment impacts the University's goal to hold tuition costs at levels that make a Baylor education accessible to students from all walks of life. A robust endowment is the foundation upon which Baylor will rise.
Learn More about Faculty Chairs and Professorships
Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from the family of George Heilmeier through the Heilmeier-Jarvie Family Foundation, of Plano, Texas, establishing The George Heilmeier Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering to attract, retain and support innovative research and teaching within the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Strong teams are great at recruiting, and Baylor has been blessed to land multiple “top recruits” in the university’s pursuit of excellence — not just in athletics or the student body, but among the faculty, as well.
Building on an already strong faculty lineup, the recruitment of new faculty in endowed chair roles is a significant focus of Illuminate and Give Light, with the goal of attracting nationally recognized experts into prestigious academic positions at Baylor. These efforts have proven successful — and they’re not done yet. The dividends of the Baylor Family’s generosity in the successful Give Light campaign continue to manifest in a multitude of ways, including the recruitment of elite faculty to Baylor.
WACO, Texas (Oct. 26, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $2 million gift from Scott and Susan Orr of The Woodlands, Texas, establishing the Scott & Susan Orr Family Endowed Chair in Medical Humanities & Christian Faith to support teaching, mentorship and innovative research in the Medical Humanities Program within the College of Arts & Sciences.
WACO, Texas (July 12, 2023) – Baylor University announced today the appointment of Felipe Hinojosa, Ph.D., as the inaugural Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America, expanding Baylor’s international footprint and providing additional leadership to advance the priorities of the Baylor in Latin America initiative.
Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift establishing the first endowed chair position in the history of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing from the family of the School’s namesake, Louise Herrington Ornelas. The Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health will support innovative research and teaching within the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, with a special focus on the areas of mental and behavioral health research, including the need for more mental health professionals.
Baylor University’s School of Music announced alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends combined to provide nearly $24 million in given and pledged philanthropic support through the Give Light Campaign. More than 1,600 donors contributed to the School of Music as part of Give Light, Baylor’s comprehensive fundraising campaign aimed at resourcing efforts to become the preeminent Christian research university.
Baylor University Libraries has surpassed $10 million in gifts and pledges of support, exceeding its initial fundraising goal set at the beginning of the Give Light Campaign. Nearly 900 alumni, parents, staff, faculty and others have given to Baylor Libraries as part of Give Light.
On April 14, Baylor University held its third annual Baylor Giving Day. For 24 hours, Baylor’s alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends came together to give back and shine a light on the things they hold dear here. Baylor saw 3,942 people, foundations and organizations give to every academic unit and to all areas of the University, with a total of more than $1 million given to celebrate Baylor Giving Day.
A calling. At Baylor, students are often described as finding the calling on their lives. For some, it’s a profession. For others, it’s a cause that will inform their service.
Words mean something to Jon Eckert, Ed.D. Sitting in his office, he clasps his hands and gestures, as if to underline a specific word as he discusses his work within the Center for Christian Education to position Baylor University as the destination for leadership development within education.
Efforts across the University to prepare students for global impact are often made possible only through the generosity and vision of donors. Our alumni, parents and friends help fund the University’s programs that recruit international students to the University and send Baylor students into the world. The results are culturally rich experiences that bring greater awareness, cultural sensitivity and effectiveness to the life-changing curricula and skills our students learn through such programming as the Global Mission Leadership initiative.
