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Baylor University today dedicated the newly renovated Honors Residential College during a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the official opening of the Honors College’s new home and the grand opening of the Carona Family Commons.

One of the priority capital projects during the Give Light campaign was a major update to Memorial and Alexander residence halls, home to Baylor’s Honors Residential College. The goal: A complete renovation of both dorms, plus an new addition in between that would connect the two buildings and offer additional academic and community space for the Honors College and its students.

After closing throughout 2023-24 for a year of renovation and construction, the completed project was unveiled at the start of the semester, with Memorial and Alexander reopening to welcome a new class of Bears.

Two of the oldest residential halls on campus are recently reopened after a $48 million renovation and expansion project. The Honors Residential College (HRC) has been given a revitalized home within Memorial and Alexander halls. 

Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from B. Todd and Amy Patterson of Richmond, Texas, establishing The Todd and Amy Patterson Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity to advance the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s research within the field of cybersecurity. 

Late last week, Baylor University announced a $10 million gift from Bob Simpson, of Fort Worth, Texas, to support Baylor Athletics and the Give Light Capital Fund. 

Baylor will recognize Simpson's philanthropic support through the naming of the Bob R. Simpson Performance Center within the Jay and Jenny Allison Development Center at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.  

Before Matthew Pierce (BBA ’09) enrolled at Baylor, he and his mother had a conversation about how they would fund his undergraduate education. Unsure of where the money would come from, Pierce’s mother reassured him that God would give him more on the journey than at the start.

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.

Baylor University has announced the naming of the Hankamer School of Business’s Curb Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program – formerly known as the Sports Strategy and Sales program – honoring leading music and entertainment executive Mike Curb of Nashville, Tennessee. 

Baylor University is mourning the death of Baylor alumnus, former Regent and Board Chair and dedicated philanthropist Thomas R. “Tom” Powers of Houston, who passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with his family by his side. 

The new pavilion has a capacity of 7,500 seats, which contains 1,000 seats for students and some spots that are right on top of the action. It’s a smaller venue than the Ferrell Center, but the design is purposeful.

Baylor’s new Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion made its debut this week, hosting a pair of facility-opening wins as the No. 18-ranked Baylor men defeated Cornell and the No. 6 Baylor women blew past No. 23 TCU.

But the play on the court was secondary to the awe and wonder felt by Baylor fans who filled the arena for both games, and by the coaches and players experiencing the new gameday atmosphere.

Baylor’s basketball teams are playing in a new home along the bank of the Brazos River after 35 years under the golden dome of the Ferrell Center.

Baylor Athletics has unveiled the new court design for the Mark & Paula Hurd Floor at Paul & Alejandra Foster Pavilion. 

A spotlight on research growth since the launch of Illuminate

Baylor University’s Give Light Campaign galvanized transformational support from the Baylor Family.

Baylor University’s alumni, parents and friends support our faculty, staff and students in many ways.

Fosters' generosity paved way for 'iconic' new basketball pavilion

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 (Sept. 8, 2023) – Baylor University today dedicated the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – the new front door to the University’s Waco campus – during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house commemorating the spectacular building’s official opening. The dedication recognized the Hurd Welcome Center’s namesake and lead donors, Paula Hurd and her late husband, Mark Hurd, and their daughters, Kelly, B.B.A. ’14, and Kathryn.

After years of planning and construction, the Hurd Welcome Center is a reality at last, now open to welcome Bears of all ages — prospective students visiting Baylor, alumni returning to campus, and faculty/staff and students looking for a place to meet or study.

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the second-highest fundraising year in Baylor’s history, with more than $179 million given by alumni, parents and friends during the 2023 fiscal year (FY23). This achievement came during the penultimate year of fundraising for Give Light, Baylor’s comprehensive philanthropic campaign that has seen more than $1.37 billion given to support the University’s endowment, capital priorities and current funds.

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2023) – Baylor University researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work have earned a significant federal grant to bolster mental health services to school children by preparing licensed mental health providers for work in schools.

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. 

This fall, Baylor University will open the doors of the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the newest addition to its growing Waco campus. Many spaces, rooms and balconies of this show-stopping building carry with them the names of the alumni, parents and friends whose generous support of the Give Light Capital Fund fueled the construction and design of the many capital priorities of the Give Light Campaign.

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 announced a $5 million gift from John and Helen Carona of Dallas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College, as well as the University’s other major capital priorities through the Give Light Capital Fund. In recognition of their transformational gift, Baylor will name the Carona Family Commons at the Honors Residential College and the Carona Family Premium Entry in the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

Baylor University today announced a $5 million gift from John and Helen Carona of Dallas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College, as well as the University’s other major capital priorities through the Give Light Capital Fund. In recognition of their transformational gift, Baylor will name the Carona Family Commons at the Honors Residential College and the Carona Family Premium Entry in the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

Baylor University announced a $5 million gift from John and Helen Carona of Dallas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College, as well as the University’s other major capital priorities through the Give Light Capital Fund. In recognition of their transformational gift, Baylor will name the Carona Family Commons at the Honors Residential College and the Carona Family Premium Entry in the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

Baylor University announced a $1.5 million challenge grant from the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation of Midland, Texas, providing significant momentum and support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College. The grant will fund a significant portion of the more than $7 million needed in philanthropic support to complete the project, one of many capital projects funded through the Give Light campaign.

When Great Texts alumnus Christopher Scott, (BA, ’04) stepped foot onto Baylor’s campus, he had $600 to his name thanks to a love offering from his home church. Knowing Baylor was where he was supposed to be, Scott took a leap of faith and worked to fill in the gaps financially.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 24, 2023) – Baylor University today announced a $3.7 million gift from Jay and Jenny Allison of Frisco, Texas, to support the Give Light Capital Fund, as well as scholarships benefiting Baylor Law and the George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Baylor will recognize the couple’s philanthropic support through the naming of the Jay and Jenny Allison Development Center within the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

Before Baylor Interdisciplinary Core graduate Matthew Pierce (BBA, ’09) enrolled at Baylor, he and his mother had a conversation about how they would fund his undergraduate education. Unsure of where the money would come from, Pierce’s mother reassured him that God would give him more on the journey than at the start.

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.

With the start of the new school year came the reopening of one of the most beloved buildings on campus: Tidwell Bible Building, which had been closed since May 2020 for an extensive renovation. The work on the 67-year-old building — one of the priority capital projects of Baylor’s “Give Light” campaign — was completed […]

WACO, Texas (Aug. 25, 2021) – During a ceremonial ribbon cutting, Baylor University today celebrated the opening of the newly-renovated Tidwell Bible Building, one of many historic buildings that make up the core of the University’s campus.

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.

Honors College Dean Douglas Henry, Ph.D., and his wife, School of Music Professor Michele Henry, Ph.D., established an endowed scholarship supporting Honors students who participate in Baylor’s studying abroad program.

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.

The tools that enable Baylor faculty to conduct groundbreaking, life-changing research come in all shapes and sizes. From room-sized, multi-ton sound booths that measure hearing to table-top instruments that measure minute changes in speech, the faculty in Baylor’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) clinics are using their tools to help people better process the world around them and are preparing the next generation of scientists and clinicians who will care for their patients.

In Division 1 college athletics, catchy phrases and mottos crop up each year. Each conference has a tagline, and every institution, every department, every sport has a mantra to which they either attach great meaning or reveal their identity. For Baylor Athletics, Preparing Champions for Life is more than just an aspirational phrase — it’s a call to action.

For each family who gives, there is a different motivation — they have a special story behind the gift of a legacy that will quite literally change the lives of generations of Baylor alumni.

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.

While some disciplines are bringing international students to learn in Waco, the School of Education is fortunate, through a generous gift from Janette and Don (BBA ’81) Carpenter, to have a fully-funded study abroad experience for its students.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 24, 2020) – At its regular February meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents celebrated the groundbreaking of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – a new multi-purpose facility that will serve as an exciting new entry point to Baylor’s campus – and approved the final phase and project budget of the $21.2 million restoration of the University’s iconic Tidwell Bible Building.

Dedicated in 1954, Tidwell Bible Building has served as a cornerstone of Baylor’s academic endeavors with Baylor students of all majors passing through its halls. 

WACO, Texas (April 25, 2019) – Baylor University today announced a $15 million leadership gift from The Sunderland Foundation of Overland Park, Kansas, that will provide significant support for one of the University’s highest priority endeavors within its $1.1 billion Give Light philanthropic campaign: the renovation and restoration of the iconic Tidwell Bible Building. The project is among the nearly $300 million in capital improvements planned as part of the campaign that will support Illuminate, the University’s academic strategic plan.

I want you to be among the first to know that tonight we officially launched Give Light, a $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign for the future of Baylor University. Give Light undergirds our academic strategic plan Illuminate and will impact every aspect of campus life — from academics and athletics to student life and service learning — while also bolstering financial support for students, faculty and the campus community.