Baylor Proud

Jun

2013

Baylor alum, former administrator honored with Texas Baptists’ Legacy Award

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Faith, Honors, Service

Robert Feather, BA '50 Since graduating from Baylor in 1950, Robert Feather has spent his entire adult life in Baptist circles — first as a pastor and then with Billy Graham’s World Evangelism and Christian Education Fund before returning to Baylor in 1980 as vice president for external affairs. After two decades at Baylor, he joined the leadership of the Texas Baptist Laity Institute, and today he serves as a consultant to the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation.

For his lifetime of work, Feather was given the Texas Baptists’ Legacy Award earlier this month in a ceremony at historic Independence Baptist Church, the oldest continuously active Baptist church in Texas. (The Legacy Award replaces the Texas Baptist Elder Statesman honor, which has recognized individuals for their service to Texas Baptist life for more than 60 years.)

As a student at Baylor from 1946-50, Feather was both a yell leader at football games and a song leader at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. He served Baylor from 1980-99 as vice president of external affairs, during which time the university’s endowment quadrupled. Feather’s wife (Carolyn, BA ’54), son (Robert, BSED ’77) and daugther (Sunni, BBA ’79) are all Baylor graduates.

Sic ’em, Robert Feather!

Jun

2013

A student’s realization: ‘Baylor isn’t just a school; it’s a family’

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Student life

Baylor friends

Orientation is underway for the next class of Baylor freshmen. Class of 2017 (and beyond): We received this note from sophomore Anna Hughes as the spring semester was wrapping up, and it hits on what exactly it means to be a Baylor Bear. Freshmen, here’s what you have to look forward to as the newest members of the Baylor family:

“Before deciding to come to Baylor, I really did not know anything about it. My family didn’t go here, I’m not from here, and to me, Baylor was just one of the 11 schools I had decided to apply to. If anything, Baylor was on the bottom of my list. I had attended private schools my entire life, and I wanted to try something new — something bigger and crazier, something outside of my comfort zone.

“As my senior year came closer to an end, and the time to decide where I would spend the next four years of my life grew closer, I had narrowed my list down to a few schools. Baylor still on the list, and still at the bottom. My family and friends knew Baylor was the better fit for me, but I was stubborn. I wanted to be the one to make the decision. I thought I knew what I wanted. My guidance counselor was quick to notice my unwillingness to give in to my family and friends and put me in contact with some of her colleagues who had attended Baylor.

“That’s when my mind started to change. Everyone I talked to, everyone who had even heard more about Baylor than I had, couldn’t say anything bad about it! I didn’t understand. How could this place be so great? There had to be something wrong with it! So I prayed. Deep down, I knew the right answer, but I didn’t want to admit it. Weeks went by. On college day at my high school, I didn’t wear a Baylor shirt, and when teachers asked me where I was going, I didn’t say Baylor. Finally though, one day I decided to swallow my pride and let go. I posted on Facebook to inform my parents that I’d taken their credit card and made my deposit to attend Baylor University, and it is still to this day one of the best decisions I have ever made.

“As a sophomore nursing student at Baylor, I will be leaving this amazing campus for Dallas in August. What I’ve realized just over the past few weeks, though, is that Baylor isn’t just here on this campus. At the orientation for nursing school in Dallas a few weekends back, Baylor was there. When I talked to all of those people on the phone my senior year, Baylor was there. As West deals with and continues to recover from their awful tragedy, Baylor is there. What I’ve realized is that Baylor isn’t just a school — it’s a family. They say it, they advertise it, and you better believe it. I’m not saying Baylor is the only school out there like it, but from my experience, Baylor is definitely special. Baylor has opened my eyes to so much more than I ever thought it would, and its morals, values, teachings and mission are things I will carry with me wherever I go in life.

“I am most definitely Baylor Proud. Sic ‘em!”

Sic ’em, Bears!

[We received this submission from a Bear who shared her Baylor pride. We're always on the lookout for inspiring stories, news items, or fun links that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family. Got something to share? Click here to submit your point of pride!]

Jun

2013

Baylor football pairs on-field success with Big 12-leading academic score

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Athletics, Honors

Art Briles and Nick Florence

It’s been a good 12 months for head coach Art Briles’ Baylor football program: a third-straight bowl appearance (and a blowout victory there), a new stadium going up along the Brazos, one alum named NFL rookie of the year, another named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

But why stop there? Most recently, it was announced that Baylor football tops the Big 12 Conference in Academic Progress Rate (APR), a measurement used by the NCAA to track student-athlete academic progress. Last season’s squad featured 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections, including quarterback Nick Florence, who was also named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America first team.

Florence was one of four Baylor Academic All-Americans this year, joining baseball’s Kolt Browder and soccer’s Dana Larsen and Lisa Sliwinski. Over the past four years, Baylor has produced 18 Academic All-Americans, the most of any Big 12 school.

Sic ’em, Baylor football and Baylor athletics!

Jun

2013

Young alum working to turn short film into feature length movie

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Videos

Watch the Skies movie poster From screenwriters Michael Brandt, BBA ’91, MA ’94, and Derek Haas, BA ’91, MA ’95, to directors Kevin Reynolds, BA ’74, JD ’76, and John Lee Hancock, BA ’79, JD ’82, Baylor is well represented throughout the film industry.

Now, recent alum Ben Davis, BA ’11, is looking to add his name to the list. And in a crowded industry with no shortage of aspiring filmmakers, he’s taking no shortcuts in the effort to turn his short film “Watch The Skies” into a full-length feature.

The film focuses on two sons whose father took a huge secret with him when he mysteriously disappeared many years ago. Davis, who co-wrote the full-length script, has produced an 18-minute short designed to attract the attention of other filmmakers and pique the right person’s curiosity, showing industry veterans that Davis and his team have the right stuff to make their vision a reality. (FYI: There’s some PG-13 language in the short.)

Baylor is well-represented throughout. In addition to Davis, Baylor Film and Digital Media (FDM) Professor Brian Elliott, BA ’84, MA ’90, served as an associate producer, and actor Jake Abell, BA ’13, plays the leading role of a son searching for answers. The crew was also comprised of numerous Baylor FDM students.

Davis previously displayed his skill behind the camera in a music video, winning a number of awards (including “Best Video of the Year” from the Indie Music Channel) for his direction of Marcella Fruehan’s “Truth Is”.

You can follow Davis’ journey to get “Watch the Skies” made on the film’s Facebook page.

Sic ’em, Ben!

[We learned of this story from three Bears who shared their Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]

Jun

2013

Recent Baylor alum lands prestigious internship with Federal Accounting Standards Board

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Honors

Kristan Hinn When the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) speaks, the nation’s financial sector takes notice. The FASB sets the standards that govern the practices of all private accounting organizations in the country.

And now, they count a Baylor Bear as one of their own.

Recent Baylor alum Kristan Hinn, BBA ’12, MA ’12, has become the first Baylor accounting student to receive one of the FASB’s prestigious, highly-competitive internships. Hinn will serve as a postgraduate technical assistant, working in-depth on the standards-setting process that impacts anyone who works in the accounting field. Through her internship, she will assist on both short- and long-term projects that will shape the future and can help her continue her growth into a true leader in the field.

“I am confident that my time at Baylor within the Department of Accounting and Business Law has afforded me experiences that I never otherwise would have had,” she says. “I am so thankful to the faculty and staff of the department for their immense investment in their students. I am also so very thankful for the support of my current employer, KPMG (Houston office), where I have been given multiple opportunities to grow in my understanding of and experience with the accounting profession throughout the past two years.”

Sic ’em, Kristan!

[We learned of this story from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]

Jun

2013

Baylor engineering students’ creativity leads to devices for veterans and disabled

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research, Service, Student life

Baylor students serve veterans I love these stories of Baylor students putting what they learn in the classroom to work serving others…

Over the past year, 19 Baylor engineering students worked with nursing and engineering students at the University of Detroit-Mercy to design, build and deliver devices that met specific needs of three disabled veterans; a fourth team worked to develop a car seat that would be easier on disabled mothers. The yearlong projects were sponsored by the Kern Family Foundation to promote teamwork between universities and to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset among engineering students.

Last month, some of the Baylor students got to travel to Detroit and deliver their products to the veterans in person. Those projects included a pressure-sensing cushion that alerts a paraplegic person to change positions to prevent ulcers, a bed mattress with an automatic bedpan, and a specialized walker.

The Baylor engineering students contributing to the projects include May 2013 graduates Cason Cole, Tara Davis, Ray Dudgeon, Christopher Duncan, Trevor Hogoboom, Lauren Hurley, Gabrielle Lalou, Miles Landry, Jared Milhoan, Blake Niccum, Katie Pyron, Adam Rogg, Paige Slavik, Stephen Warner and Kelby Villarreal, and seniors Rob Jochetz, Kyle Martin, Arryss Mills and Rebekah Pflieger.

Sic ’em, Baylor engineering!

Jun

2013

Baylor alum and author talks about changing her kids’ habits on Today Show

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Student life, Videos

How do you get your kids to take responsibility for what needs to be done around the house, build an attitude of service, and erase entitlement in their lives? (That’s not just a rhetorical question; I’ve got two kids under four in my household, and would really like to know.)

Generations of parents have been vexed by such questions as they raised their children, but author and mother Kay Wills Wyma, BBA ’88, has some suggestions based on her family’s experiences. Her deliberate work with her five children, ages 5 to 16, brought about change in her household, replacing entitlement with responsibility and servanthood.

Those results are getting noticed, as her book, Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement, was featured recently on The Today Show. Cleaning House, which currently ranks among Amazon’s top 40 best-selling books on parenting, even sparked some personal introspection from The Today Show hosts after the segment. (Also, take note of Wyma’s daughter’s Lady Bears t-shirt in the video clip.)

In addition to her book, Wyma shares even more thoughts on parenting on her website, TheMOATblog.com (MOAT = Mother Of Adolescents and Teens), and in person as a public speaker at conferences and churches.

Sic ’em, Kay!

[Wyma was followed on The Today Show this week by another Baylor Bear, sophomore Holly Tucker, whose run on NBC's The Voice ended Tuesday night in the final six. Watch video of Tucker on Today here and here.]

Jun

2013

Baylor family’s gold crane part of stadium construction effort

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Athletics, Just for Fun

Baylor Stadium is rising from the ground quickly; see for yourself via live webcams here, here and here.

Passers-by on I-35 may have noticed a Baylor-gold crane in the midst of the construction. But the equipment’s Baylor pride doesn’t stop with its color; a closer look reveals Baylor logos on every side, and if you get even closer, you can read the fine print on the crane’s boom. (Click the image to view larger.)

That text reads: “Donated by Groves Equipment, Groves, TX – Channelview, TX. Steven & Colleen McReynolds, Class of 81 & 92.” Steven is the president of Groves Equipment and part of a family with deep Baylor ties; his wife, Colleen; children Trevor and Taylor; father Von; brother, David, and sister-in-law, Leslie; and sister, Karen, are all Baylor alumni, while daughter Callie and niece Lyndsay are both Baylor students.

The company has essentially donated use of the crane during the construction of Baylor Stadium, and it will be onsite for most of the project, which is set to be completed in time for the 2014 football season. If you want to join in being a part of the stadium effort, there’s still time to give to the Baylor Stadium Bricks Campaign and have your brick installed outside the Bears’ new home.

Sic ’em, McReynolds family and everyone who is helping make Baylor Stadium a reality!

Jun

2013

Largest gift in Baylor history to support new b-school building and Baylor Stadium

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Alumni, Pro Futuris

Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation

Baylor’s planned new business school building got an incredible boost Tuesday when the university announced a $35 million gift from Paul L. Foster, BBA ’79, that will support both the new facility and Baylor Stadium. The gift is the largest from a living alumnus in Baylor history.

Foster’s deep Baptist roots brought him to Baylor in the mid 1970s as a premed student. He eventually moved over to business, where he would earn an accounting degree. Dr. Terry Maness, BA ’71, MS ’72 — now dean of the Hankamer School of Business — was then a young assistant professor at Baylor, as well as Foster’s fraternity sponsor. The two became friends, forming a relationship that has now lasted more than 30 years.

[READ MORE: Baylor press release || Waco Tribune-Herald story || Baylor Magazine feature on Foster from last fall]

After Baylor, Foster began a career in oil refining; he formed his current company, Western Refining, in 1997. Over the years, he and his wife, Alejandra, have been committed to supporting education. In 2006, his lead gift led to the creation of Baylor’s Paul L. Foster Success Center, which brought together under one roof an assortment of departments such as academic advisement, tutoring and career counseling. A year later, he donated $50 million to help create the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in his hometown of El Paso.

He has also served on the Hankamer Board of Advisors and as a member of the University of Texas System Board of Regents. In honor of this recent gift, the new business school building — to be built near the McLane Student Life Center, across the street from the new East Village — will be named the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.

“Like so many other graduates, the education I received at Baylor prepared me for personal and professional success,” said Foster. “That’s why Alejandra and I couldn’t be more pleased to come alongside the university to support the new building for Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, which will provide a transformational and innovative education for Baylor business students, and Baylor Stadium, which will benefit the university and the Waco community for generations to come.”

Sic ’em, Paul Foster!

Jun

2013

East Village building names honor prominent Baylor engineer and doctor

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Extraordinary Stories, Student life

Gordon Teal (right)

After a long discussion process led by a committee of faculty, staff and students, the two main buildings that will make up East Village Residential Community now have names honoring two distinguished (but perhaps not well-known) Baylor alumni.

The north building will be the Gordon Teal Residential College, named for the 1927 Baylor graduate who played a major part in developing the first silicon transistor while working at Texas Instruments. Teal, BA ’27, (pictured above, standing) later became the first director of the National Bureau of Standards Institute for Materials Research in Washington, D.C. He also served as a Baylor trustee from 1970-79, and his papers reside in Baylor’s Texas Collection.

The Teal Residential College will house engineering and computer science students, led by Dr. Ian Gravagne, who will serve as faculty master. (Residential colleges are different from other residence halls in their emphasis on faculty-student interaction and intentional community that includes academic as well as social and spiritual components.)

Dr. Hallie Earle The south building will be Hallie Earle Hall, named for the 1901 Baylor graduate who went on to become the first female graduate of Baylor Medical School in Dallas and then the first licensed female physician in McLennan County. Earle, BA ’01, MS ’02, (pictured at right) challenged gender roles of early 20th-century America, but her work was of such quality that a copy of her master’s thesis was placed in the cornerstone of Carroll Science in 1902, and in 1996, the Texas Historical Commission placed a marker on her grave.

Earle Hall will house the Science and Health Living Learning Community, aimed at students pursuing a career in medicine and/or healthcare. This is the newest of eight Baylor LLCs, which bring together students based on an academic discipline or interest, regardless of major.

(East Village also includes a third building, the East Village Dining Commons, which will house a new dining hall as well as administrative services space.)

Sic ’em, Drs. Teal and Earle!