What a Decade!

Arriving a few years after an earlier two-color tabloid newsletter with the same name had been discontinued, the redesigned, full-color Baylor Arts & Sciences magazine made its debut with the Spring 2013 issue. In its 28 pages, it put a spotlight on “Baylor and the Arts” and included the first appearances of “From Dean Nordt,” the semiannual message from the Arts & Sciences dean, and a collection of news briefs highlighting recent contributions from A&S faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Over time, the magazine grew to 40 pages in length as it informed its readers about the ways that the College of Arts & Sciences fosters exceptional teaching, research and service in the sciences, humanities, social sciences and fine arts.

New to campus

One goal of Baylor Arts & Sciences magazine has been to let our readers know about the new programs, majors, course offerings and student enrichment opportunities that are introduced in the College.

Over the decade, we’ve informed readers about the debut of both the Science Research Fellows and Humanities Research Fellows majors in Arts & Sciences — interdisciplinary majors which attract some of the nation’s top students — as well as the creation of the Hillis Scholars in Biomedical Science Program.

Another new addition to the College over the past decade has been the Office of Engaged Learning, which assists students from academic units across campus to pursue learning opportunities beyond the classroom, such as undergraduate research, global engagement, internships, professional practice and civic involvement. A special issue in the spring of 2018 was devoted to what the College is doing to foster engaged learning.

One of the most significant debuts chronicled at length in the magazine was the rollout of the College of Arts & Science’s redesigned unified core curriculum in Fall 2019 — the first modern update of Baylor’s traditional core of required courses that has garnered national recognition for the University for many years.

Inspiring faculty

A primary purpose of Baylor Arts & Sciences is to acquaint readers with faculty in the College who excel in teaching and research. In our articles, we have told the inspiring stories of Baylor faculty who are doing such things as researching cures for cancer, working to eradicate tropical diseases among the world’s poorest populations, tackling worldwide environmental threats and inventing tomorrow’s television broadcast technology.

Our special issue of the magazine in the fall of 2018 was devoted to stories of faculty research, including ways that A&S faculty are doing groundbreaking work in emerging fields such as materials science, digital humanities and medical ethics.

Incredible students

In the 22 issues of Baylor Arts & Sciences so far (including an online-only issue in Fall 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic), we’ve introduced readers to many incredible students in the College. These have included familiar faces such as Baylor basketball standout Lauren Cox, singer Holly Tucker, a contestant on NBC’s The Voice, and Emily Schultz, Baylor’s first Churchill Award winner.

We’ve also profiled first-generation Arts & Sciences students, as well as A&S students who have made life-changing mission and service trips, or took part in the launch of Baylor’s Trailblazer Scholars program, which is designed to recognize the importance of fostering diversity and mutual respect at the University.

Engaging alumni

The magazine always seeks to tell the stories of the varied and influential paths taken by our proud Arts & Sciences alumni. Our cover story on Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame in our Fall 2015 issue told the story of how her days at Baylor influenced her life and career.

Other notable A&S alumni featured in the magazine have included the “Voice of the Bears” John Morris,  best-selling author Candice Millard, award-winning actor Allison Tolman, national talk show host Whitney Reynolds, sportscaster Trey Wingo and three of the four Hansen Quadruplets.

Baylor memories

As you might expect, a popular part of each issue of Baylor Arts & Sciences is a look back at the events and people from the College’s past. Over the years, we have had the honor of reintroducing our readers to beloved personalities such as professors Ann Miller, Robert Reid, James Vardaman, Bob Packard, Bill Hillis, Vivienne Malone-Mayes, Rufus Spain, John Belew, Rosalie Beck and Roger Kirk.

We’d like to thank all of our faithful readers who’ve enjoyed this magazine. We’re looking forward to sharing more engaging and entertaining stories with you in these pages over the next 10 years and beyond.