Around the State: Baylor surpasses initial Give Light goal

Gifts and pledges to Baylor University’s Give Light Campaign surpassed the initial goal of $1.1 billion, marking the campaign as the largest and most successful fundraising effort in the university’s 177-year history. Total gifts and pledges will help grow Baylor’s endowment by $474 million; provide more than $408 million to fund and create programs and establish scholarships through expendable funds; and support the Give Light Capital Fund to undergird the campus’s capital priorities. So far, the capital fund has received $233 million toward its $300 million goal. Baylor launched Give Light Campaign on Nov. 1, 2018, as a comprehensive campaign to fund the academic aspirations and infrastructure needs to support Illuminate, the university’s strategic plan. On Dec. 16, 2021, Baylor announced it had been named a Research 1 university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, one of only 37 private institutions to be named. “Approximately 80,000 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, friends, foundations and corporations have given to Baylor to foster academic discovery, to grow our programs and outreach and to stand beside our students through scholarships,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone. “It has been heartening to see the Baylor Family support Baylor’s growth to become a preeminent Christian research university, strengthening the voice of Christian higher education, and as we realize these significant steps forward, we are grateful anew for their commitment to our Christian mission. This is a milestone that we can all celebrate.”

Chris Simmons, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas, is the featured speaker at a banquet celebrating the 30th anniversary of Mission Waco/Mission World. The event is scheduled at 6 p.m. on March 22 at the BASE (Business, Arts, Sports, Entertainment) facility at the Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd. in Waco. Individual tickets are $60. A table of eight for a church or nonprofit organization is $450. Additional sponsorships are available at a variety of levels. To register, click here. For more information, call (254)753-4900 or email [email protected].

Jerry Root, authority on the life and works of C.S. Lewis, recently delivered the Willson Lectures at Wayland Baptist University. Root spoke on understanding the love of God and the problem of evil. In his writing, Lewis identified pride as the greatest sin. Root took issue with that assertion, saying pride comes from a sense of insecurity and fear, leading people to make themselves attempt to appear better than they really are. That fear comes from not understanding God’s love, he asserted, saying, “The greatest sin is to live in neglect of the perfect love of God.” Root also noted Lewis addressed the problem of evil in his writing, acknowledging the challenge of reconciling why an all-powerful good God allows bad things to occur. Root said if God prevented all evil acts, that would curtail free will. That would not allow individuals to grow and strengthen their character, becoming more Christ-like in their actions. God takes the bad in life and creates good from it, he concluded.

Howard Payne University’s department of physical sciences recently purchased a nuclear magnetic resonance instrument, made possible by a $22,000 gift received during the Giving Tuesday event held in the fall. The new equipment will be used by students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Chemistry students already have put the nuclear magnetic resonance instrument to the test, examining the occurrence of microplastics in drinking water and the local environment. This summer, a research program will give local high school students interested in STEM the opportunity to use the nuclear magnetic resonance equipment for research projects.

Baylor University named Paul and Alejandra Foster of El Paso as the recipients of the 2022 Founders Medal. The Founders Medal is reserved for men and women whose service and contributions have been unusually significant to the life and future of Baylor University. On May 4, 2019, Baylor announced a then-anonymous gift of $100 million. That contribution from Paul and Alejandra Foster—the largest current gift Baylor ever received—enabled the university to create a dollar-for-dollar matching program for qualifying gifts providing faculty support. Now known as the Foster Academic Challenge, the program prompted the funding of 14 faculty endowed chairs and generated annual support for faculty chairs equivalent to $50 million in endowment. The Fosters’ gift also provided significant momentum for the Give Light Campaign’s priority capital projects. In November, the university named the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion in recognition of their transformational support. The Fosters served as co-chairs of the Give Light Campaign’s national steering committee, and they also have made major gifts to support Baylor Athletics, the Hankamer School of Business and the Paul L. Foster Success Center. “Paul and Alejandra share a commitment to excellence in higher education and a love for Baylor University,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone. “Their leadership and service have truly contributed in significant and transformational ways, and we are grateful for their philanthropy.”

Baylor University named Hollylynne S. Lee, distinguished professor of mathematics and statistics education at North Carolina State University, as the 2022 recipient of the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching. The Cherry Award is designed to honor great teachers, stimulate discussion in the academy about the value of teaching and encourage departments and institutions to recognize their own great teachers. As the 2022 Cherry Award recipient, Lee will receive a $250,000 award and an additional $25,000 for the department of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education at North Carolina State. She is expected to teach in residence at Baylor during the 2023 spring semester. Lee earned her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from The College of William & Mary, and her Ph.D. in mathematics education from University of Virginia. She was named in 2020 as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association in recognition for excellence and advocacy in data science and statistics education and the professional development of teachers. She was honored with the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2019-20 and named a Fellow of the International Society for Design and Development in Education in 2019. Cherry Award finalists Jeb Barnes, professor of political science and international relations at University of Southern California, and Randy W. Roberts, distinguished professor of history at Purdue University, each received $15,000, while their home departments also received $10,000 for the development of teaching skills.