Bear Briefs

Brett Dalton appointed as Chief Business Officer

Baylor University President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., has appointed Brett Dalton as Chief Business Officer, a new position at Baylor that will lead progressive systems of financial planning, reporting and operations as the University moves forward under the Illuminate academic strategic plan. He began his role on July 1.
Dalton joined Baylor from Clemson University, where he served as executive vice president of finance and operations and managed the institution’s $1.2 billion budget. As a top 25 public “Research 1” institution in South Carolina, Clemson is a historic land-grant university, emphasizing research, service and a commitment to strong teaching as an integral part of its mission.
“We cannot be more excited to welcome Brett Dalton to Baylor University and our leadership team. He is truly one of the top creative financial minds in higher education,” President Livingstone said. “I am confident that Brett, in this critical, new position of Chief Business Officer, will bring tremendous energy and new, innovative ideas to provide the financial components and infrastructure for Illuminate, as we move forward as a preeminent Christian research university. He is a man of great faith with a deep understanding of the academic enterprise and what it takes to attract faculty to move Baylor into tier one status.”
As Clemson’s executive vice president, Dalton provided leadership and management of the university’s strategic planning, resource planning and utilization, and strategic partnerships and programs. He also served as an adviser to the President on financial strategy and resource development and was responsible for assessment, accountability and management of financial resources, working closely with Clemson’s leadership to develop long-range financial plans and strategies to support the university’s vision and goals.
Dalton’s accomplishments at Clemson included the successful implementation of three five-year financial plans during a time of major state budget cuts and an economic downturn through which he helped Clemson respond and rebound strongly. During this time, Clemson moved from a third-tier ranking to a Top 25 ranked public university, achieved an R1 Carnegie classification and completed the university’s first $1 billion capital campaign. He also successfully co-led the development of Clemson’s strategic plan, oversaw more than $800 million in capital projects and achieved and maintained the highest bond rating in the history of the university.

Baylor acrobatics & tumbling — first varsity program to win four straight national championships

Head coach Felecia Mulkey‘s squad went wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 acrobatics & tumbling team this year, finishing the season with a perfect 11-0 record. This year’s graduating seniors finished their Baylor careers with a 41-1 overall record, part of the most dominating run any Baylor varsity team has ever put together.
”Coming in freshman year, we were really just hoping to get one national championship, because Baylor hadn’t gotten one yet,” said senior Shayla Moore after the championship. “Freshman year, we were in the dorms and were like, `We really just hope to get one national championship. It would be really, really awesome to get four.’ Today is honestly a dream come true. This is
the most amazing feeling, and we thank ‘Coach Fee’ so much for every single year of it. This truly is amazing.”
The run is even more amazing for Mulkey, who came to Baylor four years ago from Oregon. Mulkey has coached the championship team every season since the organization of the sport by the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Associates (NCATA) in 2010-2011 — first at UO from 2011-14, and now at Baylor for the last four years.

Baylor AFROTC celebrates it's 70th anniversary

Baylor’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) dates back to the very earliest days of the United States Air Force. Less than a year after the United States Air Force was recognized for the first time as a service branch by the U.S. Armed Forces, Baylor AFROTC was formed, making it one of the oldest AFROTC programs in the country. This year, it’s celebrating its 70th anniversary.
Baylor’s AFROTC program serves as a commissioning source for Air Force officers. AFROTC cadets advance towards careers a Air Force officers while also receiving Baylor degrees in the field of their calling, prepared for leadership in the Air Force. Over the years, Baylor AFROTC has been honored as the nation’s best large detachment and has received multiple recognitions as the top detachment in the Southwest.
Col. Joel Carey, BA ’92 — a former Baylor quarterback, commander of the 12th Flying Training Wing of the Joint Base San Antonio, and just one of the many graduates who have achieved high-ranking leadership positions — delivered the keynote speech at last month’s 70th birthday dinner.
From the days shortly after World War II to today’s global challenges, Baylor AFROTC has produced more than 1,500 graduates, seen alumni serve in every corner of the planet and exemplified excellence for other programs around the nation.

Dr. Caleb Martin selected to receive a National Science Foundation CAREER award

Caleb D. Martin, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry and two-time Baylor University Rising Star researcher, has been selected to receive a 2018 Faculty Early Career Development Program grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Known as CAREER awards, the grants are the most prestigious awards made by the NSF and are given in support of early-career researchers who, according to the program’s website, “have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.” The five-year, $650,000 grant is funded through the NSF’s Chemical Synthesis Program in support of Martin’s research into synthesizing analogues of benzene containing boron.
In addition to having other possible applications, Martin sees his work as having the potential to help bring electrical power to millions of people living in remote or underdeveloped regions.
“There’s a significant world population that doesn’t have access to energy, and it currently is not feasible to set up a grid in many areas. If you are in a Third World country, the benefits of a durable and portable energy source are enormous,” Martin said.
NSF CAREER awards also carry an educational component aimed at stimulating interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines among middle and high school students. Underprivileged youth are a special focus.
“Inevitably, my contribution to science is only going to go so far. But hopefully at an educational institution you educate students who also make contributions, and that’s really how you can make the most difference. You have people who go on and do bigger and better things,” he said.

Baylor humanities research and development among top 50 in the nation

According to the latest survey released by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Baylor University was among the top 50 private higher education institutions in the nation for research and development spending in the area of humanities for the 2016 fiscal year. Baylor was one of the 19 top-ranked private non-profit institutions to devote more than 5 percent of research and development spending to the humanities in 2016. Baylor also exceeded the median R&D spending among all of the 388 academic research institutions that reported such spending that year. This data reflects the 902 research-performing institutions that were surveyed and analyzed by The Chronicle for this report.

Titanic On Trial at the Mayborn Museum

Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum, in collaboration with Baylor Law School, hosted a civil damage mock trial as survivors of Titanic sought justice for the human tragedy. The trial began Monday, June 25, and continued through Friday, June 29 at the Mayborn Museum.
Using modern law, technology and theories, Baylor Law students presented a case to prove negligence in the maritime tragedy and collect damages for their clients. Acting as lawyers for the plaintiffs and defendants, law students called witnesses, introduced evidence and argued the case before a jury employing facts from the 1912 disaster. The trial was based upon the real series of events that led to the Titanic sinking.
The trial featured Baylor Law students acting as counsel for plaintiffs Esther Hart and Madeleine Astor, and defendants International Mercantile Marine Co. and Harland and Wolff. Volunteers served as witnesses and members of the jury during the trial.

Baylor student publications showcase journalism excellence

Baylor University student publications claimed more than 100 awards for the Focus Magazine, the Round Up yearbook and the Baylor Lariat newspaper and its radio and television components this year.
Focus Magazine, produced by Hannah Neumann, B.A. (Journalism) ‘17, and Lauren Friederman, B.A. (Journalism) ‘17, and their staff of 13, walked through the lives of those dealing with mental illness. The issue, “Rebuild,” was named as Best in the Nation college magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists, something Neumann feels is a step in the right direction for mental health awareness.
Lariat Editor-in-Chief for the 2017-2018 school year, Bailey Brammer, a senior journalism major from Phoenix, Arizona, is proud of the Lariat’s achievements this past year, including being recognized as Best in State by the Associated Press Managing Editors of Texas and winning a Lone Star award from the Houston Press Club for Best Student Newspaper.
“I think the best part of receiving these awards is that all of the Lariat writers, editors, photographers and broadcasters didn’t wake up one morning and say, ‘I want to write an award-winning story today.’ They were just doing their jobs — working hard and producing exceptional journalism — and they were recognized for that,” said Brammer. “As for how I feel about my staff being ‘No. 1,’ I am proud but unsurprised. I expect excellence from each and every person I work with, and even more so, they expect it from themselves.”
The Round Up yearbook was awarded for Overall Excellence in Texas by the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. Round Up Editor Rachel Cole, senior neuroscience major, is happy to see what are sometimes easily overlooked amounts of hard work receiving recognition.