Around the State: Baylor groundbreaking for Memorial to Enslaved Persons

The Baylor Board of Regents concluded its regular quarterly meeting, February 23, with a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons that will recognize the enslaved men, women and children who were instrumental in building Baylor’s original campus in Independence. Designed by Suzuki architectural firm, with input from campus teams and student representatives, key features of the memorial will be a cascading water feature made of the same limestone used to build the original Independence campus and foundational scriptures meant to remind visitors of the freedom all men and women have in Christ now and should have experienced when Baylor was founded in 1845. Additional historical context will also be placed around the existing Judge R.E.B. Baylor statue. “When Baylor was founded in 1845, chattel slavery was deeply woven into the cultural and economic fabric of the state of Texas. Our three primary founders—including our namesake, Judge Baylor—were both religious leaders and slaveholders,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone said. “We believe the incompatibility of Baylor’s Christian mission and its roots in chattel slavery requires a collective reckoning with this legacy, and the additional context around Judge Baylor’s statue will connect his story to the enslaved persons being recognized through the memorial.”

East Texas Baptist University recognized Ana Paula Mumy, director and associate professor of speech-language pathology, who has been honored with the Burtis-Vogel-Elkins Community Service Award, bestowed by the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation in acknowledgment of Mumy’s exceptional leadership and service contributions through Spero Stuttering, a nonprofit organization. The Burtis-Vogel-Elkins Community Service Award recognizes individuals whose dedication and service activities have significantly advanced the field of speech-language pathology and positively impacted the stuttering community. “This award is so meaningful to me because it not only allows me to continue this important work that directly advances the field of speech-language pathology, but it also brings awareness to the needs in the stuttering community and elevates the voices of people who stutter,” Mumy said.

Houston Christian University’s Black Student Union organized a recent outdoor praise and worship service for students, faculty and families in celebration of Black History Month. Led by BSU’s Outbreak of the Gospel Choir, the event provided students of all cultural backgrounds an opportunity to participate in praise and worship from the Black church tradition. The goal and purpose of the choir is “to provide a unique gospel feel and enhance the worship experience,” said BSU President Chloe Spiller. The service also included a message on the theme “Restore and Replenish,” which allowed students to respond to a call for spiritual renewal.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will celebrate the opening of the highly anticipated Marek-Smith Center for Teacher Preparation with a special dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting on Fri., March 1. The event begins at 1 p.m. and is open to the public. Visitors can tour the new state-of-the-art special education training and instructional facility following the ribbon cutting. UMHB is the only known university in the country with a special needs lab where undergraduate education majors work directly with children with disabilities. The Marek-Smith Center will lead the way for training and educating special education instructors. With cutting-edge technology, resources, equipment and tools, the 11,000-square-foot facility will offer spaces such as an immersion room, a multisensory room, a high-impact zone, a STEM lab and an outdoor exploration zone. The facility’s name honors the meaningful relationship between Logan Marek, a 2017 Belton High School graduate with autism, and Evan Smith, a 2013 Belton High School graduate and 2017 graduate of Texas A&M University. Before Evan’s death in 2018, he had a passion for young people with disabilities. He dedicated his time to volunteering with Young Life Capernaum, a ministry organization where teens and young adults with disabilities can meet Jesus and grow in their faith. Evan enjoyed working with teenagers with disabilities in Belton and College Station and serving as a personal care provider for Logan.

Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team clinched the debate sweepstakes at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association Spring Championship held at Texas State University. Senior Landon Chenault, Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and jurisprudence major from Denton, won the International Public Debate Association championship, was one of four seniors statewide named to the prestigious Texas All-State Forensics Squad, and was the top debate speaker at the tournament. Sophomore Katelyn Sims, Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and global studies major from Cleburne, was an advancing quarterfinalist and third place IPDA speaker. Both Chenault and Sims had perfect prelims records, and Chenault finished the tournament undefeated. Julie Welker, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication, coaches the team. “Landon is our team captain and the only senior on the team, so this was a gratifying win for him,” said Welker. “He dominated at the tournament, and I am so proud of this accomplishment for him. Landon puts a lot of effort into coaching the team as well, and the team’s overall performance reflects his leadership.” HPU had four of the top nine IPDA debate speakers. In addition to Chenault and Sims, sophomore Cora Raub, Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and nursing major from Celina, was named fourth-place speaker, and sophomore Adrielle Sloan, Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and strategic communication major from Blue Oak, was the ninth-place speaker. The team will compete in a large online tournament the first weekend of March, followed by a trip to the IPDA national tournament, held at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss.

Don Ashley has been named Wayland Baptist University’s first executive director of global initiatives. Ashley will work with various aspects of the university in successfully implementing Wayland’s new programs around the globe. He also will look continually for new opportunities for the university to pursue in an international context. Since 2023, Ashley has served as executive director of Wayland’s Anchorage and Fairbanks campuses in Alaska. For the past three years, he also has worked closely with the Wayland President Bobby Hall to explore potential international partnerships, including two new graduate programs that will enroll their first students from India at Wayland’s San Antonio campus in March. “Dr. Ashley has served effectively for several years in a part-time capacity as director of global projects in addition to his leadership role in Alaska, and it is now time to establish this office as a standalone entity,” Hall said. From 1995 to 1997, Ashley served as an academic adviser at Wayland’s Anchorage campus, where he returned in 2001 as a professor. He served as the Kenya program director from 2018 to 2021, before taking the helm of the Anchorage and Fairbanks campuses in 2023.

First Philippine Baptist Church in Missouri City is hosting “Defend Home,” a human trafficking awareness seminar on Sat., March 9, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is free and open to the public for those who R.S.V.P. here. Guest speakers are Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Agent Kevin Wilkinson Jr. and Joe Madison, CEO and founder of Demand Disruption, a nonprofit that “fights the demand for sex trafficking by eliminating buyer motivation and reducing access to the exploited.”