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What started with a brave leap from Hong Kong in 1959 has grown into a multigenerational Baylor legacy. 

When Nelson Yim (MS ’63) arrived at Baylor to study chemistry, he didn’t know the language, the culture, or what to expect. But he said “yes” to an opportunity that would change his life, and the lives of his future family.

Baylor students just keep upping the school record for Fulbright scholarship recipients. In 2019, BU set a new high with 7 Fulbrights; in 2022, that jumped to 14; and last year, 18 Bears were so honored.

Given that trend (and Baylor’s continued national recognition as a top Fulbright producer), it should come as no surprise that that record has fallen again. This spring, 23 Baylor students and recent alumni won the prestigious Fulbright awards — and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the list of BU students winning top national and international scholarships and fellowships.

A Baylor professor introduced an international audience at the Volta Foundation Battery Forum to advanced techniques that could drive future breakthroughs in energy storage science, leading to better and safer batteries.

Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activities (URSA) Scholars Week 2025 highlighted the exceptional work of Baylor students, showcasing a diverse array of research projects across various disciplines.

When it comes to creating leads for cancer-fighting drugs, Liela Romero describes herself as a chef—mixing individual elements together to create a stronger finished product for new drug leads.

Meet the Baylor alumna whose discoveries still impact industry and our daily lives.

John L. Wood, Ph.D., has been designated as University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor bestowed on Baylor faculty. 

When it comes to pioneering education and ground-breaking research, Baylor has always been on the cutting edge.

Twenty-four participants will be immersed in the nine-month program funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)

An international study led by Flinders University in Australia has advanced nanoscale chemistry to further develop sustainable and efficient generation of hydrogen from water using solar power.

Baylor researchers work collaboratively to solve complex problems facing our world.

Senior Stephen Phillips is an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Leila Romero’s group who has earned a year-long URSA grant to study a series of reactions to, “expand chemistry’s toolbox.”

Madison Andrews is a Science Research Fellow who earned 2nd place in the recent ACS SWRM 2024 Undergraduate Poster Symposium for her research on refining Activity-Based Protein Profiling under Dr. Aaron Wright.

What kind of impact are Baylor researchers making on the world? The burgeoning number of honors and grants awarded to BU faculty and students indicates that Baylor’s impact as a Christian research university is growing.

Here are just a few recent examples:

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science will be in Waco!  This is a great opportunity for undergrads (and grads!) to make presentations – posters and orals in ALL disciplines.  

Baylor researchers have expertise in a wide variety of areas. Students at three area public schools got to learn that firsthand last week, when BU faculty and students visited with elementary, middle and high school-aged scientists to highlight National STEM Day through hands-on learning activities.

In recent years, Baylor has brought some of its outstanding faculty and their students to local schools for National STEM Day to make science come alive and encourage kids to think about college and careers in the STEM fields. It’s a mission that aligns with the day itself, which celebrates discovery and innovation that sparks interest in future science careers.

Meet this year’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award honorees for excellence in research, teaching and dissertation.

Stanford database features 43 current or retired Baylor faculty and postdoctoral researchers on prestigious most-cited list.

Ivan Korendovych, Ph.D., the inaugural James. R. Schofield Endowed Chair in Biochemistry at Baylor University, has been recognized by the American Chemical Society as the preceptor for this year’s Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry, a national ACS award that recognizes an outstanding graduate student and instructor in chemistry.

Microbiome researcher Aaron Wright, Ph.D., has earned a $5.6 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Transformative Research Award that could lead to personalized treatments for gut microbiome diseases like IBS, Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis and more. 

Baylor University today is celebrating National Research Administrator Day to highlight top-tier research throughout the University. 

Julia Y. Chan, Ph.D., B.S. ’93, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and The Tim and Sharalynn Fenn Family Endowed Chair in Materials Science at Baylor University, is among 37 members of the American Chemical Society named as ACS Fellows for 2024.

While honors are meaningful, what John L. Wood, Ph.D., finds most rewarding is mentorship and playing a role in the day-to-day transformation that takes place within students.

Biochemist Bryan Shaw and his team of researchers are pursuing advances that make laboratory spaces more accessible to those with different abilities. 

Alagu Subramanian, B.A. ’23, a University Scholar with concentrations in biology, medical humanities and business administration, is Baylor University's fourth consecutive Churchill Scholar, an unprecedented achievement for the prestigious and highly selective scholarship in science, mathematics and engineering.

Levi Garza is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Baylor University. He invests his time and effort into making chemistry accessible to the visually impaired and those with mobility issues to increase inclusivity in science. Levi wants all people to have the opportunity to study chemistry if they desire. He is putting in efforts to ensure that all individuals have access to a diverse range of commonly used and highly practical options.

Caleb D. Martin, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University and a leading researcher in synthestic boron chemistry, has received a prestigious Humboldt Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. 

At the intersection of societal need and faculty strengths throughout the institution, Baylor is launching new programs in key fields of study. Materials science efforts provide a meaningful example of the University’s approach to program growth—multidisciplinary fields that are collaborative by design.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 10, 2024) – Featured on the cover of this week’s prestigious journal Science Advances, a first-of-its-kind tactile learning device developed by Baylor University chemistry professors to make science accessible to students with blindness or low vision has opened the possibility of the transfer of any scientific data or images for sighted students into functional, thorough formats for students with blindness.

“The lab is the final frontier of learning,” Bryan Shaw, Professor of Chemistry, tells NBC.  “So, if you don't make the lab accessible, you're not really making science accessible.”

American Chemical Society honors Baylor chemist John L. Wood, Ph.D., for outstanding achievement in the analysis, structure elucidation and chemical synthesis of natural products.

Michael A. Trakselis, Ph.D., professor and director of graduate affairs for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry had to overcome 2 barriers to conduct his groundbreaking research on DNA enzyme. 

Baylor Fellows Program recognizes professors across the disciplines who exemplify excellence in teaching, advance University’s commitment to transformational education

Tiny shapes made from gelatin and resin may empower children to learn science

Bite-size molecular models could lower barriers to learning chemistry for students who are blind or visually impaired

Bite-sized gummy candy proteins could even the playing field for STEM students who are blind

New models may help people who are blind learn molecular structures.

A tastier and more accessible way to digest information

Meet Allene Rosalind Jeanes, a native Wacoan and 1928 Baylor graduate. After leaving Waco, Jeanes earned her master’s degree from Berkeley, then a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois. Earlier this year — more than 20 years after her passing at age 89 — Jeanes was honored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame.