News

A spring class for Baylor University Medical Humanities students put them in contact with something that medical training often skirts around: people who are dying and beyond what medicine can heal. 

Viriditas: The Soul of Medicine is a student-led magazine affiliated with the Baylor Medical Humanities Program. This magazine is dedicated to offering a platform for Baylor students who are passionate about healthcare. Through prose, poetry, and visual art, the publication aims to bridge the gap between medicine and the arts in the Baylor community and beyond.

DeBakey Scholar and Medical Humanities minor, Carlos Alvarado-Richter, has been awarded "Outstanding Spanish Student" by the Spanish faculty in the Modern Languages and Cultures Department. 

Avery Millington and Rajiv Edara were recognized for their academic excellence in Medical Humanities at the J. Harry and Anna Jeanes Academic Honors Week Convocation on Friday, April 10, 2026. This recognition highlights their dedication to interdisciplinary scholarship and their commitment to exploring the human dimensions of healthcare.

The Academic Honors Week Convocation celebrates students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement across the University.

Pictured with the honorees is Dr. Ekaterina Lomperis, Scott and Susan Orr Family Endowed Chair in Medical Humanities and Christian Faith.

The Vardaman Awards -- also known informally as "the Betsys" -- are presented each year by the Office of Engaged Learning in the College of Arts & Sciences to Baylor faculty members "who go above and beyond in mentoring undergraduate students." The awards honor Professor Elizabeth Vardaman for her 39 years of mentoring Baylor students, helping them to maximize their education through learning beyond the classroom. 

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, the Medical Humanities Department at Baylor University hosted its inaugural Student Symposium-Health Beyond the Clinic, bringing together student researchers from institutions across Texas for a day of interdisciplinary learning and dialogue. The event featured a dynamic mix of student poster presentations and talks from five distinguished speakers from around the country, all centered on exploring the social contexts that shape health beyond the walls of the clinic.

Dr. Karol J. Hardin, Medical Humanities Affiliated Faculty, Professor of Spanish, and Director of Spanish for Health Professions, recently partnered with Waco Family Medicine to develop a practical solution to the shortage of qualified medical interpreters.

Medical Humanities professor, Walter M. "Sparky" Matthews, M.D., B.A. '92, has been selected by Baylor's 2026 Senior Class as the Collins Outstanding Professor.

This year’s Medicine as Ministry Retreat offered students and faculty a sacred space to pause and reflect on what it means to live out our purpose in Jesus—especially within the vocation of healthcare. In partnership with Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF), the retreat continues a 26-year tradition that has become the heart and soul of the Medical Humanities Program. CCHF seeks to engage, equip, and encourage Christians to live out the gospel through healthcare among those experiencing poverty, and partners with Baylor Medical Humanities to create intentional space for reflection on the sacred nature of a calling in medicine.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Medical Humanities! As this semester comes to a close, we want to thank everyone for making it such a meaningful and memorable one. It’s been a great semester filled with engaging conversations, collaboration, and a lot of exciting events that brought our community together. We’re grateful for all the energy and creativity you’ve shared with us, and we’re already looking forward to the new year. The spring semester has many more exciting events and opportunities ahead, and we can’t wait to continue the journey together. Wishing you a restful holiday season and a wonderful start to the new year!

Sofy Garza

Emma Hirth

Maiya Lam

Elizabeth Macarthur

Nicole Nolte

Kasey Pollard

Yuriana Robles

Ava Tobar

CCHF (Christian Community Health Fellowship) recently partnered with Baylor University for the second annual Medicine as Mission Conference in Waco, TX, bringing together over 130 students and faculty to explore what it means to live out one's faith through healthcare. From campus classrooms to CCHF clinics nationwide, Baylor students are discovering how medicine can be a powerful expression of the gospel. 

The Annual DeBakey Lecture Series once again brought meaningful insight to the medical community with a powerful talk by Stephen J. Spann, MD, MBA, an alumnus of both Baylor University and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Spann is the founding dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston.

In June 2025, volunteers from the Paraguay Baptist Medical Center Foundation (PBMCF) partnered with Centro Médico Bautista (CMB) to deliver compassionate care through mobile clinics across four Paraguayan communities: Cabañas - Ca’acupé, Choré - San Pedro, Atyrá, and Areguá.

Our Medical Humanities Program kicked off the semester by welcoming incoming students during Baylor’s Welcome Week.

The Medical Humanities Program is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Ekaterina Lomperis to the Inaugural Orr Family Chair in Medical Humanities & Christian Faith.

Helping future medical professionals understand what they can realistically expect on the job is one of the goals of the prehealth programs within the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences. And having prehealth students spend time with Baylor alumni who are working in the healthcare field has been a successful way to accomplish that goal.

The Medical Humanities Program extends its heartfelt congratulations to all of our Spring 2025 graduates.

Viriditas: The Soul of Medicine is a new, student-led magazine affiliated with the Baylor Medical Humanities Program. This magazine is dedicated to offering a platform for Baylor students who are passionate about healthcare. Through prose, poetry, and visual art, the publication aims to bridge the gap between medicine and the arts in the Baylor community and beyond.

These outstanding students have been chosen as the 2025-2026 DeBakey Scholars.  Top row:  Avery Millington, Sofy Garza, Sofia Neumann, Miriam Daniel, Hannah Yi, Gracie Gatte, Ava Stagner.  Bottom row:  Adam Crone, Carlos Alvarado-Richter, Riley Davis, Rajiv Edara, Colton Johnson.

Medical Humanities students Emma Fraga and Mallory Abbott, pictured with faculty member Dr. Emilie Cunningham, were honored at the Honors Academic Convocation on April 4, 2025.

Medical Humanities professor, Dr. Jason Whitt, is one of eleven professors honored with Outstanding Faculty Awards for teaching, scholarship and contributions to the academic community for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Three Medical Humanities students have been named finalists for the prestigious Fulbright Award for the 2025-26 cycle.  They are Hannah Anderson, a University Scholar with a Medical Humanities minor, and Medical Humanities majors, Aron Basurto and Abigail Pitts.  We are so proud of these amazing students!

Dr. Pui Him Ip and Dr. Pavlina Kasparova with the Faraday Institute at Cambridge University visited Baylor recently to talk to students about their study abroad program.  This one semester program aims to provide an immersive global experience in the contemporary intellectual dialogue between science and religion.

Students, faculty, and area physicians had the opportunity to reflect on the intersection of healthcare and faith at the Medicine as Ministry retreat held at DaySpring Baptist Church in Waco.  This yearly event is sponsored by the Medical Humanities Program at Baylor University and Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF).

Baylor University has a long tradition of training healthcare providers who influence how the best care is delivered to patients in Texas and beyond.  Ali Villagran, Baylor alumna and rising star in the medical field, reflects how Baylor's unique blend of science, research, and academic rigor shaped her career.

Check out some of our courses being offered in Spring 2025!

Some of our fall graduates reflect on their time and experience in Medical Humanities at Baylor University.

A list of the newest graduates from the program.

A very warm welcome to our fall 2024 incoming students!  

The Medical Humanities Program hosted Houston cardiologist and Baylor alum Dr. Marco Campos, who gave a presentation on “Success, Failure and Emotional Connection in the Practice of Medicine.” Students got the chance to hear a firsthand testimonial of a vocation that must balance the demands of managing the business of healthcare delivery and supporting families during their most significant moments

Hannah Yi interned at Mayo Clinic in the Biomedical Ethics Research department.

Izzy Russo reflects on her time and the lessons learned at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion Summer Course.

Images, a recap and a way to join the Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF).

“Strive for excellence, nothing less.” - Dr. Michael E. DeBakey

Many people receive massage therapy and for many reasons.  But according to a new study by Baylor researchers, the prevalence of visits to massage therapists is higher than one might have imagined and the reasons may be surprising.

Read all about the latest happenings in Medical Humanities in the spring 2024 newsletter!

The Medical Humanities Program is proud to announce the 2024-2025 DeBakey Scholars!  Top row:  Lawrence Edmond, Katrina Nguyen, Ruth Mercer, Isabelle Russo, Emma Nicell, Carlos Alvarado-Richter.  Bottom row:  Jessica James, Emma Fraga, Hannah Yi, Mallory Abbott, Aron Basurto, Abigail Hills, Madilyn Johnson.  Not pictured:  Nia Spilotro.

Congratulations to these outstanding students!

Alagu Subramanian, B.A. ’23, who studied at Baylor University as a University Scholar with concentrations in biology, medical humanities and business administration, is among 16 recipients of the prestigious and highly selective Churchill Scholarship in science, mathematics and engineering, announced by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States.

DIGNITY FOR DEEPLY FORGETFUL PEOPLE
How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease
By Stephen G. Post

Thursday, April 18, 2024

5:00 PM

Baylor Sciences Building Room D110

 

Medical Humanities students at Baylor go beyond scientific mastery to better understand the human experience of patients and practitioners.

Students explore person-centered care at the intersection of science and the humanities.

Baylor University announced a $2 million gift from Scott and Susan Orr of The Woodlands, Texas, establishing the Scott & Susan Orr Family Endowed Chair in Medical Humanities & Christian Faith to support teaching, mentorship and innovative research in the Medical Humanities Program within the College of Arts & Sciences. This endowed chair brings the total number of new endowed chair and faculty positions funded by the Give Light campaign to 45.

Gil Ruiz, a distinguished alumnus of Baylor's Medical Humanities Program, is making waves in the realm of government and policy.  Gil's journey from Baylor's Medical Humanities Program to Capitol Hill is a testament to the program's transformative impact. 

Medical Humanities major, student ambassador, and office assistant, Isabelle Russo, discusses her academic journey at Baylor in an article posted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Congratulations to the 2023 DeBakey Scholars!  They are Lily Weir, Marie Boone, Joy Moore, Isabelle Russo, Allen Dao, Mikaela Kim, and Kayleigh Mann.

Grief is an all too common and all too under-discussed experience.  Our own Dr. Bill Hoy discusses grief in a Second Rodeo podcast.

Alagu Subramanian's role as first author of the paper published in Nature Scientific Reports demonstrates the students involved in Medical Humanities can hold their own with anyone in the sciences!

This semester, the Medical Humanities Program created a unique opportunity for MH major, Hunter Walker, to shadow local general dentist and MH lecturer, Dr. Terry Lassiter. 

This fall, the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP) will be presenting its inaugural award named in honor of retired Baylor University philosopher Dr. S. Kay Toombs.

The Medical Humanities Program is proud to announce the 2022 DeBakey Scholarship recipients. Pictured here with Dr. Barron are: Isaac Montgomery, Marigrace McDowell, Molly Shoemaker, Katie Hutcheson, Hunter Walker, Alison Jung, and Nevaeh Gomez.

Congratulations to the 2021 DeBakey Scholarship Recipients: Maya Ewing, Esther Jeong, Ebun Ojo, Caitlin Banks, Alexa Vielledent, and Claire Ramos.

Dr. Lauren Barron, the inaugural DeBakey Chair of Medical Humanities, shares how the program partners the humanities with science education to holistically prepare those going into the medical field.

WACO, Texas (January 22, 2021) — Baylor University expects its massive COVID-19 testing program to leave a legacy that far outlasts the pandemic itself.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 19, 2021) — Variation in consumption of market-acquired foods outside of the traditional diet — but not in total number of calories burned daily — is reliably related to indigenous Amazonian children’s body fat, according to a study led by Baylor University that offers insight into the global obesity epidemic.

WACO, Texas (January 19, 2021) – Students, faculty and staff were required to mail in a COVID-19 test result before returning to campus Tuesday, and now they will be required to get a test on an assigned day each week.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 7, 2020) – Brief “huddles” — rather than a barrage of emails and texts about safety and risk — may be the fastest and simplest way for hospital workers to avoid communication overload as they deal with the flood of COVID-19 cases, a Baylor University researcher says.

COVID-19 and protests for social justice have shined a spotlight on society’s inequities and most vulnerable people.

Dr. Lauren Barron is one of the reasons why Baylor University has the nation's preeminent, student-focused, Christian undergraduate medical humanities program, inspiring students to become compassionate healthcare leaders. Sic'em, Dr. Barron!

Our own Dr. Bill Hoy is quoted in the November issue of National Geographic on the topic of navigating grief through COVID-19.

We are celebrating a $2 million gift to Baylor from The DeBakey Medical Foundation of Houston that will create The Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Selma DeBakey and Lois DeBakey Chair for Medical Humanities while advancing the Health Initiative within Illuminate. The DeBakey family’s legacy in higher education and the medical profession is truly inspiring, and we are honored that their legacy will continue through the distinguished faculty who will hold The DeBakey Chair. The inaugural holder is our own Lauren Barron, M.D., director of the Medical Humanities program, who provides leadership, mentorship and inspiring instruction to pre-health students who embrace the sacred nature of a vocation in medicine.

we are celebrating a $2 million gift to Baylor from The DeBakey Medical Foundation of Houston that will create The Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Selma DeBakey and Lois DeBakey Chair for Medical Humanities while advancing the Health Initiative within Illuminate. The DeBakey family’s legacy in higher education and the medical profession is truly inspiring, and we are honored that their legacy will continue through the distinguished faculty who will hold The DeBakey Chair. The inaugural holder is our own Lauren Barron, M.D., director of the Medical Humanities program, who provides leadership, mentorship and inspiring instruction to pre-health students who embrace the sacred nature of a vocation in medicine.

An original paper by Dr. Jeff Levin published in the Journal of Religion and Health, June 2, 2020.

Temple Beth El of South Orange County, O’Connor Mortuary, and Vitas Healthcare Presents Certainty in the Midst of Uncertainty: A Conversation About Moving Forward in the Face of Loss and Anxiety With Dr. Bill Hoy, Cantor Fran Chalin, Rabbi K’vod Wieder, and Becky Lomaka

Dr. Jeff Levin considers how the institutional and spiritual resources of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism can contribute to better mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an article in the Waco-Tribune Herald, Dr. Attas writes about mixing politicians and pandemics.

"How the World Has Learned to Grieve in a Pandemic" Pandemic restrictions have meant that many people have died or grieved alone.

In his new book, "Religion and Medicine A History of the Encounter Between Humanity's Two Greatest Institutions", Dr. Jeff Levin details the history of religion and medicine.

Dr. Hoy's latest post from his blog "Crossroads Loss.Life.Faith"

Medical Humanities professor, Dr. Bill Hoy, has created a new blog called "Crossroads. Read his submission "Forgetting the Past" here.

Baylor professors, Dr. Bill Hoy (Medical Humanities) and Dr. Helen Harris (Social Work) donate tablets for patients at Providence Hospice.

Our own Dr. Bill Hoy and Dr. Helen Harris from the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work have written an article about the unintended consequences of COVID-19.

Dr. Jeff Levin, University Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, Professor of Medical Humanities, and Director of the Program on Religion and Population Health at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor, speaks about current issues in this Q&A.

Applications are due by 5:00 PM on Monday, March 16th.

Read about all the exciting things that have been going on in Medical Humanities this semester.

The Armstrong Browning Library, along with the Medical Humanities Program at Baylor University, proudly welcomed Dr. Lesa Scholl from the University of Adelaide in Australia as its Benefactor's Day lecturer for 2019.

Lauren Barron, M.D., Director of the Medical Humanities Program at Baylor University, will be discussing the importance of the human presence as the center focus of healthcare and how the humanities have shaped her education and medical practice.

Dr. Fleeger is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon and managing partner of his nine-member group practice in Austin, TX. One of his priorities is to remove barriers between physicians and the patients who need their care.

Three chords and the truth. That’s a theme that Dr. Lauren Barron references when she’s talking about music as well, especially the music that she enjoys singing.

Lauren Barron, M.D., is a family physician who serves as director of Baylor’s Medical Humanities Program. In this First Person essay, she describes how Baylor prehealth students are receiving valuable training and research skills through volunteering at Waco’s Family Health Center.

Baccalaureate programs in medical humanities are rapidly growing in popularity across the United States. With 613 currently enrolled students, the Medical Humanities program at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is one of the largest undergraduate degree programs of its kind in the nation.

Baylor partners with Waco's Family Health Center to address health concerns for area residents.

We all know that making it through medical school is one of life’s greatest challenges, but is it worth the long hours and sleepless nights? And are medical students able to maintain some semblance of a social life? Can they even, pray tell, be successful and –– married? To find answers to these and other questions, we turned to one of Baylor’s best and brightest couples, who are both attending Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” Those immortal words of Charles Dickens are being taken to heart by Baylor Arts & Sciences students as they give thousands of hours of service to others each year.

Dr. Eric Cassell, physician, clinical professor, and author is the most recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Humanities, presented by Baylor University’s Medical Humanities Program.