News

In Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, faculty are pursuing innovative research aimed at making a positive impact across the cancer journey—from prevention to treatment to survivorship. Driven by a calling to make a difference through their skills and expertise, these researchers are transforming lives, one study at a time. 

In Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, undergraduate students step into the research environment—labs, field sites, creative studios, and data projects—and find themselves reshaping how they think and learn. For many, their undergraduate research experience is a turning point in their academic journeys and personal lives. 

In 2025, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences researchers published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and publications. View examples from across the College, as well as a selection of grant-funded projects. 

Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences celebrates its 2025 Gold Standard recipients and Pure Gold award winners. These honors recognize faculty and staff for their exceptional contributions to the College through research achievement, teaching excellence, effective service, and/or contributions to building a positive culture.

Baylor University’s first-year experiences for students, along with its residential learning communities, rank among some of the best in the nation. The Outdoor Adventure LLC offers a unique opportunity for students: to combine their love for the outdoors with their passion for academics by selecting to major or minor in Recreation and Leisure Services, offered through the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation.

Baylor University debuted a first-of-its-kind research and development center on April 13 with the grand opening of the Arctic Acclimatization & Sleep Optimization (ARKTOS) Research Center in the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC). ARKTOS will develop knowledge products and biomedical technologies that assess and mitigate the impact of multi-stressor Arctic environments on sleep, cognition and human performance.

Every spring, the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation invites the Waco community to participate in FitCheck—a comprehensive health and wellness assessment staffed by undergraduate Exercise Physiology students. The assessment focuses on common physical assessments in clinical and fitness settings, interpreting assessment results, and applying findings for exercise prescription and chronic disease interpretation.

In Robbins College, faculty members and Baylor alumni Gabriel Benavidez, PhD, Kacie Dolezel, CCC-SLP, and Kimberly Smith, EdD, are enriching the Baylor experiences of the students they teach by drawing on their own impactful years as students of the University.

In this Q&A, Baylor University’s Master of Athletic Training alumna Emma Stratmoen, MAT, LAT, ATC, sits down with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) to talk about her mentors and how she is now giving back to the profession. Stratmoen currently serves as NATA Early Professionals’ Committee Chair. 

From classrooms to training rooms, Baylor University’s Master of Athletic Training (MAT) students spend their days preparing for the realities of a fast-paced healthcare profession. By following two student through a typical day, a clear picture emerges of how the program builds students’ knowledge, confidence, and clinical skills.

Clinical Professor Toby Brooks, PhD, MBA, ATC, CSCS, brings an uncommon dual perspective to Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences—as both a seasoned educator and a current graduate student. Blending experience in athletic training, teaching, and podcasting, he champions evidence‑based instruction while exploring how setbacks fuel growth. 

Baylor University graduate student Lydia Valtadoros recently accepted a prestigious award—the FMS/Peňáz Wesseling Travel Fellowship Award—for her abstract submission to the 2025 International Symposium on the Autonomic Nervous System. Today, Valtadoros shares about her opportunity to attend the national conference and to present her findings.

From groundbreaking academic launches to transformational research and outstanding student successes, 2025 was a remarkable year for Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. With its mission to enhance health, quality of life, and human flourishing, Robbins College made significant strides across education, research, outreach, and mission. Enjoy these 10 highlights from an exciting year.

Princesa Alvarez is on track to graduate in Spring 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science Studies, on the pre-medical track, and a minor in Spanish. She is a McNair Scholar, a Trailblazer Scholar, was named to the 2025-26 cohort of Provost’s Scholars—and on top of all these prestigious accomplishments, Alvarez is also the first in her family to go to college.

The Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation (HHPR) offers a unique Religion and Sport course, which explores the intersection of faith and sport. Led by Andrew R. Meyer, PhD, students examine Christian traits like initiative, patience, integrity, humility, respect, and perseverance, to foster deep discussions in a distinctly faith-based academic environment.

Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences is pleased to announce the appointments of new faculty across its departments, effective August 2025. 

In an effort to better equip faculty with the skills necessary to foster mentor-mentee relationships, Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences has partnered with the Baylor Graduate School to design and facilitate a pilot mentor training workshop. 

When Scott Ruane left his hometown in Ohio for Baylor University, he never imagined that Waco, Texas, would become the home base for some of his favorite memories. Now, having earned his degree in May 2025 from the Health Science Studies program’s pre-medical track, he is reflecting on his time at Baylor. 

As higher education costs continue to rise across the nation, Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences has announced the launch of a new scholarship initiative designed to support incoming students in the College’s online and hybrid graduate programs.

At the end of the day, while the Christian perspective of Baylor University’s program may be a draw for some students, the pursuit of a Master of Science in Medical Science (MSMS) degree is typically undertaken for a singular purpose—to elevate credentials and prepare for application to medical or other health professional schools. In this sense, a one-year 100% online medical science graduate degree becomes a very transactional encounter. However, in the Baylor MSMS program, the team’s goal is to make that transaction more of a transformation.

Cate Urbani, a Baylor University senior studying Exercise Physiology with a minor in Recreation Ministry, enjoys a deep love of learning and interest in female physiology and nutrition. This passion is prevalent in her multifaceted educational experience, ranging from her work as a volunteer research assistant to her next steps in pursuit of a graduate degree.

Following the launch of Baylor University’s Strategic Plan, Baylor in Deeds, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences promptly began work on its own unit-level plan. Using its strategic Signature Research Initiatives as a foundation—along with input from College-wide surveys, departmental conversations, stakeholder discussions, and leadership deliberations— the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences 2024-2030 Strategic Plan was born.

In Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, immersive trips offer chances to strengthen leadership skills, engage in research and clinical practices, and discover different cultures. These experiences would not be available without the Baylor University professors who develop curriculum, organize schedules, and juggle travel plans to ensure their courses make the greatest impact—both academically and beyond—for their students.

Internships play a critical role for students to gain hands-on experience in their chosen profession—and sometimes, they bring about unexpected moments that spark new perspectives. This was true for Health Science Studies senior Rubina Ramirez, who completed an “eye-opening opportunity” through the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation’s Direct Primary Care Immersion Experience program.

Physical Education (PE) is more than just a break from the academic school day to burn off extra energy. Instead, Baylor University alumni Karla Bailey-Harris and Kyle Combs say it is vital to students’ physical, mental, and social development, encouraging confidence and comradery through intentional movement.

The Do No Harm event, an interprofessional educational initiative hosted by Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences’ Interprofessional Education Committee, was designed to prepare healthcare students for real-world challenges. Held in March 2025, the virtual event engaged students and professionals from across healthcare disciplines, allowing them a unique opportunity to learn how to navigate complex medical scenarios involving patient safety, compassion, and collaboration across fields. 

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences internal seed funding award recipients! In addition to the Robbins College Research Program, this year saw the introduction of two new internal funding programs: the Pedagogical Scholarship Award Program and the Dr. Mike and Mrs. Micki Maris Endowed Seed Fund for Student Research.

Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment are exposed to an array of toxic side effects that can negatively impact their hearts. Baylor University researcher Savannah Rauschendorfer, PhD, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation is researching the effects of chemotherapy on the heart in adolescent and young adult cancer patients and how exercise can lead to overall survivorship. 

In the coming weeks, we can expect around three in ten Americans to make a New Year’s resolution. It’s the time of year to make a commitment to making life improvements. But how many of these determined resolution-makers will actually keep the promises they’ve made? We’ve asked some of the experts in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences for their thoughts and advice around making and keeping a few popular New Year’s resolutions. 

Cory Smith, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Services, has received a $149,683 award from Horses and Humans Research Foundation for his proposal, “Measurement of brain activation responses to equine interactions in youth with autism during a 10-week manual based therapeutic horseback riding intervention.”

With the New Year in sight, it is time to reflect back on the significant developments and exciting happenings from the past year for Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. In no particular order, check out these 10 highlights from Robbins College’s 2024 year in review.

Health Science Studies senior Thomas Statz is pursuing his calling at the intersection of the military and medicine by serving as an undergraduate researcher in the Human & Environmental Physiology Laboratory with Assistant Professor Cory Smith, PhD. 

Cory Dungan, PhD, and Michael Wiggs, PhD, Assistant Professors in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, have received a $355,600 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) to study the impact that eliminating certain “zombie cells” can have on the muscle health of cancer patients who have received chemotherapy treatment. 

With summer coming to an end, most Baylor University students returned to campus after spending their vacation at home or with family. Others, however, took a different route and spent their summer exploring the world through Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences study abroad programs. Join us now, as we look back at a recap of the summer’s study abroad trips! 

While a general link between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease is well known, Baylor University researchers are digging into the “why” behind this detrimental association – especially after a night of binge drinking – in a study published in the American Heart Association’s Hypertension journal.

Baylor faculty experts share practical strategies for fostering stronger holistic well-being for National Wellness Month in August.

Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of Savannah Rauschendorfer, PhD, as Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation.

This summer, a Baylor University undergraduate team from the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation brought home the gold. For the first time in university history, a Baylor team claimed the national championship for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting Student Bowl competition held in Boston, Massachusetts. 

With dreams of medical school on the horizon, applicants know that competitive advantages are incredibly important.

As Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences celebrates its 10-year anniversary, take a look back at its programs' histories, learn more about modern growth, and hear about the future of one of Baylor University’s fastest growing academic unit.

Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences established a set of high-level research initiatives to inform the prioritization of resources, including faculty hiring, infrastructure enhancements, and fundraising efforts. Here, we introduce the Robbins College Signature Research Initiatives to you by showcasing a current research project within each initiative. 

In 2023, Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences researchers published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and publications. Here we share examples of publications from across the College, as well as a selection of grant-funded projects from the last year—all supporting and strengthening the Robbins College Signature Research Initiatives. 

In his Fall 2022 semester kickoff address to College faculty and staff, Jason R. Carter, PhD, Dean of Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, described his vision for developing a culture within the College that emphasizes valuing employees and encouraging collaboration. One of the ways these priorities took shape was through the launch of the Robbins College Pure Gold initiative.

The J. Harry and Anna Jeanes Academic Honors Week is hosted each spring semester by the Baylor University Honors College and includes a special Academic Honors Convocation ceremony. During Convocation, outstanding students from departments across the University are recognized, including undergraduate students from Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.

Clinical Associate Professor Heather Hudson, EdD, LAT, ATC, is persistently pursuing excellence, growth, and opportunity in the field of interprofessional education (IPE). Hudson serves as Program Director for the Master of Athletic Training program in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation and as IPE Committee Chair for Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.

The journey for Brynn Johnson (MAT '20) has not been without its challenges. However, with the training and experiences provided by her Baylor education and an unwavering faith in God's plan for her, Johnson has persevered—all the way to the Super Bowl.

Baylor University is mourning the death of Jeff Forsse, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. Dr. Forsee died tragically in a farming accident on Feb. 24.

Each year, the Health Sciences Studies (HSS) program in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation (HHPR) offers a study abroad program in Belize, giving students the opportunity to gain real-world experiences in their field in a transformative environment beyond campus. Students worked alongside healthcare practitioners setting up field clinics in vulnerable communities, and also experienced the Belizean culture. 

With the New Year in sight, it is time to reflect back on the significant developments and exciting happenings from the past year for Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. Read more about 10 highlights from Robbins College’s 2023 year in review.

Kelli McMahan, PhD, CTRS, Associate Clinical Professor for the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, collected teaching experience and research ideas while on her three-week trip to a remote wilderness area in Alaska.

Baylor University researcher Joon Park, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation (HHPR), strives to redefine exercise at the cellular and tissue levels. He is looking under the skin to understand how it benefits our mitochondria and improves our health.

Justin Adeyemi, EdD, Lecturer in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, shares advice for spiritual and physical wellness—particularly for Baylor students.

On August 8, 2023, Jason R. Carter, PhD, celebrates his one-year anniversary as Dean of the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University. In this Q&A, Dean Carter shares his reflections on this past year along with his hopes and vision for the future.

The new Master of Science in Medical Science (MSMS) program in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation is designed to help prepare students and elevate their credentials for professional health schools or doctorates in research science. Here, students Luke Bubela, Damaris Flores, and Lesly Gil discuss their experiences, the faith-based aspect of the program, and how it creates community within a 100% online environment.

Dr. Cory Smith, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation is working towards improving survivability and task performance in austere environments. In this profile, get to know Dr. Smith and his research at Baylor.

Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of two new faculty members in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation. On August 1, 2023, Kimberly M. Smith, EdD, will join the faculty as Clinical Assistant Professor for Health Science Studies and Brent Dragoo, PhD, will join the faculty as Clinical Assistant Professor for Medical Sciences.

In the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, the internship experience junior and senior year is designed to provide students with the opportunity to shadow and participate in clinical and practical settings in their future professions. Two Health Science Studies students, Richie Akatue and Brianna Rodriguez, share about their internship experiences here.

Sam Grimm, a graduate from Baylor’s Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program, tells us about his experiences as a current injury prevention specialist at an automotive manufacturing plant. This Baylor grad shares about working with industrial athletes and the rewards and challenges that come with it.

Derrick Charo is a Class of 2023 Recreation & Leisure Services major in the Department Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, and as a Park Ranger Intern at Mother Neff State Park, he is learning to steward multiple ecological systems.

Baylor Health Sciences Studies senior Sydney Duke shares about making a life-saving peripheral blood stem cell donation, and how the experience made an impact on her life as well.

CSD students worked to improve child development in Rwanda, and HSS students worked to better health education in Costa Rica. These trips left students in both majors with a new perspective of their field as well as the world around them. 

This Valentine's Day, we caught up with three couples with ties to HHPR. In this article, they share their love stories and what they're doing now.

Mason Burrage-Burton is a high-achieving new Pre-Med alum who was a leader in multiple Baylor organizations. In this article, he discusses career goals, volunteering with minority students, and the mentors who have helped him succeed as a Black student entering a health profession.

This December, the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences honored its first-ever Pure Gold Award recipients at a celebratory reception and dinner.

As 2022 comes to a close, we are grateful to be celebrating a year full of noteworthy and impactful developments for Baylor University's Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. In no particular order, here are 10 highlights from Robbins College’s 2022 year in review.

Baylor Master of Athletic Training students worked with the Louise Herrington School of nursing to provide health screenings and education to homeless shelter residents in Dallas.

Health Science Studies alumna Ashley Feild is using her creative and scientific skills to help serve patients at Mosaic Prosthetics in Dallas, where she works as an anaplastology apprentice. 

Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences has appointed Nicole McAninch, PhD, CFLE, as Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate and International Studies.

A change in major helped to launch a successful 26-year (and counting) career in Parks and Recreation for Baylor alumna Annika Sacco. In this Q&A, Sacco shares how her Baylor education—and particularly her experience as a Recreation and Leisure Services major—has made an impact on her as a professional in the field.

From Kingdom building to sleeping horses to cheering on the Baylor Bears, get to know Jason R. Carter, PhD, new Dean of the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University, in this Q&A.