News

For many, fashion is a form of self-expression. For others, it’s a tool for survival. For Baylor University alumna Rachel Iacoboni, fashion is a way to uplift and empower marginalized women, specifically through her work with The White Rainbow Project.   

Congratulations to Baylor University’s Bachelor of Science in Interior Design program for meeting the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Professional Standards, and as such, being awarded accreditation for a term of six years, effective 2025.

Elisa Marroquín, who earned both her Master of Science in Exercise Physiology and PhD in Exercise Physiology and Nutritional Sciences from Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, was recently named the recipient of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Bluebonnet Award. This prestigious award honors an individual who is not a dietitian but who has significantly contributed to the promotion, recognition, or progress of nutrition and dietetics in Texas. 

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.

Baylor University faculty member Dr. Stanley Wilfong was reminded of "what a blessing it is" to serve as a professor to his students when they showed him that faculty and staff aren't the only members of the Baylor community with a caring Christian commitment.

One Baylor University faculty member in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences is celebrating a big win. Debra Harris, PhD, Professor of Interior Design in the Department of Human Sciences and Design, assisted in the planning and execution of evidence-based design for the new Waco Family Medicine facility—which recently won the Center for Health Design’s 2025 Gold Level Touchstone Award.

Currently, six students majoring in Nutrition Sciences with a Pre-Dietetics concentration are serving as Peer Nutrition Advisors, providing the Baylor University community with nutrition education, guidance, and personalized plans through one-on-one partnerships. The Peer Nutrition Advisement Program, assisted by the Department of Human Sciences and Design (HSD) in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, is a free resource open to all Baylor students, staff, and faculty. 

In today’s world—when toddlers can use a smartphone before they can tie their shoes—understanding how mobile media impacts child development has become increasingly vital. Mickey Langlais, PhD, CFLE, Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies (CFS) in Baylor University’s Department of Human Sciences and Design, is leading research to discover the effects of technology use on young children’s cognitive abilities.

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. 

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.

The holiday season brings warmth and joy – as well as excess clutter, waste and energy consumption. Baylor interior design expert, Elise King, M.I.D., M.A., shares simple and creative ways to decorate sustainably without sacrificing the festive spirit.

With Christmas shopping, holiday meals, traveling, and more—the season can be a very trying time when it comes to finances. An expert in family resource management and individual and household finances, Nicole McAninch, PhD, CFLE, Clinical Associate Professor of Child and Family Studies, shares valuable advice on how to financially navigate the holiday season.

The hype around the holiday season is quickly growing—and so is our appetite for those classic holiday meals. But with all the options for holiday foods, how do we enjoy a taste of everything without feeling that post-meal misery? Baylor University’s Nutrition Sciences faculty provided their top five meal tips to relish in the flavor of the holidays while maintaining a well-balanced, nutritious plate.

The Department of Human Sciences and Design (HSD) may be the most programmatically diverse and unique unit of Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. But it's this variety of expertise that allows the Department to take an exceptional approach to human flourishing through research, interdisciplinary cooperation, and translational impact. 

After four years in the making, Baylor University's Piper Center for Family Studies and Child Development has earned recognition as a Certified Nature Explore Classroom for its infant, toddler, and preschool outdoor classrooms. The initiative recognizes programs that have committed to providing an education that encourages children to use nature-based play as an intuitive way of learning. 

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! 

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

As the world eagerly anticipates the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the fashion scene is buzzing with excitement over the latest team fashion trends set to make a statement to the world.

Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) has established the Protecting Community Health (PCH) Task Force—to be led by Baylor University's Debra Harris, PhD—to generate guidance for populations in the wildland urban interface (WUI). The guidance will inform on environmental health hazards associated with wildfires and outline strategies for reducing human health risks before, during, and after a fire.  

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. 

Alumni of Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences are striving to improve health access and quality of life within their communities. While their professions differ, they all lead with a desire to “love thy neighbor” and to make an impact for those in need.

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.

In this interview for Psychology Today, Mickey Langlais, PhD, CFLE, Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies in the Department of Human Sciences and Design, shares his expertise on "situationships" and offers insights from his most recent research.

The Baylor Career Center reports that 100% of 2022 Nutrition Sciences graduates seeking employment secured a job within six months of graduation. Likewise, 100% of those seeking admission to graduate programs or internships were admitted. In 2023, once again, 100% of Nutrition Sciences students applying to internships or graduate programs were admitted and only one student was still seeking employment after six months. 

Red roses, heart-shaped boxes filled with candy, pink and red hearts everywhere—these are some defining tangibles for a day meant to celebrate love in relationships. Today is Valentine’s Day. On this day, many couples go out to dinner and embrace the excuse to celebrate their undying love. However, there remains a group of people who are staring at the happy couples in disdain. Who is this group, you may ask? Well, this is a tale of ghosts and zombies—those who have been left in the dust without a trace, and those who have risen from the grave (metaphorically, of course). 

Jason R. Carter, PhD, Dean of Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, has announced two key leadership appointments related to transitions within the College. Effective June 1, 2024, Nadine Welch has been appointed Associate Dean for Undergraduate and International Studies and Leigh Greathouse, PhD, has been appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Public Health.

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.

When Jeremy Chiang was looking at Nutrition graduate programs, he knew he needed to be at a school with a high-performing Division 1 athletics program, and Baylor University fit the bill. Fast forward nearly a decade, and Chiang is now the Major League Performance Nutrition Coordinator for the New York Mets organization working full time with the major league roster.

Baylor University Nutrition Sciences in the Department of Human Sciences and Design will host the first annual Nutrition Mythbusters Discussion Series examining organic vs. conventional farming at the Hurd Welcome Center on November 6, 2023 from 5:30-7:00pm.

Researcher Debra Harris, PhD, Associate Professor of Interior Design at Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, provides research support to projects focused on improving the lives and safety for all ages.

Baylor University researcher Leigh Greathouse, PhD, MPH, MS, RD, Associate Professor of Nutrition Sciences, is focused on cancer research by studying the significant relationship between our gut microbiome, nutrition, and chronic disease.

The expertise of Robbins College faculty ranges across the spectrum of health and wellbeing—including financial wellness. In this article from WalletHub, Dr. Nicole M. McAninch, Interim Associate Dean of Undergraduate and International Studies and Clinical Associate Professor of Child and Family Studies, offers advice on the number of credit cards a person should have.

Makenzie Henton, a senior Apparel Merchandising major from Carterville, IL, was one of 35 students selected from nearly 6,000 applicants to intern this summer at Champion Athletic (part of Hanesbrands Inc.). In this article, she discusses trend forecasting, making real-world business decisions, and how her Baylor learning connects with her internship experience.

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.

In May 2023, Dr. Funderburk and a team of primarily pre-med undergraduate students embarked on a life-changing trip to Azul, Dominican Republic. Alongside this group of passionate healthcare-focused students, Dr. Funderburk and Robbins College colleague Margo Shanks, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Health, dedicated their time to making a meaningful impact on the local community, and on the students who traveled with them.

Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael “Mickey” Langlais, PhD, CFLE, as Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies in the Department of Human Sciences and Design, effective August 1, 2023.

WACO, Texas (April 17, 2023) – Fast Fashion is the most popular trend in retail fashion today but has a devastating cost to the environment. Baylor fashion expert Jay Yoo, Ph.D., says consumers are learning more about the environmental impacts of fashion and searching for better options. 

Baylor Apparel Professor Dr. Lorynn Divita analyzes rising trends in Gen Z, especially resale and slow fashion, and how dry cleaners can appeal to this generation's values.

Professor Ruthie Davis serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies in the Department of Human Sciences and Design. As a faculty member in the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences and a current child life specialist, Professor Davis provides perspective on the child life class at Baylor, the profession itself, and her passion for her career. 

Nutrition Sciences alumna Breanna Campbell is using her passion for and experience in nutrition and dietetics to make an impact across populations in North Texas.

The new Interior Design Chapel program connects faith and major, giving Interior Design students the opportunity to explore Scripture, vocation, and the special calling that God has placed upon their lives.

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

After her inspirational experience at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), Haidyn Chudy, Baylor University Apparel Merchandising student, shares about her time spent learning from esteemed designers in this Q&A.

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.