Around Campus

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The beginning of this summer has been an amazing chance for the First Gent and me to see the unmistakable Baylor spirit in action – this time across Europe. We are taking time to rejuvenate, but the best part of our trip has been seeing Baylor Study Abroad programs up close and personal.

Nada Dorman is the Garland School’s MSW Alicia Martinez Spirit of Social Work Award recipient, and this quote describes her life’s journey quite well. Nada was a non-traditional graduate student in our online MSW program. After working 20 years in the marketing/public relations profession, she decided to make a change. Even though her first career was full of exciting jobs like working with Netflix, she found this path not to be the one she was called to walk. 

“I’ve always had a helper spirit, but I studied communications, pursued a master’s [degree] and had a really exciting and successful career in marketing and PR, but it just wasn’t fulfilling,” Nada said. 

Lucy Huh, who researches adult clergy sexual abuse at Baylor University, said victims consider what they have to lose—their reputations, relationships, marriages, faith communities, and even their faith itself—and most remain silent, keeping their trauma to themselves. The result looks very different than what happens to people who have affairs. “Consensual relationships don’t result in trauma and lifelong suffering,” Huh said. New research done at Baylor in fact shows that survivors of adult clergy sexual abuse suffer rates of traumatization that surpass even war veterans. In a study that is currently being peer-reviewed for publication, professor David Pooler found 39 percent of adult survivors screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Sunseek Moon, Ph.D.,will spend his Fulbright year in Kenya teaching and conducting public health/social work research at the University of Nairobi's College of Health Sciences. Sungseek Moon, Ph.D., The Carl and Martha Lindner Endowed Chair for Global Studies and professor at Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, has been selected as a 2024-2025 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Kenya, joining an elite group of scholars who have received the prestigious and competitive fellowship from the U.S. government’s premier international educational exchange program.

A researcher and expert on adult clergy sexual abuse in the U.S. is working with survivors, advocates, academics, and emerging scholars to shed light on the pervasive issue and promote meaningful change within religious institutions.

Researchers writing on adult clergy sexual abuse (ACSA) often begin their literature review by recognizing that studies on ACSA are minimal. This limited research highlights the urgent need for collaboratives like the Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Advocacy and Research Collaborative (ACSARC) at Baylor University. In addition to deepening understanding of ACSA and its ramifications, ACSARC strives to help fill the knowledge gap, thereby fostering a more comprehensive understanding of ACSA.

Baylor’s largest funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) scholar, Dr. Danielle Parrish, is in the Garland School of Social Work. Her work focuses on empowering young women who are at risk of unplanned pregnancy, substance-exposed pregnancy and HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases with information and support that helps them make their own best choices for their future and their health.

The Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) has been empowering congregations to better serve their communities for the past 25 years. C3I provides research, training, and internships that equip congregations to address social justice issues, create welcoming environments, and walk alongside those in their community. Through its programs, C3I has helped congregations create positive change in the lives of countless individuals and families. This article celebrates the Center’s 25th anniversary and the many graduates and supporters who have shared their experiences and expressed their gratitude for the Center’s work.