News

Baylor proudly announces the lineup of eleven dynamic speakers from across campus and Waco for its first-ever TEDx event, TEDxBaylor University: Innovation in Deeds. 

Whether you’re a Homecoming regular or this is your first trip to campus in years, you’ll want to start your Baylor Homecoming experience this year at the Hurd Welcome Center.

The Hurd will serve as “Homecoming headquarters” for visitors, with Baylor staff on hand Friday and Saturday to answer questions and help you connect with school/college/campus events — plus a host of activities, photo ops, student performances and more for Bears of all ages.

Returning to Waco for Homecoming? Make Homecoming at the Hurd your first stop. Located in the Mark and Paul Hurd Welcome Center at the corner of I-35 and University Parks Drive, this hub of information, performances and activities for the entire family is your Homecoming headquarters. 

Ty Myers will headline Howdy at the Hurd, hosted by Pi Beta Phi and Baylor University, a free students-only event on Friday, Sept. 19, outside the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.

Baylor University is thrilled to welcome back rising music sensation Forrest Frank with an exclusive pop-up shop experience from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 12, at Hurd Welcome Center. 

Alumni can rediscover their college home, visit familiar sights and see the new additions to Baylor’s campus on campus tours tailored just for them.

Whether you’re a Homecoming regular or this is your first trip to campus in years, you’ll want to start your Baylor Homecoming experience this year at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.

The Hurd will serve as “Homecoming headquarters” for visitors this week, with Baylor staff on hand Friday and Saturday to answer questions and help you connect with school/college/campus events — plus a host of activities, photo ops, student performances and more for Bears of all ages.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 15, 2023) – The new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center officially opened less than a week ago, and Baylor’s new “front door” is already packed with events for the fall semester.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 8, 2023) – Under bright blue Texas skies, hundreds of special guests and members of the Baylor Family gathered for a significant moment in Baylor University’s history – the official dedication of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the University’s spectacular new “front door” to campus at the corner of Interstate 35 and University Parks Drive.

Baylor has a new front door — a touchpoint welcoming current students, prospective students and alumni

WACO, Texas (Aug. 21, 2023) – Baylor University will celebrate the dedication of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – the University’s spectacular new “front door” to campus – with HOWDY at the Hurd, presented by Pi Beta Phi and Baylor University, a free students-only event at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, on the south lawn of the Hurd Center.

Since you’ve been away for the summer, we’ve made tons of progress on our extraordinary new “front door” to the University – the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center. The building is already open for you to explore, and even though we are still finalizing some of the finishing touches, don’t let that stop you from stopping by and taking a look.

The Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center will soon offer a range of new gathering opportunities for Baylor faculty and staff in addition to prospective and current students and alumni.

After years of planning and construction, the Hurd Welcome Center is a reality at last, now open to welcome Bears of all ages — prospective students visiting Baylor, alumni returning to campus, and faculty/staff and students looking for a place to meet or study.

WACO, Texas (July 20, 2023) – Mark and Paula dreamed of creating a space where prospective and current students, alumni and visitors would be able to learn about the University, visit for homecoming and games, celebrate events and find top-notch Baylor gear, all in one location. 

WACO, Texas (July 12, 2023) – One of the most striking features of Baylor University’s new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center is the four massive columns that start on the interior floor of Carlton Hall and extend 96 feet high, stretching through the building’s roof and into the sky. The columns are more than a striking architectural feature, though; they represent a deep symbolic connection to Baylor’s history while providing a unique technology-rich and interactive experience for the entire Baylor Family.

WACO, Texas (July 6, 2023) – Numerous details throughout the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center honor Baylor's history while simultaneously pointing toward its bright future. Some details are subtle nods to the campus, while others shine the Baylor light for all to see.

This fall, Baylor University will open the doors of the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the newest addition to its growing Waco campus. Many spaces, rooms and balconies of this show-stopping building carry with them the names of the alumni, parents and friends whose generous support of the Give Light Capital Fund fueled the construction and design of the many capital priorities of the Give Light Campaign.

WACO, Texas (June 6, 2023) – As the need for EV charging stations grows, Baylor University is getting ahead of the curve by bringing EV charging stations to campus, starting with installing a flagship charging station at the new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center in time for its grand opening in September.

This fall, Baylor’s new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center is set to open as a new “front door” to the Baylor campus. Located at the intersection of I-35 and University Parks Drive, the Center — generously funded by a gift from Mark (BBA ’79) and Paula Hurd — will be an obvious first stop for anyone visiting campus.

But it’s not just for prospective students; current students, alumni, and faculty/staff will also find a home at the Hurd. Here are just some of the ways the new facility will serve the Baylor Family: