Baylor Engage Fellows Program Is Now the Vardaman Scholars Program; Applications Open Through March 29

The Office of Engaged Learning is pleased to announce that the Baylor Engage Fellows program has been renamed the Vardaman Scholars program in honor of Dean Elizabeth Vardaman, with applications for the 2026-27 Vardaman Scholars cohort now open for incoming second- and third-year students.

The Vardaman Scholars program fosters a vibrant community of students integrating their scholarship, citizenship, and leadership in pursuit of the common good. Guided and mentored by Baylor faculty and staff, Vardaman Scholars gain access to research, civic, and leadership opportunities; join a diverse cohort engaged in mutual learning and reflection about lives of purpose and impact; and take two formational one-hour courses that offer key frameworks and opportunities for engaged scholarship and service. Scholars find deep belonging through the program's four "houses" and through community breakfasts throughout the year.

All entering Vardaman Scholars begin with the Curriculum Year, taking PPS 1101 Learning for the World in the fall and PPS 2101 Community-Based Global Learning (CBGL) in the spring, both of which introduce frameworks for scholarship, leadership, and civic engagement and involve service opportunities in Waco. In the second year, called the Project Year, Scholars carry out an engaged learning project of their own design, guided by faculty and staff mentors. In the Leadership Year, the final year of the program, Scholars serve as Baylor's engaged learning student leaders, leading houses, mentoring peers, helping direct OEL programming, and preparing for their next steps beyond Baylor.

A Stronger Structure for a Deeper Experience

The rebrand comes alongside two meaningful if slight changes to the program's structure. First, students admitted to Vardaman Scholars now commit to the program's full duration from the start—three years for rising sophomores, two for rising juniors. Second, Learning for the World, which previously served as an introductory course taken before applying to the program, is now the first course in the Curriculum Year, ensuring all Scholars build a shared foundation together from day one.

"The students who gain the most from this program are the ones who commit fully and deeply and build something meaningful over the course of their time at Baylor," said Mark Richards, associate director for operations, innovation, and programs. "These structural changes are designed to support exactly that, from the moment a student joins."

Honoring a Legacy

"Our intention has always been to find a more enduring name for this program, and as our mentor, predecessor, exemplar, and friend, Dean Vardaman is the obvious choice for a namesake," said associate dean Andy Hogue. "For years, before any formal structures existed, she carried the torch for Baylor's most motivated students to gain access to research, civic, and leadership opportunities. The OEL itself is the product of her life's work. It is a profound privilege—and a responsibility we take seriously—to carry her legacy forward with the naming of the Vardaman Scholars."

Rising second- and third-year students are invited to apply to become Vardaman Scholars. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.