The School of Engineering and Computer Science Turns 30!
In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), the School is hosting events all year long for alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends. Pictured here is the annual ECS Tailgate Party at the Mayborn Pavilion on October 4. From expanded events at Baylor Homecoming to the new Alumni and Friends Awards Dinner, ECS invites alumni and friends to reconnect with each other and the School this year.
ECS is host to a series of events welcoming alumni and friends back to campus during the School’s 30th Anniversary in the 2025-26 academic year. Guests have special opportunities to reconnect with each other and catch the vision for the future of our School.
“As we celebrate 30 years of excellence at the School of Engineering and Computer Science, we honor those whose vision and dedication built the strong foundation for our future,” said Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science Daniel Pack, Ph.D. “Looking ahead, we seek to grow our academic programs, including aerospace engineering, bioengineering and materials engineering, as well as advanced computing and AI. Additionally, we plan to expand our research impact through strategic partnerships that strengthen education and innovation.”
Already this fall, 30th Anniversary ECS events have included Picnic Palooza (formerly known as Beach Bash) in September and the ECS Tailgate Party in early October. Baylor Homecoming Weekend (October 31–November 1) featured four events for alumni and friends, including Brunch with Dean Pack and three former deans, an interactive lecture on AI with Dr. Keith Schubert, Dr Pepper Hour at the BRIC and a Parade Tent Watch Party near Carroll Library.
On Thursday, November 13, ECS welcomes the first honorees of the School’s new Alumni & Friends Awards Program for a dinner and celebration of their achievement.
Rounding out the semester will be a Virtual Alumni & Faculty Reunion on December 16 for those who may not be able to return to Waco in person. ECS will host additional 30th Anniversary events during the spring semester, highlighted by a Research Showcase on April 13, 2026, where alumni, high school students, industry representatives and more can see the transformational research projects of our remarkable undergraduate and graduate students.
“We look forward to meaningfully connecting with as many alumni and friends as possible during this special year,” Lane Murphy, director of marketing and communications for ECS, said. “The School’s 25th Anniversary celebration was hindered by COVID-19, so celebrating ECS with our alumni and friends in a more meaningful way feels well past due.”
View the full schedule and RSVP to one or all of our fall events at www.ecs.baylor.edu/30th-anniversary-events.
New Awards Programs
Celebrating Alumni & Friends
As part of the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 2025-26, ECS launched a new Alumni & Friends Awards program.
“Over the past three decades, ECS has benefited immensely from the contributions of so many accomplished alumni, friends and supporters,” Daniel Pack, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, said. “We are creating new opportunities to more visibly celebrate their achievements, more thoroughly express our gratitude for their strong support, and more meaningfully recognize their dedication to Baylor and to ECS students, faculty and staff. Without them, and without this year’s incredible honorees, ECS would not be what it is today.”
The Bargainer Faculty Excellence Awards
Named in honor of the first dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, Dr. James Bargainer, the Bargainer Endowed Faculty Award recognizes faculty who demonstrate excellence in the School of Engineering and Computer Science in areas such as undergraduate teaching, graduate teaching, research and scholarship.
A pioneering Baylor professor and administrator, Bargainer (1935-2022) taught and led at Baylor from 1979 to 1999. Bargainer earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lamar University, a master’s from Northwestern University and a doctorate from The University of Texas in Austin. He married Joyce Bechtel in 1959.
In 1979, Bargainer became the director of The Institute of Engineering Science at Baylor. He guided the program for the next 20 years. Achievements included securing accreditation of several disciplines, one of which was the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1986. He became the first dean of Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science in 1995.
More details on this and other ECS awards programs for faculty and staff, students and alumni can be found at www.cs.baylor.edu/about/ecs-awards.
Coming Up
The ECS Virtual Alumni Reunion on December 16 is especially for alumni and former faculty and staff who cannot make it back to campus. Our signature event for the Spring is the ECS Research Showcase on April 13, 2026. This event at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center will feature the innovative research of some of ECS’s best and brightest undergraduate and graduate students.
RSVP to these and more events at www.ecs.baylor.edu/30th.
30th Anniversary Events
Fall 2025
Oct. 31: Homecoming Brunch with ECS Deans
Dr Pepper Hour at the BRIC
Nov. 1: ECS Homecoming Parade Tent Watch Party
Nov. 13: ECS Alumni & Friends Awards Dinner
Dec. 16: ECS Virtual Alumni & Faculty Reunion
Spring 2026
April 13: ECS Research Showcase