Welcome to the Moody School of Education

Through the largest gift in the history of Baylor’s School of Education, the School has been renamed the Moody School of Education.

Baylor’s School of Education received a $30 million endowment gift from the Moody Foundation of Galveston, Texas, that will support scholarships for future educators and amplify research and outreach efforts. In recognition of this transformational gift, the School has been renamed the Moody School of Education. Announced in January, the endowment is the largest single gift to the School of Education in its 107-year history and one of the largest to the University.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Moody Foundation for this significant gift,” said Dr. Shanna Hagan-Burke, dean of Moody SOE. “Our School’s academic programs and applied research initiatives closely align with the Moody Foundation’s vision and help advance Moody’s goals. This transformative gift will strengthen and expand both ours and theirs. I am also deeply appreciative of what this means for future Baylor students, as it will open doors for so many to pursue careers in education – the profession that makes all others possible.”

Because the gift is endowed, the principal funds will remain at Baylor in perpetuity, with yearly earnings used to support five distinct areas:

• W.L. Moody II Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships to support students pursuing careers that serve P-12 education populations.
• Russell Moody Endowment for Disability and Flourishing will expand research and innovative programming that improve the lives of people with disabilities and equip a range of professionals to better serve individuals with disabilities.
• Frances Anne Moody Endowed Professorship for School Psychology will fund a new endowed faculty line to support a renowned scholar with expertise in school-aged children with mental health needs.
• Ross Rankin Moody Endowment for Developing Talent and Potential will support efforts to identify and serve students with high academic potential from low‑income areas and to provide early math intervention for young learners in high‑need communities.
• Elizabeth Lee Moody Endowment for School Leadership will provide funding to further expand the Moody School of Education’s engagement with educators throughout Texas and beyond through professional development and sustained collaborations with current and aspiring K-12 leaders and the schools they serve.

Frances Moody-Dahlberg, President and CEO of the Moody Foundation, said the gift underscores the Moody Foundation’s deep commitment to education and student success across Texas. “Baylor University’s Moody School of Education will play a critical role in preparing educators and advancing research, improving learning outcomes for all students,” she said. “We are proud to support this work and to help expand Baylor’s impact across classrooms, schools, and communities statewide.”

The gift to Baylor is part of the Moody Foundation’s $1 billion pledge to transform education in Texas by 2035. By focusing on early learning and postsecondary success through grants to institutions and nonprofits, the pledge is exemplified by major gifts and initiatives like the “M-Pact” Fund to support student experiences. This historic commitment builds on the Moody Foundation’s past giving, aiming to create long-term opportunities and address educational needs across the state.

“When I look back at the growth and direction of our School’s work over the past few years, I feel like God was preparing us for this opportunity, and I don’t say that lightly,” Hagan-Burke said.

As the School’s research profile continues to expand rapidly, Hagan-Burke emphasized the Moody School’s focus on hiring scholars whose research has broad societal impact to improve the lives of students within Baylor and in the world at large. Embracing interdisciplinary research engagement has accelerated this impact, she said.

“The most complex challenges in society are not likely to be resolved by a group of people who all have expertise in the same area,” she said. “We are expanding interdisciplinary research efforts to bring together the brightest minds across disciplines.”

Hagan-Burke said the five funds established by the Moody gift will touch virtually every aspect of the work of the School of Education, from undergraduate education to graduate programs spanning a range of disciplines, and research and outreach efforts within and beyond the School’s three centers.

When the announcement was made, Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone said, “This is a historic day for Baylor University, and we celebrate the Moody Foundation’s profound commitment to transforming education in Texas. Their generosity strengthens the essential work that begins with preparing outstanding leaders – teachers, principals, superintendents, clinicians, and educational researchers who help every student thrive. This enables Baylor to take bold steps in shaping statewide and national conversations around making education more accessible for everyone and advancing the quality of education across primary, secondary and postsecondary levels.”