Current Conyers Scholars (Residential)
Rahab Felix is a PhD student at the anthropology department of Baylor University. She holds a Master of Divinity from Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary. Her research interest lies at the intersection of Faith, Farming, Climate change, Food security, and Nutrition, a testament to her deep commitment to faith and social issues. Before her academic journey at Baylor, she garnered extensive experience in humanitarian work with several international faith-based non-profit organizations in Nigeria where she is originally from. Her work has particularly centered on improving the welfare of women and children and addressing the unique challenges of vulnerable communities. She has equally engaged with PROCMURA Africa and the Zaman Tare Project, both dedicated to promoting peaceful coexistence and mutual respect amongst different religious groups in Northern Nigeria, demonstrating her commitment to fostering harmony and growth in diverse community. Outside her academic pursuits, she finds joy in cooking, often exploring the culinary traditions of her heritage and spending time with her family.
Meredith Frey is a PhD student studying P-12 Educational leadership at Baylor University and teaches an undergraduate course on Leadership. Her research includes a focus on global education, AI in schools, outdoor education, and creating thriving learning communities within schools. She completed her undergraduate studies at Wheaton College in Elementary Education with a minor in Urban Studies. While receiving her master’s in educational leadership at Baylor, she taught elementary at a classical school and was a fellow with the Baylor Center for School Leadership. As a fellow, she did research in Pakistan focusing on empowering female teachers and students through sports education and leadership. Outside of research, Meredith loves connecting with people over coffee conversations and being active through run clubs, pickleball, and traveling.
Sarah Harris is a third-year PhD student in the higher education studies and leadership program in the department of educational leadership. Her research interests lie in the intersection of marginalized communities and their social and cultural capital, along with collegiate athletics, financial aid, and leadership development. Sarah is a member of Mosaic Waco and enjoys serving in the kids’ church and transportation ministry. Outside of Baylor, Sarah loves to watch the WNBA, travel around the United States, spend time with friends and family, and play fetch with her two border collies, Yeli and Rosie.
Tiffani Hoot is a proud first-generation, low-income, doctoral candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership at Baylor University. Before enrolling into Baylor University, her professional career focused on college and secondary admissions, retention, recruitment, and financial aid. She has a wealth of experience working with low-income students, first-generation students, and students of color at various higher education institutions and high schools. Her research passions center around the conceptualization of college readiness and the history of higher education. Specifically, she focuses on Early College High Schools, college pathways, enrollment management, financial aid, dual enrollment, and dual credit.
Adam Lyons is a first-year PhD student in the Historical Studies area of the Religion Department. His research interests include the contemplative elements present in the early life of Howard Thurman as well as the religious development of the Texas borderlands in the decades surrounding the Mexican Revolution. He holds a BA in Philosophy from Baldwin Wallace University near Cleveland, OH, the place of his birth. At Princeton Theological Seminary he received an MDiv and a Master of Arts in Christian Education and Formation, specializing in spiritual formation and mission. He is a spiritual director and an ordained Chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve. Adam likes to pursue diverse interests, from cooking to playing sports, and he has lived in a minivan as a digital nomad.
Linda Moldovan is a third-year PhD student in Historical Studies in the Department of Religion. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she earned her Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Portland Seminary. Her research focuses on the intersection of migration, religion, and gender, with particular attention to the Romanian Pentecostal community she is a part of. Her bilingual background allows her to navigate and understand her community with greater depth and nuance. She is also an editorial assistant at Baylor’s Institute for Oral History, where she has conducted several projects related to the Romanian Pentecostal community in the United States. Linda volunteers at her local church and provides administrative support for two Romanian Pentecostal-based nonprofits. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing—and winning at—backgammon, and spending time with family.
Kara Petit is a third‑year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Baylor University. Originally from Tampa, Florida, she earned her BS in Psychology and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2024. Her research interests include how maternal health behaviors during pregnancy shape long‑term child outcomes, with a particular interest in biopsychosocial mechanisms that influence early development. Clinically, Kara hopes to pursue a career in an academic medical center, providing evidence‑based care for children with chronic health conditions and supporting their families through critical developmental periods. She is deeply committed to expanding access to high‑quality psychological services for vulnerable and underserved communities. Outside of her academic and clinical work, Kara enjoys running, baking, and spending time with her friends and her two cats.
Carol Raymond MEd, MS, is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology at Baylor University.
Originally from Montana, she has called Texas home since 2000, when a six-week youth and
music ministry internship led to an unexpected professional pathway. Her eclectic academic
background includes bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Music Education, master’s
degrees in Gifted Education and Psychology, an Educational Diagnostician certification, and a
Certificate in College Counseling. Her dissertation examines the experiences of individuals who
are both gifted and autistic and who received one or both identifications in adulthood, exploring
how late identification shapes their sense of belonging, identity, and understanding of
educational supports. Her broader scholarly interests include the use of large language models to
more accurately and effectively identify and serve neurodiverse individuals. Carol enjoys
partnering with her husband, Mike, a pastor in Bosqueville, Texas, in ministry through music
and discipleship.
Robbie Ridder is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. His research interests bridge personality and organizational psychology and pertain primarily to the development of moral character in leaders. Specifically, he studies how religion and spirituality motivate moral development, how the exhibition of virtue in goal pursuit promotes performance and well-being, and how leading with character impacts followers for good. Before starting his graduate studies, Robbie earned his BA in psychology at Baylor University and worked as a post-baccalaureate researcher in the BRIGHTS Center, an interdisciplinary research group. Outside of his research, Robbie enjoys going on long walks with his wife, reading epic poetry, cooking, and working on DIY home projects.
Amelia Slusser is a PhD candidate in Dr. Aaron Wright’s group with the Biology Department. She is studying the interactions between the gut microbiome and the host through disruptions in the gut-brain-axis during psychological stress. Additionally, she is interested in microbial ecology and is studying the impacts of vitamin B12 availability on bacterial community dynamics. Amelia has always had a love of the natural world, and before coming to Baylor, Amelia earned her BS in Environmental Biology, with minors in chemistry and psychology, from Liberty University. While at Liberty, Amelia’s undergraduate research focused on the effects of herbicide runoff on freshwater ecosystems. Outside of her work, Amelia attends Christ Church Waco and enjoys swimming, hiking, seeing animals at the zoo, drinking tea, and spending time with her husband.
Lanie Walkup is a PhD candidate in the Department of Religion. She studies New Testament and early Christianity, and her research focuses on the Gospel of Luke under the Roman empire. Specifically, her work engages topics of gender, empire, and narrative criticism and explores the social, religious, and political ideology of the family in the first century alongside the Lukan construction of family. She is associate editor for the journal Perspectives in Religious Studies. After receiving her BA in Ancient Languages from Wheaton College, IL, she spent time church planting in SE Asia and working at a high school in inner-city Chicago before pursuing her MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. During her master's degree she taught Elementary Greek to seminary students. Outside of research and writing, she enjoys baking, CrossFit, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Logan, and their dog, Bean.