Linda Livingstone

Linda Livingstone
Born	Linda Ann Parrack
Birthplace	Perkins, Oklahoma, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	University administrator, professor, businesswoman
Title	15th President of Baylor University
Known for	President of Baylor University since 2017
Education	Ph.D. in Management, Oklahoma State University
Spouse(s)	Brad Livingstone
Children	1
Website	[https://www.baylor.edu/president/ Official site]

Linda Ann Parrack Livingstone is an American academic administrator, management scholar, and university president who has served as the 15th president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, since June 1, 2017. A native of Perkins, Oklahoma, Livingstone rose through the ranks of academia from faculty positions in management to deanships at two major business schools before assuming the top leadership post at one of the largest Baptist universities in the world. Her appointment came during a period of institutional transition at Baylor, and she has since overseen significant developments in the university's academic programs, research profile, campus infrastructure, and athletic programs. Prior to her presidency, she served as dean of the George Washington University School of Business from 2014 to 2017 and spent more than two decades on the faculty and in administrative roles at the University of Oklahoma. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, where she completed her doctoral studies in management, Livingstone has built a career defined by expertise in organizational creativity, person-environment fit, and strategic leadership in higher education.

Early Life

Linda Ann Parrack was born and raised in Perkins, Oklahoma, a small town located in Payne County in north-central Oklahoma. Growing up in rural Oklahoma, she developed an early connection to the state's educational institutions that would shape her professional trajectory. Perkins, with a population of only a few thousand residents, is located near Stillwater, Oklahoma, home to Oklahoma State University, where Livingstone would eventually pursue her advanced education.

Details about Livingstone's childhood and family background in Perkins reflect the values of a small-town Oklahoma upbringing. Her path from a rural community in Oklahoma to the presidency of a major research university has been noted by observers as a testament to her persistence and work ethic. The qualities of tenacity and dedication that characterized her early life have been cited as foundational to her later achievements in academia and university administration.

Education

Livingstone attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where she pursued studies in business and management. She completed her doctoral degree in management at Oklahoma State University in 1992, writing her dissertation under the supervision of Professor Debra Nelson.

Her doctoral dissertation, titled Person-environment Fit on the Dimension of Creativity: Relationships with Strain, Job Satisfaction and Performance, explored the intersection of organizational creativity with employee well-being and workplace outcomes. The research examined how the alignment between an individual's creative capacities and the creative demands and opportunities within their work environment influenced stress, satisfaction, and performance. This work established the scholarly foundation for Livingstone's subsequent academic career, which focused on management, organizational behavior, and creativity in business settings.

Oklahoma State University's Spears School of Business has recognized Livingstone as a notable alumna, highlighting her progression from doctoral student to university president as one of the institution's success stories.

Career

Academic Career and University of Oklahoma

Following the completion of her doctorate at Oklahoma State University in 1992, Livingstone began her academic career as a faculty member specializing in management. She joined the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, where she would spend more than two decades building her reputation as a scholar and academic leader.

At the University of Oklahoma, Livingstone progressed through the faculty ranks, conducting research in the areas of organizational creativity, management, and person-environment fit — topics that drew directly from her doctoral work. Her scholarly contributions in these fields positioned her as a recognized voice in management research. Over the course of her tenure at the University of Oklahoma, she moved into increasingly senior administrative roles, gaining experience in academic leadership that would prepare her for future positions at the dean and presidential levels.

Livingstone's time at the University of Oklahoma encompassed roles that spanned teaching, research, and administration. Her progression through the institution reflected a pattern common among academic administrators who build deep institutional knowledge before transitioning to broader leadership roles. The experience she accumulated during more than twenty years in Norman, Oklahoma, gave her a comprehensive understanding of how large public research universities operate, from curriculum development and faculty governance to fundraising and strategic planning.

Dean of George Washington University School of Business

In August 2014, Livingstone was appointed dean of the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB) in Washington, D.C., succeeding Doug Guthrie in the position.

As dean, Livingstone was tasked with leading the business school's academic programs, research initiatives, and external engagement in the competitive landscape of Washington, D.C., higher education. The George Washington University School of Business offered undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs, and Livingstone's leadership was focused on strengthening the school's profile and advancing its strategic goals.

Her tenure at GW spanned nearly three years, from August 2014 through May 2017, a period during which she developed experience in leading an academic institution in a major metropolitan environment with a distinctly different character from the Oklahoma institutions where she had previously worked. The deanship at GW placed her in close proximity to national policy discussions and the business and governmental networks of the nation's capital, broadening her professional experience and visibility in higher education leadership circles.

President of Baylor University

On June 1, 2017, Livingstone assumed the role of the 15th president of Baylor University, succeeding Ken Starr, whose tenure had ended amid a period of institutional crisis. Her appointment was announced by Baylor's Board of Regents, and she became the first woman to serve as president in the university's history, which dates to its founding in 1845.

Livingstone's selection was notable given the challenges facing Baylor at the time. The university had undergone significant turmoil, and the Board of Regents sought a leader who could guide the institution through a period of rebuilding and renewal. Her background in management, organizational behavior, and academic administration was viewed as well-suited to the demands of the role.

As president, Livingstone has overseen a broad range of institutional priorities at Baylor, which is one of the largest Baptist universities in the world. The university, located in Waco, Texas, enrolls thousands of students across its undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, and Livingstone has been responsible for guiding the institution's academic mission, research enterprise, and campus development efforts.

Illuminate Strategic Plan

A significant initiative under Livingstone's presidency has been the development and implementation of Baylor's strategic vision. The Illuminate campaign and strategic framework outlined goals for the university's future in areas including academic excellence, research growth, campus infrastructure, student experience, and community engagement. Under this framework, Livingstone has worked to position Baylor as a university that integrates its Christian mission with aspirations for increased research productivity and academic distinction.

Athletics Leadership

As president of a major university in the Big 12 Conference, Livingstone has been closely involved in decisions regarding Baylor's athletics programs. In November 2025, following a period of public scrutiny and discussion about the direction of the football program, Livingstone announced that Baylor had undertaken a "comprehensive review" of its athletics leadership and the future of the program. At the conclusion of this review, she confirmed that head football coach Dave Aranda would return for a seventh season at Baylor.

In December 2025, Livingstone introduced Doug McNamee as the new Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Baylor. McNamee, who had previously worked at Baylor Athletics before departing to lead the Waco-based Magnolia franchise, returned to the university in a senior leadership role. The introduction event, held in the Mark and Paula Hurd Ballroom, drew a capacity crowd, and McNamee pledged to conduct a thorough reassessment of the athletics program.

In a November 2025 interview with the Waco Tribune-Herald, Livingstone discussed the state of Baylor's athletics department, the search for a new athletics director, and the broader considerations involved in managing a competitive intercollegiate athletics program within the context of a Christian university.

Campus and Community Engagement

Under Livingstone's leadership, Baylor has continued to develop initiatives focused on student success and academic achievement. In February 2026, the university hosted its annual Celebration of First Year Excellence, which recognized students — including international students — for their academic accomplishments during their first year at Baylor. International students at the event noted the university's resources had helped them transition into the academic environment.

The broader Waco community has also seen engagement from Baylor during Livingstone's tenure. In January 2026, the inaugural Level Up conference brought together businesswomen in Waco for a networking event aimed at inspiring and empowering participants. Such events reflect the university's engagement with the Waco community during Livingstone's presidency.

LGBTQ Inclusion Grant Controversy

In 2025, media reports indicated that Baylor University had received a grant from the Baugh Foundation to "foster LGBTQ inclusion in churches," according to Baptist News Global. The report drew attention given Baylor's identity as a Baptist institution and the ongoing national conversations within Baptist denominations about LGBTQ inclusion. The grant and the discussions surrounding it highlighted the complexities of leading a faith-based university in an evolving social landscape.

Personal Life

Linda Livingstone is married to Brad Livingstone. The couple has one child. She resides in Waco, Texas, where she lives in the university president's residence on the Baylor campus.

Livingstone maintains a connection to her home state of Oklahoma, where she was born in Perkins and spent formative years of her education and early career. Her tenure at both Oklahoma State University as a student and the University of Oklahoma as a faculty member and administrator gave her deep ties to the state's academic community.

Her personal background — growing up in a small Oklahoma town and rising through the ranks of academia — has been noted as an element of her professional identity and leadership style. Observers have pointed to her tenacity and dedication as characteristics shaped by her upbringing.

Recognition

Livingstone's appointment as the first female president of Baylor University, one of the largest and most prominent Baptist universities in the United States, was itself a historic milestone for the institution, which was founded in 1845 by the Republic of Texas.

Oklahoma State University's Spears School of Business has recognized Livingstone as a distinguished alumna, highlighting her career trajectory from doctoral student to university president as reflective of the school's mission to develop leaders in business and management.

Her scholarly work on person-environment fit and organizational creativity, rooted in her 1992 doctoral dissertation, contributed to the management literature and informed her approach to academic leadership and institutional strategy throughout her career.

Legacy

As of 2026, Linda Livingstone continues to serve as president of Baylor University, making assessments of her full legacy premature. However, several dimensions of her tenure are already notable. As the first woman to lead Baylor in its nearly 180-year history, her presidency represents a significant moment in the institution's evolution.

Livingstone assumed the presidency during a challenging period for the university and has been tasked with guiding Baylor through institutional rebuilding, strategic planning, conference realignment in collegiate athletics, and the evolving financial and competitive landscape of higher education. Her leadership during the period of comprehensive athletics review in late 2025, including the decision to retain head football coach Dave Aranda and the hiring of athletics director Doug McNamee, demonstrated her direct involvement in high-profile institutional decisions.

Her career arc — from a small town in Oklahoma through doctoral studies at Oklahoma State University, a long tenure at the University of Oklahoma, a deanship at George Washington University, and the presidency of Baylor University — illustrates a progression through multiple tiers and types of American higher education institutions. This breadth of experience has informed her approach to leading a complex, faith-based research university with a national profile.