As the year winds down, and before the work of 2026 comes alive, there’s a window of time where Baylor College of Medicine’s faculty, staff and students can join together and celebrate the year’s successes.

Food for Finals

December typically is a time for final exams in Baylor’s various schools. The Partnership, Baylor’s annual-giving society, hosted Food for Finals to fuel student minds as they prepared for end-of-year tests. Volunteers served pizza from Pepperoni’s.

Grand Menorah Lighting

For 35 years, the Aishel House in the Texas Medical Center has placed a menorah at Baylor College of Medicine and lit it each night of Hanukkah. On Dec. 16, the third night of Hanukkah, the Aishel House hosted a menorah-lighting ceremony with treats, crafts and a fire-juggling performance.

The menorah symbolizes divine eternal light that illuminates darkness, and Rabbi Peretz Lazaroff and others with the Aishel House reminded that in these times especially, “we don’t fight darkness, we light darkness.”

An Evening of Medicine, Memory and Art: Reflections from Hurricane Katrina

On Dec. 15, Baylor College of Medicine’s Office of Community Engagement, in partnership with the Humanities Expression & Arts Lab, hosted Medicine, Memory & Art: Reflections from Hurricane Katrina in the historic El Dorado Ballroom in Houston’s Third Ward.

The event served as a reminder of how storytelling, science and creative expression intersect to preserve collective memory, aid in healing and strengthen community trust. Framed around the lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina, particularly in Houston, the event created space for reflection, dialogue and connection.

Panelists included Dr. Sheri Fink, author of “Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital;” Erika Dickerson-Despenza, creator of the Ntozake Shange Social Justice Residency; Farren Clark, researcher and artist exploring Hurricane Katrina stories; and Dr. Brent Kaziny, associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor and recipient of Hurricane Katrina Code Grey Hero Award.

Drs. LeChauncy Woodard and Ricardo Nuila spoke also on the powerful nature of storytelling in medicine.

Holiday celebrations in the Texas Medical Center, beyond

From department holiday gatherings to the annual BEAR toy drive to a choir performance from the Silverado Sensations, Baylor’s faculty and staff know how to party at the end of the year.

Scroll through and find your friends celebrating. Happiest holidays from BCM Family!

Compiled by Julie Garcia, senior communications associate in the Office of Communications and Community Outreach