The Friday, May 8, ceremony at 7 p.m. will award 52 doctoral and 261 master¡¯s degrees. On Saturday, May 9, 650 bachelor¡¯s degrees will be presented in two ceremonies ¨C 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.?

The 10 a.m. ceremony includes bachelor¡¯s degree candidates from?

• College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• College of Biblical Studies
• College of Health and Human Services
• College of Learning and Development
• Onstead College of Science and Engineering?

The 2 p.m. ceremony includes bachelor¡¯s degree candidates from

• College of Business Administration
• College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
• College of Leadership and Professional Studies?

Dr. Wes Crawford (’02 M.Div.), vice provost, will give the charge to the graduate class at the Friday ceremony. Kevin Washington (’11 M.A.), associate athletics director and athletics chaplain at Baylor University, will give the charge to the undergraduate class at both ceremonies on Saturday. Washington played football at Notre Dame and Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, earning bachelor¡¯s degrees in sociology and film and television and master¡¯s degrees in communication and biblical counseling.

All three ceremonies will be livestreamed; visit acu.edu/commencement for more information.??

Honorary Doctorate

At the Saturday morning ceremony, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ will award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Barbara (Bell ’50) Packer. Alongside her late husband and former Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ board chair, H. Lynn Packer (’50), she played an integral role in advancing the mission of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ through investment and support of initiatives that shaped the university¡¯s spiritual and academic identity. The Packer family¡¯s impact is reflected in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building, the Robert S. and Katherine Bell Chapel on the Hill, two endowed chairs in the College of Biblical Studies and the Packer Scholars program.

Outlive Your Life Award

In both Saturday ceremonies, Dr. Perry Reeves (’65) will be awarded the Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award. A longtime member of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s chemistry faculty, Reeves¡¯ love of teaching and research made him an inspiration and mentor to generations of future scientists, science teachers and medical professionals. The Outlive Your Life Award is named for its first recipients, Dale and Rita Brown, and for the book by Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ alumnus Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference. The award recognizes all types of servant leadership exhibited by friends or alumni of the university.

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Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action will host the Don Williams and Royce Money Distinguished Lecture Series May 1 at 7 p.m. in Chapel on the Hill in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building. The event, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed, is free and open to the public.

Gordon-Reed will be speaking on ¡°The Story of Our Founding and Its Impact for Us Today,¡± and the lecture is designed to help the community engage in collective remembrance, said Tryce Prince, executive director of the Carl Spain Center.?

¡°This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. America 250 provides us with an opportunity to practice what the Carl Spain Center refers to as ¡®collective remembrance.¡¯ We can courageously face our past, its triumphs and tragedies, knowing the power of God within us helps us realize our great potential,¡± Prince said.

Gordon-Reed is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. She has won 16 book prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize in history in 2009 and the National Book Award in 2008 for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. Her most recent book is On Juneteenth, a memoir and history of Texas. A selected list of honors includes a Guggenheim Fellowship in the humanities, a MacArthur Fellowship, the National Humanities Medal, the Frederick Douglass Book Prize, the George Washington Book Prize and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. She is a Texas-raised historian and appears as a featured expert in Ken Burns¡¯ recent PBS documentary The American Revolution.

¨C Wendy Kilmer

April 22, 2026

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More than 140 students from Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ and other nearby schools presented a variety of research findings and creative projects April 7 at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s 18th annual Undergraduate Research, Creativity and Innovation Festival.

A related event ¨C the Excellence in Oratory Forum ¨C took place the night before the festival, showcasing students¡¯ public speaking skills. A segment of the forum featured performances of scriptural passages and powerful speeches delivered by the likes of John F. Kennedy, Frederick Douglass, Barbara Jordan, Gabriela Mistral and C.S. Lewis.

At the festival, undergraduate students from Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ ¨C as well as McMurry University and Abilene High School ¨C shared the results of their research and projects. Attendees were able to observe findings and creative works across a spectrum of disciplines, including biology, engineering, physics, history, literary criticism, rhetorical criticism, biochemistry, biblical studies, missiology and marketing.

“This diversity reflects Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s commitment to helping train students to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength,” said Dr. Randall Fowler, director of undergraduate research, creativity and innovation. “This festival showcases the best and breadth of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, and I applaud our students’ hard work and dedication to their scholarly craft.”

The event concluded with a dinner and presentation of awards for top scholars, Faculty Mentors of the Year, and outstanding presentations, posters and speeches.

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The Fulbright IEA Program supports U.S. higher education administrators in building capacity for international education, fostering institutional partnerships and enhancing campus internationalization efforts. Through this grant, Morris will engage with Taiwanese universities and educational leaders to explore best practices in global education, strengthen collaborative partnerships, and expand opportunities for Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ students and faculty abroad.

¡°International exchange is vital to preparing students for lives of leadership and service in a global society,¡± Morris said. ¡°I am honored to represent Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ and to deepen partnerships that will benefit our students and our university community.¡±

Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals who teach or conduct research in affiliation with institutions abroad. They engage in cutting-edge research, expand professional networks, and often continue collaborations initiated overseas ¨C laying the groundwork for lasting institutional partnerships. Upon returning home, Fulbright Scholars enrich their campuses by sharing their experiences, inviting international scholars, and encouraging students to pursue study and research abroad.

Morris plays a key role in mentoring Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ students through the Fulbright application process each year, helping position them for competitive international scholarships and research opportunities. In the past 10 years, 17 Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ students have received Fulbright scholarships.

¡°Jason¡¯s leadership in the Honors College and the Lynay program reflects a deep commitment to academic rigor, global learning and Christ-centered service,¡± said Dr. Susan Lewis, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ provost and vice president for academic affairs. ¡°His latest Fulbright award underscores his excellence in research and scholarship, and his commitment to Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s mission to prepare students to lead and serve around the world.¡±

About Fulbright
Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable alumni include 62 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows, and 44 heads of state or government.

Each year, more than 800 individuals participate in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, while over 2,000 U.S. students engage in international study, research or English teaching assistantships through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Fulbright Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and additional support from participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations worldwide. The program operates in more than 160 countries.

¨C Wendy Kilmer

March 5, 2026

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Dr. Janet Donaldson began work in January as Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s vice president for research, and Dr. Lee Anne Paris has been appointed dean of library services and educational technology, effective Aug. 1, 2026.

Donaldson comes from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she was associate vice president for research and professor of microbiology, overseeing sponsored research administration, student research and innovation, commercialization, research development, and research analytics. She earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology and biological sciences from Mississippi State University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and Mississippi State University¡¯s College of Veterinary Medicine. She has held leadership roles at Mississippi State and the University of Southern Mississippi, including department chair of biological sciences and associate dean for research and graduate education.

Her research career has focused on exploring the mechanisms by which food-borne pathogens cause infections, especially Listeria monocytogenes. She has helped garner over $50M in research funding, has published extensively, and has contributed as a national and international reviewer and editor in microbial sciences.?

¡°Dr. Donaldson is passionate about the faith-based mission of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ and is excited to assist us in advancing our support of faculty and student scholarship and research activity,¡± said Dr. Robert Rhodes, senior vice president for academic affairs.?

Paris brings experience in academic leadership, library administration, accreditation, and faculty development. She currently serves as executive director of academic policy and curriculum at the University of Central Oklahoma, overseeing curriculum approval processes, key academic policy bodies, academic catalogs and campus curriculum systems, and serves as liaison to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and on UCO¡¯s Higher Learning Commission Writing Team.

Her previous roles include director of research and user engagement at UCO¡¯s Max Chambers Library and dean of library and instructional support and associate chief academic officer at Oklahoma Christian University.

Paris holds a Ph.D. in information and library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.L.I.S. from the University of Oklahoma, and a B.A. in English and Portuguese from Vanderbilt University.?

¡°Dr. Paris¡¯s scholarship and professional service reflect a long-standing commitment to academic libraries, digital learning and institutional effectiveness,¡± said Dr. Susan Lewis, provost and vice president for academic affairs. ¡°I¡¯m confident she brings the vision, experience and judgment needed to lead this portfolio in ways that align with Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s mission and strategic priorities.¡±

¨C Wendy Kilmer
Feb. 10, 2025

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Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ and The Grace Museum will host visiting Chinese artists and dignitaries from Jan. 15-17 for collaborative exhibitions, a public dialogue and a live painting experience, all part of an intercultural project conceived by Robert Green (’79), department chair and professor of art and design at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½.

The show in Ä¢¹½´«Ã½’s Shore Gallery, titled ¡°Boundless: A U.S.-China Collaborative Exhibition,¡± features works by Chinese artists: Zhai You, Gao Yun, Fan Lei, Shao Lian, Wang Ping and Wei Dong, alongside American artists: Dallas-area artist Bonny Leibowitz; Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ adjunct instructor of art and design Hollie Brown; Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ art and design professor Kenny Jones (’82); Abilene artist Polly (Compton ’82) Jones; and Green. A smaller companion exhibition entitled ¡°Boundless: Origins¡± will be in the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Brown Library, featuring works by Green and Chinese artist Sheng Dongqiao. Zhai, Gao, and Fan will be in Abilene for the openings and events. In addition, Chen Chunmei, minister-counselor for cultural affairs for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., will attend the opening of these exhibitions on Jan. 17.

Three main events are planned:

• Public Dialogue: A public dialogue between American and Chinese artists, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15 at The Grace Museum. A piano recital by Hanqiu Xu, visiting college assistant professor of piano and collaborative arts at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, will follow at 8 p.m. in the Williams Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.
• Opening Reception: The opening reception for ¡°Boundless: A U.S.-China Collaborative Exhibition,¡± 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Jan. 17, at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½’s Shore Gallery. This event will include a poetry reading by Dr. Steven Moore, professor of language and literature at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½; a musical performance by Austin-based actor Ryan Chu (’24); and opening statements by Green and Zhai. Zhai is vice president and secretary general of the Jiangsu Chinese Painting Society.
• Collaborative Live Painting: A public collaborative painting experience where Chinese and American artists will create two works together from 2-4 p.m., Jan. 17, at The Grace Museum.
  

All events are free and open to the public.

Green¡¯s project ¨C ¡°Boundless: An Intercultural Exhibition and Dialogue¡± ¨C centers around exhibiting Chinese and American art, along with public dialogue, in both China and in the U.S. The Chinese exhibition, ¡°Connecting Hearts Through Art: A China-U.S. Artistic Exchange¡± took place in May and June at the Yuan Contemporary Art Museum in Nanjing, China. Green and Kenny Jones traveled to China for the opening of the show. They were joined by Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ alumnus Allen Smith and Chinese-American artists Kiki Liu (a ceramicist from Los Angeles), Zhao Jianmin (from San Francisco), and Wang Qingxiang (from Brooklyn, New York). Two other American artists¡¯ works were included in the exhibition ¨C Leibowitz and Abilenian Jingyi Teng, although they did not make the trip to China.

¡°The greatest benefit of this exhibition is that it appears in China and America,¡± Green said. ¡°Though it will speak differently in each setting, it will amplify the importance of cross-cultural dialogues and creative initiatives on both sides of the Pacific.¡±

The concept for this project emerged about two years ago when Green connected with Sheng to discuss shared interests in Chinese art, and their conversations sparked the idea of exhibiting works together.?

¡°I was motivated to reach out to him because our paintings were indebted to traditional Chinese landscape painting styles that date back to the 18th century and beyond,¡± Green said. ¡°It seemed to us that as we were in dialogue with one another, so, too, were our works. Our paintings carried on a conversation with the past and with each other.¡±

The two collaboratively planned both events, developing a catalog of works and agreeing on exhibition titles.?

¡°We were also convinced that having the artists attend the exhibition, come to the opening reception, sit for a public dialogue with local audiences and include interactive elements were necessary to promote mutual understanding and respect,¡± Green said. ¡°The public dialogue will allow us to discuss our different approaches to artmaking and the things that we admire in the art of our respective cultures. Additionally, it will emphasize a theme of respect between Chinese and American people during an era marked by distrust and sometimes demonization.¡±

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For the fifth consecutive year, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ has been recognized by

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ ranked at #162, a 49-spot jump from the prior year. This increase in ranking is a testament to Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s commitment to enhancing students’ learning experience with career-oriented degree programs and experiences that are rooted in Christ.?

¡°We are deeply honored to once again be recognized as one of the nation¡¯s best online universities,¡± said Dr. Stephen Johnson, chief executive officer for Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Dallas. ¡°This acknowledgement reflects our ongoing commitment to provisioning learning experiences that are both academically rigorous and spiritually enriching. At Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, we strive to offer programs that are flexible, forward-thinking and grounded in Christian values.¡±

Newsweek curates its list with an independent survey of over 10,000 participants who chose online learning to earn their degrees. The survey evaluated colleges and universities that offer online degree programs in the following parameters: Overall Satisfaction, Institutional Indicators, Overall Recommendation, Organization & Accessibility, Support & Service, Cost of Program, Organizational Reputation, Expected Success and Practical Relevance of Contents.

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s online degrees are administered through the Dallas campus, offering 18 bachelor¡¯s degrees, 18 master¡¯s degrees, two doctoral degrees, five undergraduate certificates and eight graduate certificates. Each program is designed to provide students with applicable skills for their next role or new career. For more information about Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Online, visit acu.edu/online.?

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Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ has received

Lilly Endowment made the grant through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is intended to help theological schools across the United States and Canada strengthen their educational and financial capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future.

¡°This initiative, and the resources it makes available, represent a transformational opportunity for the GST as we seek to live out our mission to equip men and women for effective missional leadership for ministry in all its forms and to provide strong academic foundations for theological inquiry,¡± said Dr. Mason Lee, interim dean of the Graduate School of Theology.

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s Ministry Residency Program is a strategic initiative within the Graduate School of Theology to strengthen collaborative partnerships with experienced practitioners and churches. The year-long ministry residency undertaken by GST students and the other aspects of the program bring together accomplished ministers, faculty within the GST and local congregations in a process of mutual enrichment.

¡°We¡¯re seeking to form and prepare the next generation of ministers for the life of the church,¡± Lee said. ¡°Through partnerships with local congregations and ministry practitioners, this program provides holistic training and formation for those called to congregational ministry. It grounds that formation within a local congregation, and partners the GST with working preachers to develop systems of support for students that begin during their theological education but last a lifetime.¡±

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s Graduate School of Theology is one of 163 theological schools whose programs have received funding since 2021 through the Pathways initiative. Together, the schools serve a broad spectrum of Christian traditions in the U.S. and Canada. They are affiliated with evangelical, mainline Protestant, nondenominational, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic, Black church, Latino, Asian American, Indigenous and historic peace church traditions.

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For the seventh consecutive year, the student experience at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is one of the nation¡¯s best, according to the 2026

According to U.S. News & World Report¡¯s methodology, the are a?national benchmark of ¡°outstanding examples?of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success.¡± In the 2026 report, U.S. News recognized Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ in four categories ¨C and in the top 15 nationally in three of them. The university has been recognized in multiple categories each year since the benchmark¡¯s debut in 2020.

• #11 in Service Learning [highest-ranked Texas university]
• #11 in Learning Communities
• #13 in First-Year Experiences
• #36 in Study Abroad

One of the pillars of is to ¡°provide a vibrant student experience that strengthens Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s commitment to spiritual formation and leverages Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s national leadership in student success.¡±

The rankings come on the heels of an eighth consecutive year of record enrollment, with the university topping 7,000 for the first time. In the spring, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ was designated as a Research 2 university by the Carnegie Institute for Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education ¨C a milestone that reflects the university¡¯s intentional commitment to research growth and academic excellence.

¡°A national research university that is intentional about spiritual formation, impactful co-curricular experiences and forming lifelong relationships is unique in the higher education marketplace, and we¡¯re thrilled when others recognize the value of what we see happening every day here at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½,¡± said Dr. Phil Schubert, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ president.

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More than 7,200 students enrolled at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ this fall, marking the university¡¯s largest-ever student body and an eighth consecutive year of record enrollment. The student total of 7,274 reflects an increase of 787 students or 12% over last year, 37% over the past five years and 60% over the past 10 years.?

A large class of residential freshmen, an intentional focus on retention and continued growth in Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s online programs have all contributed to the eight consecutive years of record enrollments, said Dr. Phil Schubert, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ president.

¡°The high numbers we¡¯re seeing this year, and for the past seven years, confirm that students are attracted to our unique offering: a world class academic education delivered in a Christ-centered community,¡± Schubert said. ¡°We are committed to welcoming each of them as an integral part of our mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.¡±

This fall¡¯s record enrollment includes 1,031 new freshmen who come from every region of Texas, the continental United States and across the world with 22 valedictorians, one National Merit Finalist, two National Merit Semifinalists and 31 international students. Among the top programs of interest for incoming students are nursing, kinesiology, finance, psychology and management.

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½¡¯s overall undergraduate enrollment is up 10% compared to last year. Among residential undergraduates, first-year to second-year student retention hit a record 82%, and the university’s four-year graduation rate recorded an all-time high.

Demand continues to be strong for Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Online offerings as well, with online enrollment up 25% compared to last year. Undergraduate enrollment in online programs is up 39%, and graduate enrollment is up 13%.

Fall 2025 Quick Facts

• Total enrollment: 7,274
• Undergraduate students: 5,101
• Graduate students: 2,173
• Abilene campus: 3,675
• Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Online (Dallas):? 3,599
• International students: 212

This university-wide enrollment growth is supported by key institutional achievements, including the university’s new Research 2 (R2) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and the recent completion of a $300 million comprehensive fundraising campaign.

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