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The affiliation recognizes that the Dukes School of Finance incorporates at least 70% of the CFA Program curriculum into its courses and places emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. This positions students well to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation, the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world. 

“Entry into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program signals to potential students, employers and the marketplace that Ģ����ý’s curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students for the CFA Program examinations,” said Dr. Jody Jones, associate professor of finance. “There is also immediate and direct benefit to students, as we are eligible to receive several CFA Program Student Scholarships each year.”

The Dukes School of Finance, housed in Ģ����ý’s College of Business Administration, offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, equipping students to analyze financial data, project growth, evaluate expenditures, and promote financial stability for companies and individuals. The program also prepares graduates to pursue advanced degrees in business-related fields, deepening analytical and critical thinking skills along the way.

The school bears the name of the late Dr. Bill and Janie Dukes, whose estate gift of more than $29 million to Ģ����ý stands as the largest single academic gift in university history. Their generosity established the Dr. William P. and Janie B. Dukes Excellence in Finance Endowment, which funds prestigious student scholarships, supports preparation for top graduate programs, and endows multiple faculty positions in finance. 

is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion of ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. CFA’s aim is to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. There are more than 200,000 CFA charterholders worldwide in 164 markets. CFA Institute has nine offices worldwide and there are 160+ CFA Societies.

– Wendy Kilmer

July 15, 2026

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Ģ����ý (Ģ����ý) is expanding its portfolio of online undergraduate programs with the launch of a Bachelor of Science in Education Studies, a faith-driven degree designed to prepare aspiring educators to make a meaningful impact in classrooms, schools and communities.

Created for those looking to begin a career in education or to advance from a paraprofessional to a teacher, this fully online program combines educational theory, instructional practice and leadership development to provide graduates with the knowledge and skills to serve diverse learners. Through seven-week courses and a flexible online format, students can earn their degree while balancing work, family and other commitments.

“At Ģ����ý, we’re dedicated to creating programs that meet the evolving needs of today’s learners while preparing graduates to lead with purpose,” said Dr. Stephen Johnson, chief executive officer of Ģ����ý Dallas. “This new program reflects our commitment to deliver accessible, Christ-centered education that empowers students. Whether they’re preparing for the classroom or another educational setting, graduates will leave equipped to serve with excellence and compassion.”

The curriculum provides students with a strong foundation in educational leadership, child development, communication and instructional practices. For students interested in becoming classroom teachers, the program also offers an educator certification pathway through the Texas Institute for Teacher Education (). As part of the Bachelor of Science in Education Studies, students can complete their teacher certification through TXITE, a faith-based, fully online educator preparation program dedicated to equipping future educators with EC-6 certification and the practical wisdom needed to serve elementary students across Texas.

“The need for exceptional educators has never been greater,” said Dr. George Saltsman, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “This program prepares students not only with the academic and practical skills needed to succeed in education but also with the Christian values that inspire servant leadership. We believe our graduates will positively influence students, families and school communities for years to come.”

Graduates of the program will be prepared for a variety of careers in education, including instructional support, educational leadership, nonprofit organizations, community education and youth-serving agencies. 

The online Bachelor of Science in Education Studies is accepting applicants for its inaugural cohort beginning this fall, with classes starting on August 25, 2026. Learn more or apply for the program today.

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Ģ����ý received the highest possible score and an A+ rating for financial health in the

The list assessed 928 private colleges using data from the Department of Education’s National Center For Educational Statistics as well as from higher education analytics and consulting firm Perspective Data Science, which zeroes in on colleges’ true liquidity. Only 103 universities in the nation received an A+, and only 71 scored a 4.5 GPA.

“To be recognized among the top performers nationwide – at a time when financial pressures across higher education continue to intensify – speaks to Ģ����ý’s strength and sustainability,” said Dr. Phil Schubert, Ģ����ý president. “I’m incredibly proud of the way our administration, faculty and staff steward our resources with integrity and excellence. A solid financial foundation allows us to provide a world-class education and an exceptional experience for our students.” 

The Forbes College Financial Grades report used 10 metrics in evaluating the financial health of private, not-for-profit colleges:

• Endowment assets per student (15%)
• Three-year average of liquid reserves compared to annual operating expenses (15%)
• Primary reserve ratio (10%)
• Long-term debt coverage (10%)
• Core operating margin (10%)
• Two-year enrollment growth (10%)
• Tuition as a percentage of core revenues (7.5%)
• Return on assets (7.5%)
• Net tuition revenue per student (7.5%)
• Instruction expenses per student (7.5%)

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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 – 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 Ģ����ý, 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, Ģ����ý will award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Barbara (Bell ’50) Packer. Alongside her late husband and former Ģ����ý board chair, H. Lynn Packer (’50), she played an integral role in advancing the mission of Ģ����ý 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 Ģ����ý’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 Ģ����ý 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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Gasore addressed the United Nations General Assembly on April 7 as part of a ceremony marking the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. In a powerful account of survival, he urged the audience to remember the victims and pursue “unity, reconciliation and dignity.”

He said he hopes the UN will remain vigilant against ongoing hate and division, refusing to turn away. In doing so, he says, “we can all proclaim ‘never again’ in an authentic way,” not only in words but in action. 

While revisiting his story can be painful, Gasore also finds it therapeutic to share. “For survivors, every time someone is willing to listen to you, it helps you make it to the next day,” he says. “It helps you feel like, ‘What I went through, someone wants to listen to.’” 

In his day-to-day life, Gasore lives out the message of his speech. He and his wife, Esperance, founded , a holistic ministry serving the physical and spiritual needs of children and their families, regardless of their background. The ministry now serves over 1,500 people per day. 

Gasore envisions those children growing up to transform their communities. “We are all called to serve and bring peace and bring justice,” he says. 

Each year, groups of Ģ����ý students partner with Gasore and Rwanda Children to serve these families. Engineering students surveyed the property for an erosion control project. Nursing students assist in the medical clinic. The Ģ����ý women’s basketball team will host a basketball clinic in August. 

Gasore, who received in 2018, is grateful for these partnerships and the relationships he built during his seven years at Ģ����ý. 

“Ģ����ý not only gave me an education and prepared me to go to serve God, they also transformed my community,” he said. 

Whether on the world stage, at home in Abilene or back in his home village, Gasore continues to share a message of restoration: “Even in the darkest moment, hope can survive.”

– Kayla Hewitt

May 4, 2026

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More than 1,500 alumni, faculty, staff, students, friends and fans joined together to raise a record $1.4 million – all to directly benefit students at Ģ����ý. The total is a record high and the first time in its nine-year history for the event to top $1 million in contributions. It also represents a 57% increase over last year’s Ģ����ý Gives.

“The Ģ����ý community is truly unmatched,” said Blair Schroeder, vice president for advancement and external affairs. “Wildcats around the world stepped up to support our students and the mission of Ģ����ý, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”

During the 1,906-minute-long event, in honor of the year of Ģ����ý’s founding, Ģ����ý Gives participants chose from more than 38 specific funds to support in four main areas of emphasis: 

• Student support, access and scholarships
• Academic excellence, experiential learning and career preparation
• Student belonging, traditions and campus life
• Faith, service, global and calling
• Athletics

“Thank you for believing in Ģ����ý, but more importantly for believing in our students – in the purpose and promise of their lives,” said Dr. Phil Schubert, president. “We are so grateful for your willingness to partner with us in the journey to shape the lives of young men and women into the image of Jesus.”

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Ģ����ý’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.

– Wendy Kilmer

April 22, 2026

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Ģ����ý’s student film festival returned to the historic Paramount Theatre this spring for the 22nd premiere event to celebrate student achievement in film. The event featured projects from 14 teams, including narrative, documentary and animated films represented. 

The theme of FilmFest 2026 was “On Set,” and the evening included past and present judges and mentors describing the experience of being on a film set. Tim Holt (’15), a past FilmFest participant and Ģ����ý’s Young Alumnus of the Year, described the challenge of stepping onto a new set.

“We’re always trying to make bigger and better videos, and the sets change from shoot to shoot from smaller sets of teams of three to four to bigger shoots which will have probably 50 to 60 people on set. The roles might be carried over but you’re always going to be learning something new based on the type of content that you’re trying to produce.” 

More than 100 students participated in producing this year’s films, with a third of those students working on more than one film. In fact, five students this year contributed to at least five films, including Brooke Musia and Lauren Burris who won Best Direction for their film After Emmy and Abbey Monroe who directed the Best Picture winner Courting, along with writer, editor and sound roles on other films. 

Joshua Varner won Best Cinematography for Sins and Cinders, but shot or helped shoot three other films. One of the stand-out-performances this year came from a sophomore multimedia major participating in FilmFest for the first time. Jaden Frecka won Best Original Score for his film Keeping up with the King but also wrote original music for six other films or, in all, half of all submitted films. 

During the event, students also heard from Randy Brewer (’93), long-time producer with Revolution Pictures in Nashville now in Abilene as Ģ����ý’s chief storyteller. Brewer told students it’s “important to network long before you graduate.” He partnered with FilmFest last May on a road trip to Nashville that included visits to sets and production studios where students met professionals in a range of fields. “You may think, like I did, ‘I want to be a director,’ and then when you get out there, you may change your mind and think, ‘Maybe I’d be better at what they do.’ I think everyone should look for a mentor.”

This year’s judges were industry mentors from production hubs in L.A., Tulsa and Atlanta. Sommerly Simser (‘10) is a returning judge and finance executive at Netflix. She is a member of the Television Academy and Women in Film and is the founder of the Tinseltown Scholarship Society, a nonprofit supporting aspiring college filmmakers. 

Two new mentors joined the FilmFest Gala this year. Amy Teague is a set decorator and production designer from Tulsa whose credits include Twisters, Reservation Dogs, The Low Down and The Great Awakening currently in theatres. Nate Corrona comes from Dustbrand Films in Atlanta having directed and produced more than 200 music videos with Grammy-winning artists like Crowder, PJ Morton and Lecrae. Both met with students this year to share their experience and provide feedback leading up to the FilmFest Gala.

Brewer advised students that opportunities to connect with mentors or get chances to be on set exist through FilmFest. “Who are the mentors at FilmFest who are people you can go up to and ask could I have coffee with you? What are some ways I should be on set? You have the opportunity to be mentored more, but you just need to step out.”

Visit acu.edu/filmfest to learn more.

– Kyle Dickson

April 20, 2026

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More than 140 students from Ģ����ý and other nearby schools presented a variety of research findings and creative projects April 7 at Ģ����ý’s 18th annual Undergraduate Research, Creativity and Innovation Festival.

A related event – the Excellence in Oratory Forum – 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 Ģ����ý – as well as McMurry University and Abilene High School – 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 Ģ����ý’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 Ģ����ý, 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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Ģ����ý professor emeritus of music Dr. Silas Edwin “Ed” George (’61), died March 25, 2026, in Schertz, Texas, at age 89.

A Celebration of Life is planned for May 24 from 2-4 p.m. in the Williams Performing Arts Center at Ģ����ý.

He was born Sept. 22, 1936, in Fort Stockton, Texas, and briefly attended Cisco College before earning a B.S.Ed. degree in music (1961) and a M.Ed. in school administration (1963) from Ģ����ý and a doctorate in music education (1983) from the University of North Texas. He wed classmate and fellow Ģ����ý band member Kathryn Matthews (’62) on Sept. 5, 1960.

George was a band director in Texas public schools, including De Leon and Abilene ISDs, for eight years (1961-69) before starting a 32-year career on the Ģ����ý faculty to teach music history, theory, orchestration and music education. He played multiple instruments and taught at Abilene Christian from 1969-2001, serving as professor and chair (1990-96) in the Department of Music and initially directing the Jazz Ensemble.

For much of the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, he directed The Hilltoppers – also known as the Hilltop Singers – a talented group of students who performed pop-rock and contemporary music shows and toured overseas in 1968, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1981 for the USO (United Service Organization) and the U.S. Department of Defense, entertaining troops deployed across Europe; the Caribbean, Pacific and Mediterranean islands; and in the Far East. Hilltoppers included future recording artists and producers such as Grammy Award winners Dr. Brown Bannister (’75)�����Ի���Ronnie Dunn (’76), Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame member Michael Blanton (’73) and Grand Ole Opry member Holly Dunn (’79).

George conducted the orchestra at Ģ����ý Homecoming musicals for 21 years (1969-83), and composed music for the 1981 inauguration of Dr. William J. Teague (’52), the university’s ninth president, and for Abilene 1906, Ģ����ý’s Centennial musical in 2005.

For nearly five decades, George prepared music for Ģ����ý students to perform at Sing Song, especially for several fraternities and sororities, and most notably for Sigma Theta Chi, which won the women’s division six straight years and eight of nine years from 2002-10, all with George as their arranger.

He was frequently a guest conductor following retirement in 2001, especially with the Abilene Philharmonic, while also writing music for orchestras in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He was involved with the annual West Texas Rehabilitation Center Telethon since its beginning, conducting its orchestra for nearly 20 of its first 46 years (1971-2016), and either performing or coordinating music for the telecast.

George’s career included writing arrangements for the San Diego Symphony and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and performing with Bob Hope, Eddy Arnold, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett and Glen Campbell, among many others.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Olan George Sr. and Lula Florence George; a brother, Olan George Jr.; a sister, Dolores Crocker George; and Kathy, his wife of 64 years. Among survivors are children Melinda (George ’84) Hancock,��Glenna (George ’86) Miranda�����Ի���Gregory George (’90); 10 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; a brother, Lee Roy George; and sister Gwen George Wilbanks.

– Ron Hadfield

April 15, 2026

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