Category: ACU News
ACU outranks other Texas universities in ‘U.S. News’ national benchmark
Abilene Christian University is the highest-ranking university in Texas in a new U.S. News and World Report benchmark focused on student success. The university also achieved its highest overall regional ranking ever – 12th – in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 “America’s Best Colleges,” an improvement of nine places over 2019. U.S. … Continued
ACU grads Matthew Kacsmaryk and Brantley Starr confirmed as federal judges
Two Abilene Christian University graduates, Matthew Kacsmaryk, J.D., and Brantley Starr, J.D., have been confirmed as U.S. District judges. “It is rare for any Christian university to have a federal judge confirmed by the U.S. Senate,” said Dr. Neal Coates, chair of the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, “and since January ACU now … Continued
Adjunct ACU criminal justice professor named FBI assistant director
FBI director Christopher Wray has named an ACU adjunct criminal justice professor as an FBI assistant director. Stuart Platt is the new FBI assistant director overseeing the Office of Professional Responsibility, located at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Platt was sworn in Aug. 27. The Office of Professional Responsibility strives to ensure that FBI … Continued
Dr. Marcia Straughn named as dean of ACU’s School of Nursing
Dr. Marcia Straughn has been named as dean of ACU’s School of Nursing. Straughn previously served as department chair. She has been involved with all program levels within the School of Nursing, ranging from classroom and clinical courses in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to work on the Doctor of Nursing Practice project … Continued
ACU Special Collections and Archives receives grant from National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a $40,000 grant to ACU Special Collections and Archives as part of its Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program. The grant will enable the archive to evaluate and plan for optimizing the physical storage conditions and preservation environment for its holdings of more than 30,000 rare books and … Continued
Sigma Delta Pi Hispanic Honor Society receives national awards
ACU’s Omega Gamma Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, has been named an Honor Chapter for its outstanding activities in 2018-19. This is the sixth year in its history that Abilene Christian enjoys this prestigious distinction. In addition, because ACU maintained Honor Chapter status each year of the 2016-19 triennium, … Continued

Southwest Airlines communications director honored as distinguished alumna
A group of ACU staff and alumni gathered at ACU’s Dallas campus in Addison, Texas, in August to celebrate Katie Coldwell (’00), one of the university’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni Citation recipients. Coldwell’s friends and colleagues celebrated not only her successes at Southwest Airlines, where she serves as communications director, but the journey she has taken … Continued

ACU earns national accreditation of teacher education program
The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) has awarded full seven-year accreditation to the Abilene Christian University Teacher Education Program. After reviewing the evidence collected through a process of self-study and peer review, the AAQEP Accreditation Commission issued the decision at its July 10 meeting along with the following rationale: The program presented … Continued
2019 Summit will explore 'Sorrow, Hope and Joy' from the Psalms
ACU Summit returns Sept. 15-18 with the theme “Sorrow, Hope and Joy: Life in the Mountains and Valleys of the Psalms.” Five theme speakers will guide attendees through the ups and downs of life as they correspond with the Psalms. This year, attendees can choose from 20 pathways related to leadership, ministry, service and spiritual growth. … Continued