Category: Alumni News
‘We Light the Fire’ music video highlights ACU’s new branding campaign
ACU has produced an original music video to accompany its new branding campaign, We Light the Fire Within. “ACU has a special spark that carries beyond the classroom,” said Linda Bonnin, senior vice president for marketing and strategic communications, who created the brand story. “The impact our graduates have on their communities through their … Continued
10 Questions with Paralympic coach Shannon Utley
While most of the attention at the Tokyo Paralympic Games will be on the athletes, one of the faces you may see on the sidelines will be that of ACU alumna Shannon Utley (’00) of North Richland Hills, Texas. She is assistant team lead/track operations for the U.S. Paralympic Team, and this year will mark … Continued
Alumna Katie Orman making history with experience design
When history major Katie (Barnard ’10) Orman was a sophomore at ACU, she decided she wanted to work in historical museums. For the next two years, she pursued that dream with the help of her professors, even creating her own film documentary for a military veterans’ museum. She learned oral interview methods, film editing, and … Continued
ACU sees record giving levels in FY2021
Despite the widespread challenges presented by COVID-19 over the last year and a half, Abilene Christian University donors contributed financially to the mission of the university in record numbers for the fiscal year 2021 with $75.8 million in gifts, besting the previous record in 2014 of $49.8 million. “Even in the midst … Continued
Former ACU sprinter Sayon Cooper in fourth Olympics for Liberia
Wearing stylish clothing created by designer Telfar Clemens and noted in The New York Times, former Abilene Christian University standout sprinter Sayon Cooper (’98) and the small track and field contingent from Liberia made a big splash in recent days at the Opening Ceremonies of the 32nd Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan. It was not Cooper’s … Continued
ACU’s Summit shifts format to better serve church leaders
Beginning in October 2021, Abilene Christian University’s traditional gathering for church leaders will take a new shape with two events each year, both focused on specific small-group communities with an emphasis on fellowship and dialogue. The 115th annual ACU Summit will take place Oct. 14-15 with a theme of “Seeking Hope, Finding Joy.” The new two-day … Continued
Duke neurologists honored with Outlive Your Life Award
Abilene Christian University honored Wayne Massey, M.D., and Janice Massey, M.D., with the Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award at May Commencement. The couple both graduated from ACU and are now professors and neurologists at Duke University School of Medicine. The Outlive Your Life Award is named for its first recipients, Dale and … Continued
Joel Wells chose medicine over MLB and look where he is now
He could have been a household name. Kids could have had his baseball card to trade, and other fans might have chatted about his stats while watching him swing a bat at lightning speed. Dr. Paul Morris (’66), professor emeritus of physics, certainly knows the name and the man who carries it: Joel Wells, … Continued
New mom, physician helping guide UT Southwestern through pandemic
In the early days of the pandemic, Megan (Gentry ’06) Maxwell, M.D., had one N95 mask. As an anesthesiologist at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, she needed one at all times on the job. But that type of personal protective equipment (PPE) was in short supply. So she wore it … Continued