Abilene Christian University has announced a major gift that will fund scholarships and growth for the university’s engineering department
Kay Onstead’s $25-million donation represents ACUs fifth-largest gift. With the funds directed to the engineering department, ACU will name the newly formed college the Onstead College of Science and Engineering. This will be the first named college in ACU’s history. It will house the departments of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineering and Physics, and Mathematics while also working collaboratively with the Center for Pre-Health Professions.
ACU president Phil Schubert says this gift will provide scholarships for students studying science and engineering, while also advancing the university, “In fact, engineering is now one of the largest programs that we have at ACU and part of that has been the rationale behind separating these out into their own college, these programs, is because of the growth that we’ve experienced.”
Administrators say the gift establishing the Onstead College of Science and Engineering will accelerate the work the school’s researchers are doing. Projects include developing clean, safe energy sources, stewardship of sustainable agricultural and environmental systems globally, and identifying new methods of diagnosing and treating disease.