portfolio of clinton sellersclintonsellers.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/9/2/4492934/portfolio.pdf ·...

Portfolio of Clinton Sellers

Profile:

My passion is working with typefaces and logos. With this passion it has infl uenced me into spending hours without notice when working on projects. Popular Science Magazine is beautifully designed. This magazine has infl uenced on how people view technology in this world. Working for you will bring new ideas on how to present thismagazine in upcoming electronic book age. Paper is slowly being phased out it seems and new technologies will infl uence on how we view magazines in the future.

Experience:

HEB: Austin, TX - Cashier 2005-2007Grocery store that serves families all over Texas and Mexico with over 300 stores and 75,000 Partners.

• Assisted in over 200 customer purchases a day.• Helped establish better customer relationships when assisting 1 or 2 disabled customers shop in a day.• Commended on accuracy for never being off on my cash till of being over or under 5 dollars.

Academy Sports & Outdoors: Austin, TX - Cashier 2009-2010One of the nation’s largest sporting goods retailers, operating over 100 stores across the southeastern United States.

• Provided great insight on how to assist customers with different problems in training 3 new associates. • Provided customer assistance in over 30 returns a day.• Provided great multitasking skills when Shipping damaged and overstocked goods to processing center 20 items

a day while still working on customer returns.

Education:

BA in Art: Graphic Design focusAbilene Christian University; Abilene, TX

Activities:

Participated in Abilene Christian marching band. 2004-2006The band is a vital part of the ACU Opening Assembly each year, performs at all home football games and, often,

away games.

• Memorization skills tested when participating in concerts with a crowd over 700 people without sheet music.• Worked within groups to achieve well organized shows with over 150 students.

Clinton Sellers21900 Hogeye RD - Manor, TX 78653(512) 272-5875 - [email protected]


Salary History:

Job Title Dates Salary

HEB 2005 - 2007 Hourly 8.50CashierAustin, TX

Academy Sports & Outdoors 2009 - 2010 Hourly 8.10CashierAustin, TX

Organizational charts:

Heb: Academy:

Ms. Carol Ms. Jolene Store Director Store Director

Jose Rodrigez Steve BartoskiAssistand Manager Front End Manager

Clinton Sellers Dan McGregorCashier Supervisor

Clinton Sellers Cashier


References

Contacts:

Professional: Personal

Ms. Jolene Bert Lockewood Store Director: Academy Family Friend 47 years (512) 506-6000 (512) 272-5614

Paul Moody Stan Voelker General Goods Manager: HEB Family Friend 34 years (512) 453-8864 (512) 272-5458

Beverly Rama John Blomberg Art Dept. Secretary Family Friend 18 years (325) 674-2085 (512) 541-1858

Dan McGregor Samuel Burgos Supervisor: Academy Family Friend 20 years (512) 506-6000 (512) 914-8004

Nil Santana Tom Nuckles Graphic Design Teacher: ACU Family Friend 20 years (325) 674-2155 (512) 281-2905


Personality


Destiny:

Personality:

1. Steadiness

Strengths & Talents:

1. Artistic Nature 2. Math 3. Knowledge with Computers

Passions:

1. Type layout 2. Logos

Dreams:

1. Working for Popular Science 2. Owning my out technical Magazine 3. Having enough time to be with my family. 4. Being a good hunband and father in the future.

Gifts:

1. Mercy 2. Pastor / Shepard

DISC Behavior Survey (Natural Behavior)

Instructions: Focus on your instinctive behavior and not what you perceive is the best response. Be aware, there are no right or wrong answers.

How to Respond: Rank each horizontal row of words on a scale of 4,3,2, 1 with 4 being the word that best describes you and 1 being the least like you. Use each number in each line only once. Below is an example:

IT] Dominant IT] Influencing [!] Steadiness IT] Compliant

Forceful l LivelY ~ Modest :2 Tactful

IA . ~ ggresslve <

Emotional I

... 4- Accommod ating '3 Consistent

3 C}Direct LAnimated . Agreeable J Accurate

CJ-.~_Tou9h " People-oriented S Gentle l Perfectionisl

:2 _ Daring \ Impulsive +Kind l Cautious

[ 3 tJ-Competitive Expressive 1 Supportive Precise

1 Risk taker S Talkative L}- Cooperative 1 Factual~ .

t L} ;)Argumentative ~ Fun-loving Patient Logical

L(- l). Bold 3 Spontaneous Stable Organized

~\ . Take charge ~ Optimistic 5 ___peaceful Conscientio s

) - Candid '5 Cheerful ~ Loyal l Serious

3 Independent J.. Enthusiastic .4- Good listener High standa C ~ - v bd 1I d D 1Total Total 1441Total 1~4-1Total

Q S* No e: ffyour totals do not aJup to 120, you did not complete the survey correctly. Re£;ck your math.

This entire assessment is used by permission: Copyright by Dr. Mels Carbonell. Ph.D.

---

Defining animal behavior

Lion- Among the most powerful of the cat family. Tends to roar when angry or announcing possession of its territory. Is very comfortable in an aggressive environment.

Otter- Among the most playful and sociable animals on earth. Te to be quite active and noisy, particularly in groups. Is most often 0

served creating a fun environment with other otters.

Golden Retriever- Among the most loyal, stable, of domestic animals. Tends to be friendly, reliable and trustworthy. Can be very protective of family members. Is most comfortable in safe, stable er.

vironment.

Beaver- Among the most intelligent of all the mammals in efficien _" and technical skills in organizing its domain. Instinctively, a bea -e is gifted at solving the most difficult technical problems in building and construction things. Is very comfortable working along or in very small groups.

Defining your DISC Styles

Dominant Styles: Work toward achieving goals and results; they function best in an active, challenging environment.

Influencing Styles: Work toward relating to people through verbal persuasion; they function best in a friendly, favorable environment.

Steadiness Styles: Work toward supporting and cooperating with others; they function best in a supportive, harmonious environment.

Work toward doing things right and focus on details; they function best in a structured, orderly environment.

Based on the information above, write a personalized definition.

As a high __1__ and low __1__ blend, my behavior is similar to the animal behavior of a I

As a DISC blend, I tend to work toward ...

And function best in an environment that is ...

/':) f

Personalized u I Gift t to:

Clinton Sellers

(Please print these pages for a permanent record of your analysis.)

Spiritual Gifts Strength

14

7

13

12

15

19

14

14

11

About Your Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are tools God gives Christians to do the work of the ministry -- to fulfill the Great Commission to reach, baptize, and teach and to minister to one another. Every Christian receives at least one gift at the moment of salvation. Spiritual gifts are not rewards, are not natural talents, are not a place of service, are not an age-group ministry, and are not a specialty ministry. They express themselves through various ministries which, in turn, accomplish a variety of results. A spiritual gift is the primary channel by which the Holy Spirit ministers through the believer. It is a supernatural capacity for service to God -- and He gives you a supernatural desire to perform the duties of that gift. Spiritual gifts are tools for building the church. They are a source of joy in YQur Christian life and influence your motives. A spiritual gift is a divine calling with a qjyine responsibility, because what God has gifted you to do, He has called you to do, and \VJjat He has called you to do, He has gifted you to do. .

tp://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifis .cgi Page 1 of l3

Spiritual Gifts Analysis 5/13/108:01 AM

There are three categories of gifts: The Miraculous Gifts, generally known today as Charismatic Gifts; the Enabling Gifts which all Christians have the ability to develop (faith, discernment, wisdom, and knowledge -- qualities possessed rather than activities performed); and Team Gifts which are activity, service, or task-oriented. The Team Gifts are functional and involve speaking or ministering. Chances are, you have several of these gifts that vary in different degrees and intensity. In many cases, spiritual gifts even complement your secular employment. The Spiritual Gifts Analysis you took identified your dominant TEAM GIFTS which will help you find your place on the team in your church. Prayer and serving God will also help you see where God wants you. This pro"file gives you a simple bar graph showing how all the gifts relate to you and to each other, but analyzes indepth only your dominant and secondary gifts which are the ones that will have greater influence in your life.

Your dominant gifts are Showing Mercy, Pastor/Shepherd

The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your number one dominant gift is MERCY SHOWING! The Greek word "ellco" means to feel sympathy with or for others. As a mercy-shower you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by identifying with and comforting those who are in distress. You understand and comfort your fellow Christian. You enter into the grief or happiness of others and have the ability to show empathy which is to feel WITH others, not just for others.

As a mercy-shower you are willing to deal with and minister to people who have needs that most people feel very uncomfortable working with. You seem to say the right thing at the right time. Your personality is likely one of soft-spoken love. It hurts you to scold someone; you are very non-condemning. People love you because of The gend.;; of the f. ~ ril cter p orb ilyed dc-e !'. n Dt

all the love you give them. You find it easy to express Ilm·! .h ;, !]! or ?n ~ nlft , ' f! .n'y p:1 r " nq" rI~II

yourself and are outgoing with a low-key, inoffensive personality. You are easy to talk to, responsive to people, a good listener, peaceable, and agreeable. You tend to make decisions based on feelings more than fact and like to think about things for a while before making a decision.

In your burden to comfort others, your heart goes out to the poor, the aged, the ill, the underprivileged, and so on. You tend to attract people who are hurting or rejoicing because you identify with them. Be careful not to let others use you. Try not to resent others who are not as understanding as you. Refrain from becoming a gossiper when you are around other mercy-showers. Do not let your circumstances control you. Because of your supernatural ability to show mercy, others accuse you of taking up for people, being a softy and a compromiser. They may think you are too emotional.

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi Page 2 of 13

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi


Mercy-showers make excellent counselors. However, left untrained, you may destroy yourself by your tendency to take people's problems home with you. Your empathy can become detrimental without personal training on how to deal with it.

Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He can cause plide because of your ability to relate to others. He may influence you to disregard rules and authority. You may experience a lack of discipline because of strong feeling for those who hurt due to disobedience and sin. Don't fall into Satan's trap of complaining and griping.

HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR GIFT? Your gift is used best in times of sorrow and in times of great joy. It fits well with another gift of service such as deacon, youth worker or hospital visitation. With a counseling course, you could become a good counselor. You may serve as a hospital, nursing home, or shut-in worker; a funeral coordinator and provider of sympathy and support; or a poverty center worker. You would do well as an usher or greeter and welcome center worker or hospitality person. You may want to work in a telephone ministry. You would make people feel welcome on a newcomer visitation team. Other appropriate ministry areas include missions, committee member, furlough assistance, and correspondence helper. You would work well with the elderly and with people who have mental and physical disabilities, in nursing, and with special ministries to migrants, released offenders or abused children and women.

The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is PASTORING/SHEPHERDING! The Greek word "poimen" means pastor. In Paul's spiritual gifts listing in Ephesians 4:11, this term is translated "pastor." Although the word "poimen" is translated pastor only one time in Scripture it is used sixteen additional times. The remaining sixteen are all translated "shepherd." Therefore, we are actually discussing the GIFT of shepherding, not the POSITION of pastor. Though a good pastor must have the gift of shepherding, everyone who has the gift of shepherding is not called to be pastor. The gift can be used in many positions in a church.

As a gifted shepherd, you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by overseeing, training, and caring for the needs of a group of Christians. You are usually very patient, people-centered, and willing to spend time in prayer for others. You tend to be a "Jack of All and Master of ONE," meaning you are usually dominant in one of the speaking gifts (evangelist, 'Ie gen e OI IM aractci p ortrayed dO_S ftot

prophet, teacher, exhorter) as well. You are often 1IIII Ih <; . i lH ar " y ilt tu !i lly ~.£II IiC.Hi l gClldlJr

authoritative, more a leader than a follower, and expressive, composed, and sensitive. Your pleasing personality draws people to you.




You have a burden to see others learn and grow and are protective of those under your care. You want to present the whole Word of God and do not like to present the same materials more than once. You are willing to study what is necessary to feed your group and are more relationship oriented than task oriented. You are a peace-maker and diplomat - very tolerant of people's weaknesses. You tend to remember people's names and faces. You are more concerned with doing for others than others doing for you. You are faithful and devoted and may become a workaholic. You can become an all-purpose person in order to meet needs.

People with the gift of shepherding make the best Sunday school teachers and group leaders because their desire is to go beyond just teaching or leading, to shepherd and minister to the daily needs of their students. The position of Sunday school teacher or group leader is an extension of the pastoral ministry in the church. These groups should be shepherded on a small scale the same as the pastor shepherds the whole congregation on a large scale.

Be careful to involve other people; don't try to do it all yourself. Work on making people accountable. Do not be overly protective of your "flock." Because of these potentially weak areas, other people may think it is your job to do all the work; they rely too heavily on you. You may be expected to be available at all times, know all the answers, and be at every function. Learn when to say no.

Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He will cause discouragement when the load gets heavy, and pride because your "sheep" look up to you. You may develop family problems because of too little time and attention. You may become sel'flsll when "sheep" feed in other pastures.

HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR GIFT? This gift is a great help in many areas. You may serve as a Sunday school teacher, small group leader, pastor or assistant pastor, bus captain, special ministry leader (such as youth, children, men, etc.), nursery worker or as a half-way house or other type shelter volunteer. You may consider serving as a dormitory leader in a college, orphanage, children's home, etc. Scout troops would appreciate your assistance as a den leader.

Building an effective team in your church depends on putting the right people in the right places. The best way to determine what place each person belongs in is by determine everyone's spiritual gifts. But, just discovering your spiritual gift is not enough.

Here's the real challenge. Many Christians are asking the question, "What is my spiritual gift?" When in reality they need to be asking, "What is.a spiritual gift?" They do not understand the relationships of spiritual gifts. That is, they don't understand how a spiritual gift relates to their life, how it relates to the will of God for their life, how it relates to the lives of those around them, how it relates the local church, or how it relates to the body of Christ as a whole. To give John J. Christian an additional name and make him John J. Exhorter Christian is only doing him an injustice. Having a new name or title does not make you a more effective, more fulfilled, or a better Christian, nor does it give you any more



Success = Passion + Honesty X Leadership (Work Ethic + Contentment) + Dedication.


Formula for Success:

College

3.00 TR

3.00 TR

3.00 TR

3.00 TR

4.00 TR

0 . 00 GPA: 0.00

3.00 A

3.00 C

3.00 B

A

A

12 . 00

6 . 00

9 . 00

SUBJ NO.

I nstitution

117

301 Marching

15.00 GPA- Hrs:

Clvilization

Concert Band

9.00 GPA-Hrs:

PTS

B

GPA: 3. 66

0.00 W

3 .00 A

3. 00 B

1. 00 A

3.00 F

3.00 B

GPA: ~ .40

3. 00 C

W

9.00

0.00

12.00

9.00

4.00

0.00

9.00

6.00

O. 00

O.

R SUBJ

Institution

Spring 2009

FIN 416 Personal

FLSP 222

:MGMT 330

Ehrs.: 3.00 GPA-Hrs:

Academic Probation

Summer 20+0

E IN PROGRESS WORK

IS 322 Business

MKTG 343 Personal

In Progress

TOTAL INSTITUTION

TOTAL TRANSFER

5/27/10 3:12 AMProfile - Abilene Christian University

Page 1 of 4http://www.acu.edu/aboutacu/profile.html

ACU ProfileMission and Vision

Our mission is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout

the world. ACU is a national leader in Christian higher education and a place where

students, faculty, staff and alumni change the world.

Our Promise

ACU is a vibrant, innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students in

authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference

in the world.

Our Religious Heritage

ACU is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university welcomes all students

who value the strong Christian environment and exceptional teaching offered on the

campus. Required daily chapel and required Bible courses contribute to the open

acknowledgment of Christian faith as an important aspect of the lives of most ACU

students. All faculty, staff, administrators and members of the Board of Trustees are

Christians.

Quick Facts

Selective, private, master's-level university founded in 1906 in Abilene, Texas

Graduates accepted into medical schools at a rate more than twice the national

average

Graduates accepted into law schools at a rate of more than 90 percent

One of only 13 private universities in nation with accredited journalism program

Undergraduates included in significant faculty research projects

Ranked fourth among 700 colleges and universities nationwide for investment

performance for the 12 months ending June 30, 2006

Majority of students actively volunteer in the community

All-Christian faculty personally interested in students' studies and lives

Students may choose from 62 baccalaureate majors that include more than 100

areas of study, 25 master's degree programs and one doctoral program

Career network of 86,000 ACU alumni in every state and 109 countries

Annual enrollment of 4,800 students from across the U.S. and 60 nations



62 national athletics team championships

Beautiful, 208-acre, modern campus 180 miles west of Dallas/Fort Worth area

Our Students and Faculty

More than 4,800 students, including about 630 graduate students, come to ACU from

50 states and 60 countries. We have a diverse and global environment, which we

believe enriches student learning. Our students are served by about 220 faculty

members who focus on high-quality teaching, scholarship and service. More than 90

percent of tenure-track faculty hold terminal degrees. The student/faculty ratio is

16:1. The faculty and administrators are actively involved as leaders and presenters

in many national professional associations, and ACU is an active member of the

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

The university offers generous merit scholarships to incoming students with

exceptional academic records and demonstrated leadership skills, and ACU attracts

some of the nation's brightest students who want to study in a Christian

environment. Students have found that the small classes taught by talented, caring

faculty members provide them an advantage when they search for jobs after

graduation or apply to graduate schools. Because ACU's teachers know their

students so well and often serve as mentors, they are able to provide excellent

references to medical schools, law schools, graduate programs and future employers.

Exceptional Academics

At ACU, students experience some rare opportunities to prepare for their future

careers. In the physics program, undergraduate students regularly participate with

faculty members at national nuclear physics laboratories and make national and

international presentations. Most universities only allow graduate students to

participate in this high-level work. In the journalism program, students produce a

twice-weekly newspaper that has received All-American honors every year since

1975.

Communication majors regularly win national debate competitions against large,

prestigious universities. English students win highly competitive writing

competitions. Business majors travel to Colorado for a unique leadership institute.

Basically, in every field of study, ACU prepares students to become Christian leaders.

The university includes the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business

Administration, Education and Human Services, the Graduate School, the Graduate



School of Theology, the School of Information Technology and Computing, the School

of Social Work, and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing. High-tech

classrooms, 24-hour computer labs in the residence halls, fast Internet connections,

email access as an incoming student and much more guarantee our students are

prepared for the fast-paced technological world of today.

Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate,

master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866

Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about

the accreditation of ACU.

Academic Resources

The Margaret and Herman Brown Library at Abilene Christian University holds more

than one million items including books, microforms, audio-visual materials,

periodicals and government documents.

ACU is a depository library for U.S. Government Documents. The library's Special

Collections department includes rare books and Bibles, manuscripts, and archival

materials. The Center for Restoration Studies, headquartered in the library, is a

magnet for church history scholars.

As a charter member of the Abilene Library Consortium, the ACU library enjoys a

shared automation system including an on-line catalog that shows the holdings of

ACU, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University and the Abilene Public Library.

The system also gives students access to a large number of indexes, abstracts,

library catalogs and other databases. Other electronic resources at the library include

CD-ROM databases and the Lexis/Nexis on-line service.

Distinctive Academic Environment

Abilene Christian University places great value on the dynamic relationship that

should exist between professors and their students. Many institutions rely extensively

on graduate assistants. Not ACU. All our courses are taught by qualified faculty

members. And when professors work on research projects, you can usually find

undergraduates by their side, a rarity elsewhere.

How do we know this philosophy works? Because each year, some of the nation's top

businesses come to our campus to interview because they know ACU students have

the education and preparation needed to succeed.



Facebook Twitter Digg Share Email Print This

Outstanding faculty. Great facilities. Good jobs and graduate school. They're all the

result of ACU's uncommon commitment to teaching and learning. ACU prepares its

graduates for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

Student Life

As a residential campus, ACU is alive with activities from concerts and comedians to

weeknight devotionals and poetry readings. Many students participate in intramural

sports, men's and women's social clubs, Spring Break mission campaigns, and the

annual Sing Song performance event. More than 90 campus organizations give

students many venues for involvement and leadership. ACU also provides

opportunities to study abroad in several different countries. The university is located

in Abilene, Texas, an All-America City of 111,000 people with a variety of social,

religious, athletic and cultural activities. Abilene is a safe, fun place to live – all the

amenities without the hassles of a mega-city.

As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division II) and

the Lone Star Conference, ACU competes in football, men’s and women’s basketball,

baseball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track

and field, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis, women's soccer and

women’s softball. During the past decade, ACU has consistently been ranked by the

Learfield Director's Cup competition as having one of the best NCAA Division II

athletics programs in the nation.

Successful Alumni

Graduates of ACU have become best-selling Christian authors, ministers, state

judges, big-city mayors, researchers, Hollywood movie producers, teachers and

superintendents, top Nashville musicians and music producers, college professors,

business owners, nationally-renowned physicians, Pulitzer Prize winners, and winners

of Emmy, Dove, Grammy, Inventor of the Year and Teacher of the Year awards. We

believe our 86,000 alumni change the world in positive ways every day.

Contact Us

For more information about attending ACU, call toll-free 800-460-6228, write the

Office of Admissions at ACU Box 29000, Abilene, TX 79699-9000, or send email to

[email protected].

5/27/10 3:13 AMNational Honors - Abilene Christian University

Page 1 of 4http://www.acu.edu/aboutacu/choice.html

ACU National HonorsAcademic Quality and Value

2010 U.S. News and World Report

America's Best Colleges

Abilene Christian University was named one of "America's Best

Colleges" by U.S. News and World Report in its 2010 edition. ACU

ranked 20th in the category of Master’s Universities – West, up one place from last

year's ranking.

In addition, ACU was named second in the Master's Universities – West category of A

Strong Commitment to Teaching, highlighting 80 schools with "an unusual

commitment to undergraduate teaching." In the Great Schools, Great Prices

category, ACU was listed 12th among the Master's Universities – West.

America's Best Colleges - Forbes Magazine

ACU is one of "America's Best Colleges" as determined by Forbes

Magazine in a rankings list published in August 2009. Forbes

joined with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity to rank 600

undergraduate institutions based on "the quality of the education they provide, the

experience of the students and how much they achieve."

Out of more than 4,000 college campuses in the U.S., the report listed 600. Within

the rankings, ACU was listed at No. 407, placing the university in the top seven

percent, ahead of several other Texas schools, including TCU and Baylor University.

ACU and Pepperdine University were the only two schools on the list affiliated with

Churches of Christ. This is the second year of Forbes' college rankings. In 2008, ACU

ranked No. 444.

America's 100 Best College Buys

For the 12th consecutive year, ACU is included in America's 100 Best College Buys.

To be included in the book, universities must provide "the highest quality in

education at the lowest cost." ACU is the only private university in Texas named to

the list.

ACUTA Institutional Excellence Award



ACU's mobile-learning initiative has been recognized once again as an innovative

approach to education through technology. ACUTA, the Association for Information

Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, has awarded ACU its

most prestigious honor, the award for Institutional Excellence in Information

Communications Technology. This distinction, given annually to three universities, is

awarded for innovative and exemplary endeavors, products or services in the field of

higher education technology.

Alcatel-Lucent Dynamic Enterprise Award

ACU was recently honored with one of Alcatel-Lucent’s first annual Dynamic

Enterprise Awards. The Fortune 500 company’s Web site states that the four winning

institutions "demonstrate how fully leveraging the interconnection of networks,

people, process and knowledge using IP technology provides unique competitive

advantages." ACU was honored along with the Siam Commercial Bank of Thailand;

Fluor Limited, part of the UK’s National Roads Telecommunications Service; and the

Saudi Ministry of Culture & Information. Additionally, industry analysts attending this

year’s Enterprise Forum selected ACU as the winner of the first Analyst Choice

Award. The university has partnered with Alcatel-Lucent in

developing its campus network.

CIO 100 Award

CIO magazine announced ACU as a recipient of its 2009 CIO 100

Award. The 22-year-old award program recognizes organizations around the world

that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information

technology. ACU was one of only six universities to receive the award. Other

recipients include AT&T, Dell, GE Energy, IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

National Service Honor Roll

For the second year, ACU has been nationally recognized for its commitment to

service. The university was listed on the 2008 President's Higher Education

Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes colleges and universities that

support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs.

The Honor Roll is a part of the Corporation for National and Community Service,

which is devoted to helping college students serve others while strengthening their

academic and civic skills.

Excellence in Service Learning

ACU has received the "Excellence in Service-Learning" seal from



Student Horizons. Each year, Student Horizons publishes the

Guide to Service-Learning Colleges & Universities for college-

bound students, highlighting institutions with exceptional service-

learning programs. The guide defines service learning as "a

teaching method that links course-based learning objectives to

community-based service activities."

America's Best Christian Colleges

ACU is also included in the 2007-08 edition of America's Best Christian Colleges.

Universities in this guidebook provide "the highest quality education in a Christian

environment." Both America's 100 Best College Buys and America's Best Christian

Colleges are published by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc. ACU is listed in

this guidebook for the 11th straight year.

Best Western Colleges

The Princeton Review named Abilene Christian University as one of

the "Best in the West" for 2009. ACU is one of 120 schools

receiving this distinction as "academically excellent institutions of

higher learning" for the 15-state western region of the U.S.

College of Distinction

ACU was named by Student Horizons as a “College of Distinction,” America’s “best

bets” in higher education. The list included select colleges and universities that excel

in engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes.

ACU is one of only 12 Texas schools on the list.

John Templeton Foundation

In its latest guidebook, Colleges That Encourage Character Development, the John

Templeton Foundation recognizes ACU in its categories of Presidential Leadership,

Civic Education and Senior-Year Programs.

Athletics

Learfield Sports Directors' Cup

Awarded for the best overall intercollegiate athletics program in NCAA Division II.

ACU is the only NCAA Division II school to finish in the top 15 in each of the 13 years

of the standings. ACU finished second in 2007-08, its seventh top-three finish.

Lone Star Conference all-sports champion



Facebook Twitter Digg Share Email Print This

ACU has won the Lone Star Conference all-sports title 24 of its 35 years in the

league, including 13 straight years since 1995-96.

National championships

The Wildcats have won a combined 62 team national championships, including 55 as

a member of the NCAA. The Wildcats are fourth in NCAA history in total team

national championships behind UCLA, Stanford and USC.

Lone Star Conference dominance

ACU athletics programs have also won 143 Lone Star Conference titles since joining

the LSC in 1973, more than twice the number of titles won by its closest competitor.

ACU student-athletes have been awarded 32 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, the

fifth-highest total of any university in Texas behind only Texas, Trinity, Rice and

SMU.

5/27/10 3:16 AMAbilene Christian University - Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report

Page 1 of 3http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/abilene-tx/abilene-christian-3537

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Overview : Abilene Christian University

General Information

Institutional Control: Private

Year founded: 1906

Religious affiliation: Church of Christ

Academic calendar: semester

Total number of undergraduates: 3,906

Setting: urban

Endowment: $258,317,831

Fall Admissions

Application deadline: 8/1

Application fee: $50

Fall 2008 Acceptance rate: 46.7%

Selectivity: selective

Expenses

ACU Box 29100Abilene, TX 79699-9000

(800) 460-6228

Abilene Christian University

Admissions E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: http://www.acu.edu

20Rank

53Score

Tier 1

College Category: Universities-Master's

(West)



Costs:2009-2010 Tuition and Fees:

$20,290

Mission

Abilene Christian University is an innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students inauthentic spiritual and intellectual growth,equipping them to make a difference in the world.The incorporation of cutting-edge technology intolearning, has positioned the university as a leader inthe integration of mobile learning technology. Asthe first university in the nation to provide aniPhone or iPod touch to incoming freshmen, ACUcontinues to explore ways to enhance learningthrough technology. These mobile devices play animportant role in the university's innovativeacademic and social experiences. Freshmen use themobile devices to receive homework alerts, answerin-class surveys and quizzes, and check their mealand account balances - among other useful webapplications. Abilene Christian continues to receiveworldwide recognition for its innovation both in andout of the classroom. ACU has received bothnational and international honors, recently beingselected the winner of Alcatel-Lucent's first-everDynamic Enterprise Award, an award for itsinnovative communications solution that enhancesthe learning experience for today's higher educationstudents. At the Handheld Learning Conference, aBritish educational conference, ACU was namedone of three finalists for the Handheld LearningInnovation Award for Tertiary Education. ACU alsoreceived the Institutional Excellence in InformationCommunication Technology Award by theAssociation for Information CommunicationsTechnology Professionals in Higher Education.While ACU is affiliated with the Churches of Christ,the university welcomes all students who value thestrong Christian environment and exceptionalacademic programs offered on the campus. Morethan 4,600 students attend ACU from all 50 statesand 60 countries. There is a diverse and globalenvironment, which cultivates a strong learningexperience. The students are served by facultymembers who focus on high academic teaching,scholarship and service. Undergraduates regularlyparticipate in significant research projectsalongside faculty members. ACU is a national leaderin producing graduates who go on to complete theirdoctorates. The university includes the colleges ofArts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business



Administration, Education and Human Services, theGraduate School, the Graduate School of Theology,the School of Information Technology andComputing, the School of Social Work, and thePatty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing. ACU'sCollege of Business Administration remains in thecompany of some of the most respected businessinstitutions in the nation, receiving official re-accreditation from the Association to AdvanceCollegiate Schools of Business. Only five percent ofbusiness schools in the world hold thisaccreditation. The Department of Journalism andMass Communication features a new, state-of-the-art converged media newsroom where print,broadcast and online student media staffs worktogether in one large space. Few universities haveconstructed similar facilities and ACU is the first tocombine a curricular/co-curricular partnershipbetween the department and student media. TheBody & Soul pre-med/pre-dental program at ACUoffers students unique opportunities that preparethem for high acceptance into professional schools.Graduates are accepted into medical school at arate almost double the national average. ACU'sTeacher Education program is one of the top in thecountry, with graduates passing all statecertification exams at 100 percent. The ParticlePhysics Research Team, consisting of ACU facultyand students, has recently received a research grantfrom the U.S. Department of Energy. As one of 11university-led grant recipient teams, ACU will workwith teams from other universities as part of theDepartment of Energy's Nuclear Energy ResearchInitiative. ACU's mission is to educate students forChristian service and leadership throughout theworld.

Copyright © 2010 U.S. News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved.

5/27/10 3:17 AM#407 Abilene Christian University - Forbes.com

Page 1 of 2http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/94/colleges-09_Abilene-Christian-University_94001.html

Search Stock Quote

Private

Total cost* $30,500

Freshman class size 971

Total undergrads 3,906

SAT range ** 980-1230

ACT range 21-27

Percent of applicants admitted 47%

Student to faculty ratio 15 to 1

Application deadline 1-Aug

Early admission deadline NA

Contact

Abilene Christian UniversityACU Box 2900Abilene, Texas 79699-9000(325) 674-2650 www.acu.edu

Notable Alumni

Lance Barrow, Emmy award-winningcoordinating producer of golf and football,CBS Sports; Max Lucado, minister and best-selling Christian author; Joe Shirley,president of the Navajo Nation; Ted Poe,member of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives; Dr. Janice Massey,neurologist at Duke University MedicalCenter.

Campus Media

Newspaper KACU

Sort List By

Rank Name State Cost Freshman Class Size

Complete Coverage: America's Best Colleges

America's Best Colleges

#407 Abilene Christian University08.05.09, 06:00 PM EDT

Previous: University of Nevada, Reno Next: University of Rhode Island

Previous: University of Nevada, Reno Next: University of Rhode Island

Sources: Abilene Christian University, U.S. Department of Education, The College Board. *Total cost may include tuition, room and board, books, fees, and other expenses, where applicable. **Range for Critical Reading and Mathematics sections. Does not include writing score.

Oklahoma Baptist University on America's Best Colleges (2009)

Get Stories By Email

Select Topics:

Not a member yet?Join Now!

Already a member? Log In

Enter Username

Enter Email

Select Your Title

Receive Special Offers?

FAQ |Terms & Conditions |Privacy Policy

Home Page for the World's Business Leaders Free Trial Issue

U.S. EUROPE ASIA

Become a member | Log InPortfolio | Forbes Stock Market Course-Save $50

Home Lists Business Tech Markets Personal Finance Entrepreneurs Leadership ForbesLife Opinions Newsletters

Books & Culture Business Visionaries Columnists Contributors High Five Thoughts on the Business of Life Fact And Comment

Rate This Story

Your Rating

Overall Rating

Reader Comments

Post a Comment

Abilene ChristianUniversity

Rate this College

5/27/10 3:17 AM#407 Abilene Christian University - Forbes.com

Page 2 of 2http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/94/colleges-09_Abilene-Christian-University_94001.html

Top Kill: BP's Must-See TVBeating On BP Won't Get the Gulf Cleaned UpEndless Spill, Endless Blame

Subscribe To Newsletters Subscriber Customer Service

Sound No More

Northern Illinois University on America's Best Colleges (2009)

Durable Orders Slip

Reader Comments

Today On Forbes.com

The Real Cause Of BP's Oil Spill

Kenneth G. Brill The company's systems were designed to ''mostly work''instead of ''never fail.''

Facebook's

Changes Fail To

Satisfy Privacy

Critics

Is Microsoft

Irrelevant?

Taxing Services

To Battle Shortfalls

Crystal Needs To

Be Our Next Idol

Subscriptions

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad Information Self-Serve Advert ising Forbes.com Mobile RSS Reprints/Permissions

Subscriber Services Privacy Statement Terms, Condit ions and Notices

2010 Forbes.com LLC™ Al l Rights Reserved

Dow Jones industrial average, Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 indexes are real time and are powered by Xignite. All other indexes and commodities are delayed atleast 15 minutes. All pricing is automatically refreshed every five seconds for the first two minutes the page is open, refreshed every 10 seconds for the third minute

the page is open, and refreshed every 15 seconds thereafter.

Post a Comment

Intelligent Investing | Data | Knowledge | Insight | Wisdom

SITEMAP HELP CONTACT US INVESTMENT NEWSLETTERS FORBES CONFERENCES FORBES MAGAZINES

Projects

ZX24V SPECIFICATIONS:Length on trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30’6”

Width on trailer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102”

Length overall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24”.5”

Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101”

Engine shaft length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25”

Max. height on trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98”

Interior depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19”

Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14”-16”

Dry weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,320 lbs.

Jack plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Std. 12” manual

Max. horsepower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

ZX24V CAPACITIES:Max. weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,800 lbs.

Max. persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16/2,160 lbs.

Fuel capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 gals.

ZX24V BOAT:Yamaha F250TXR engine

White deck

White hull with Gray pattern

White running surfac e

Snow upholstery with Gray insert

INFORMATIONThe essence of style and substance, the ZX24V is one of the most popular Skeeter models ever. Its pioneering blend of flowing lines, superior multi–sport performance and functional layout makes the ZX24V the perfect watersport platform for as many as 16 adults. The official towboat of the 2005 and 2006 Skeeter U.S. Pro–Am Wakeboarding Championships, the ZX24V has become a “must ride” for serious riders and wakesurfers throughout the world. Push the TAPS2 button and instantly dial in a small slalom wake for the skiers onboard. And for cruising, the ConvexV hull delivers a smooth, comfortable ride that’s super–quiet, thanks to our advanced hydrodynamics and solid Skeeter LifePlus Core engineering.

Duis et massa. Sed dictum, dolor eu pretium pharetra, urna tor-tor posuere pede, id sagittis neque arcu in velit. Vestibulum orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nullam sit amet tellus non massa porta convallis. Suspendisse potenti. Proin pulvinar commodo velit. Ae-nean ac neque. Maecenas a lacus eget est nonummy malesua-da. Mauris ullamcorper varius leo. Phasellus venenatis convallis nisi. Morbi libero est, pretium et, luctus ac, volutpat eu, leo. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos.

In quis felis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et ne-tus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

3

ZX48V SPECIFICATIONS:Length on trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A

Width on trailer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A

Length overall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48”.5”

Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130”


Max. height on trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A

Interior depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40”

Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34”-36”

Dry weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,000 lbs.

Jack plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A

Max. horsepower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,560

ZX48V CAPACITIES:Max. weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,000 lbs.

Max. persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24/5,000 lbs.

Fuel capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 gals.

ZX48V BOAT:Triple Mecury 525

White deck

White hull with Blue and Red pattern

White running surface

Snow upholstery with Blue insert

INFORMATIONSometimes dreams can seem hopelessly unattainable because those exotic ports of call and remote islands always seem to be out of reach in most conventional cruising yachts. Not in a Skeeter ZX48V. Why plow endlessly through the water when you can fly ef-fortlessly to a destination you may have once dreamed of visiting?

Powered by triple 480 hp, fuel-efficient diesel engines, you can cruise at an astonishing 50 mph while attaining one-plus mile per gallon. Open up the throttles and run up to 64 mph. The 48 is also available with twin 480 diesels which will run 50+ mph, which is still dramatically faster than the competition. If gas engines appeal to you three Mercury 525’s with Bravo III XR drives will cruise at 50 mph with a top end of 70 mph. Further, the 48 EC’s 12-foot beam provides the perfect combination of smooth ride and stable platform. Underneath the 48 provides you with the luxury that you would expect from a world class yacht. Like all Skeeters, this clas-sic was born of the brutal world of offshore racing. It means simply that this one performs like a champ.

Remember, this is the yacht that set a world record from Key West to Cancun, Mexico, dashing 405 miles in 8 hours and 36 minutes while running into a three to five foot head sea. A quick day’s cruise instead of the traditional overnight haul. While others are still chasing the moon, you could be sipping cocktails in its luminous thrall. In quis felis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

4

ZX36V SPECIFICATIONS:Length on trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40’6”

Width on trailer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142”

Length overall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36”.5”

Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130”


Max. height on trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148”

Interior depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29”

Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24”-26”

Dry weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,550 lbs.

Jack plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Std. 22” manual

Max. horsepower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900

ZX36V CAPACITIES:Max. weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,000 lbs.

Max. persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20/3,500 lbs.

Fuel capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 gals.

ZX36V BOAT:Three Mercury 300GT engines

White deck

White hull with Black solid

White running surface

Snow upholstery with Black insert

INFORMATIONOver the years Skeeter fishboats have left the competition scratch-ing their heads. This one may just make them throw in the towel. The ZX38V combines the best of all worlds, incorporating Reggie Skeeter’s legendary offshore hull with a luxury package that rivals the fanciest Italian yachts—and the fishability that is winning tour-naments all over the globe. Triple Mercury 350GT outboards teamed with Skeeter’s super ventilated Positive Lift hull give you an insurmountable edge: With a top end of 63 mph and the abil-ity to shoulder aside rough seas, the ZX38V can get you out to where the fish are faster and—get this—more comfortably and more safely than any other fishing boat on the water.

Duis et massa. Sed dictum, dolor eu pretium pharetra, urna tor-tor posuere pede, id sagittis neque arcu in velit. Vestibulum orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nullam sit amet tellus non massa porta convallis. Suspendisse potenti. Proin pulvinar commodo velit. Ae-nean ac neque. Maecenas a lacus eget est nonummy malesuada. Mauris ullamcorper varius leo. In quis felis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Phasellus venenatis convallis nisi. Morbi libero est, pre-tium et, luctus ac, volutpat eu, leo. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos.

In quis felis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et ne-tus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

7

SKEETER CAPS: All Caps $9.00

Black Twill Cap with White Pro Mesh

Custom woven sandwich bill. Contrast

bill stitching. Structured fit. Velcro clo-

sure.

Navy Garment Washed with White

Low profile, unstructured, twill, slide

buckle closure. Navy.

Skeeter Performance Cap

Structured fit, velcro closure with

woven Skeeter Performance Fishing

Boats label on closure.

MORE GEAR:T-Shirts $12.00

Stearns Life Jacket

This life jacket has a full skeeter logo on

back on jacket. Sizing is currently limited

to MD and 2X only. $97.25

Skeeter Distressed Logo T-Shirt

Double-needle stitching; taped neck and

shoulders. In indigo blue with full front

screenprint. Heavy weight, 6.1oz. 100%

Cotton.

Skeeter Pine T-Shirt

Double-needle stitching; taped neck and

shoulders. In pine with full front screen-

print. Heavy weight, 6.1oz. 100% Cot-

ton.

8

Gear

Options

9

COLOR OPTIONS:

Frost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mushroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Graphite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORE COLOR OPTIONS:

Tangerine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pacific Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Moto Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Personalized colors are available upon request. The cost may vary

with the colors requested.

Clinton Sellers2601 Rountree DRAbilene, TX 79601

PRSRT STRDUS Postage

PAIDBell, CA

Permit No. 103

POPULARSCIENCE

THE FUTURE NOW

INVENTIONSOF THE YEARMeet the geniuses who’veBuilt a Better. . .

Car EngineScooterMissle IntercepterVelcroBow & ArrowStun Gun

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

popsci2.1.pdf 3/26/09 3:16:11 PM

POPULARSCIENCE

THE FUTURE NOW



C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

popsci31.pdf 3/26/09 3:13:52 PM

POPULARSCIENCE

THE FUTURE NOW



C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

popsci1.pdf 3/26/09 3:15:08 PM

CONTENTSPOPULARSCIENCE

THE FUTURE NOW

The 2007 PopSci Invention Awards

51 from wall-scalling belts to electrified swords, meet 10 of PopSci’s favorite homebuilt inven-tions and the garage geniuses behind them.52 THE FLYING BELTA student-designed device caries you up cliffs.54 A CHOPPER SHIELDA bestseller inspired a net that catches rockets.56 A NEW BREED OF MOUSEControlling PCs with an ultrasonic ring.60 THE NEW VELCROQuick-snap plastic straps replace the classic.62 A LEVITATING ARROW RESTHunting big game with a noiseless weapon.64 A BIG BALL OF CONNECTIVITYFor emergencies, a blow -up satelite antenna.66 SIX STROKES OF GENIUSReviving the steam engine for better mileage.68 A SHOCKING NEW WEAPONA dad turns a toy into a stunning defensive tool.70 A GLOVE THAT SAVES LIVESA handful of sensors help deliver perfect CPR.72 A GREEN BRICKUsing transformed waste to build houses.

INSTANT EXPERT74 ANATOMY OF A SOLAR SYSTEMThe most dangerous flares in a half of a century strike this year. Here’s how they happen and how Earth can be protected. By Rena Marie Pacella

THE FUTURE OF ASSASSINATION76 THE FIRST ASSASSINATION OF THE 21ST CENTURYThe radioactive hit on former Russian spy Alex-ander Litvinenko means political murders willl now be more heinous and hightech. By James Geary

FEATURES 76

66

42

35 28

InsidePopsci.indd 1 3/26/09 3:28:47 PM

THE FIRSTASSASSINATIONOF THE 21ST CENTURY

It began as a standard admission, When he arrived in the critical care unit at University Colloge Hopi tal (UCH) in central London last novemer, the patient in room 09 wasa weak but alert. For just over two weeks he had been suffering from severe dehydration and vomiting. Comforted by a clutch of family and friends, he struggled to beat back and illness that was remorselessly attacking all his major organs. Physicians methodically disqualified the usual suspects--no food poisoning, no gastorointestinal infection. Then the patient’s white-blood-cell count droped to pratically nothing an dhis hair bega to fall out. He showed all the symptoms of acute radiation poisnoing. “the geiger-counter readings were negative,” recalls Geoff Bellingan, the clinical director of the department of critical care at UCH. “there was no charity on the diagnosis.”While the doctors struggled to identify his condition, the patient in Room 9 -- Alexander Litvinenko, a vocal opponent of Russian president Valdimir Putin and an ex-officer in russia’s federal security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB--had already reached his own conclusions. He was sure that he had been poisoned, and th at the Kremlin had ordered his assassination. What started as an ordenary ER case quickly blossomed into something larger: British reasearchers began to worry that this lone case might signify a healh threat to the rest of the country. Litvinenko accused the Kremlin of seeking not.

DEATH OF A DISSIDENTDuring the late 1990s, Alexander :Litvinenko was assigned to the FSB’s organized-crime unit. His job was to combat curruption in the aftermath of the the country’s chaotic transition to a free-market economy. Bue he became disillusioned wit hte securuty agency, and in 1998, he held a strange press conference at whech he and several other disgruntled offi-cers (some of whom wore ski masks to hige their identity) accused their bosses of seeking to line their own pockets and was brought up on Soviet law,”Gusak told BBC’s Newsnight television program. “that provides for the death penalty for treason. I think if in Soviet times he had come back to the USSR, [Litvinenko] would have been sentenced to death.” A new law, adopted by the Russian paliament last year, authorizeds the elimina-tion outside Russia of individual=s the Kremlin accuses of terrorism or extremism. Litvenko openly worried that his life was in danger . He was right.His death began on November 1, 2006, when he met FSB-agents-turned-businessmen Dmitry Kovtun, Andrei Lugovoi and , possibly, Vyacheslav still, doctors did not know what was killing him. “we triedto examine his bone marrow, but it wawas so flat we couldn’t get a sample. Bellingan says “Something had poisoned all his dividing cells, but it wasn’t clear which of many possible agents was involved.”Geiger counters failed to pick up any telltale gamma radiation-the easiest kind to detect - and radioactive thallium poisoning, an early hypothesis, had already been ruled out. “ once gamma was eliminated,” Bellingan says, “ we were looking at all corners. But the list of possible agents was very, very long.” Litvinenko’s case“settle accounts with undesirable persons.” In 2000, after falling out with Putin, Litvinenko fled Russia for London, the destination of choice for russia’s restive dissidents and diaffected oligrachs, where he continued to antagonize his former colleagues.

A former spy’s excruciating death by radiation poisoning marks the beginning of an era of high tech hit men who can kill from anywhere

THE KEY FACTS1. Alexander Litvinenko’s murderers used polonium-210, a fadioactive toxin deadly in even even doses2 Inside the body, the alpha fadiation emitted by polonium-210 kills every living cell it touches.3. Similarly dangerous nuclear and biological materials go missing every year in the former Soviet Union. Its arsenal included 44,000 tons of chemical weapon agents at the end of the Cold War.only to kill him, but to systematically wipe out its criticss. And in the end, one man’s murder became a glimpse into the future of assassination, a new worlds where high tech hit men have acces to terrible weapons.

PopSci 76


Litvinenko claimed in a book, for instnace, that the FSB was responsible for aprtment bombings in Russia in 1999. (The attacks were officially blamed on Chechen separatists, and Putin has used the incident to help justify a fresh invasion of Chechnya in that same year.) He investigated the 2006 murder of journalist and Putin critic Anna Politikovskaya. In Feburary of this year, Alexander Gusak, Litvineko’s old commanding of-ficer at the FSB, accused him of having revealed to British authorities the identities of Russian agents. “I Sokolenko for tea at London’s Millennium Hotel. Later that night, he complained of vomiting, diarrheea and fatigue. He checked into Barnet General Hospitial in north London on Novem-ber 3, but the docotors couldn’t find anything wrong. after exhausting the possibilites, and with Litvineko’s condition deteriorating, they transfered him to UCH on November 17.Litvinenko’s condition became progressively worse. Pictures of the for-mer spy in his hospital bed show him looking paler than the crisp white walls in the UCH critical-care unit. On november 22, he was intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation. One by one, his cital organs: liver, kidneys, spleen began to fail. His immune system collapsed as his white-blood-cell count plummented. And had distinguished itself as something new, something more complicated than the British medical establishment could handle. To pinpoint the poison, a sample of Litvinenko’s urine went to britain’s Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). Researchers there detected sings of alpha radiation. One of the strongest emitters of alpha radiation is an isotope called polonium-210, generally manufac-tured for industrial use in anti-static devices. The isotope quickly became the focus of the AWE investigation but it was to late to do the patient any good. Back at the UCH, Litvineko was fading fast. “His heart was getting weaker and weaker,” says Jim Down, the intensive-care consultant on duty the day Litvineko died. “His blood pressure dropped inexorably to nothing.”The AWE confirmed the polonium diagnosis at about 6 p.m. on Novem-ber 23, but the news took several hours to reach the hospital. Before it did, at 9:21 p.m., the patient’s heart gave out. He never knew the name of his poison.

Internal decayNuclear physicist call polonium “the Terminator” not because of its ef-ficacy as a poison because it’s the final element created in the process know as slow neutron capture. As an element, polonium occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust as a by-product of the decay of uranium-238, and it accounts for about 1 percent of the total annual dose humans get from normal background radiation. In appearance, it resembles a silvery-gray dust that is, if you can get enough of the stuff together to actually be able to see it. (Litvinenko received an amount that would have to fit on the head of a pin with room to spare.) Polonium-210, created by bombarding bismuth-209 with neutrons inside a nuclear reactor, is hard to find in high concentrations. Only about 100 grams are produced every year, most of it in Russia.Unlike many other radioactive substances, polonium-210 is harmless as long as it remains outside the body, though, the alpha raiation emited by the isotope is about 20 time as damaging to cells as the gamma radiation emited by elements like thallium. Gamma rays can penetrate steel, con-crete, human tissue. Alpha particles can’t penetrate even a single sheet of paper, or your epidermis. But when you swallow an alpha emitter or inhale it or it enters the bloodstream through an open wound all the mo-lecular hell breaks loose. “It’s like firing a missle at a bag of ping-pong balls,” says Paddy Regan, a lecturer in nuclear physics at the University of Surrey outside london. “If you coat the inside of a person’s gut with alpha particles will kill every cell they come into contact with.”Police suspect that Litvinenko was poisoned at the Millennium Hotel on November 1 and that the polonium most likely dissolved in some kind of tasteless liquid solution, was slipped into his tea before or during his

meeting with the Russian businessmen. The polonium-210 lined Lit-vinenko’s gasrointestinal tract. From there, it seeped into his bloodstream and spread throughout his body, first targeting rapidly dividing cells: hair, skin, stomach, and bone marrow. He probably received a much larger dose than was strictly needed to kill him, somewhere between one and 10 gigabecquerels. (A becquerel is a measure of radioactivity amounting to one alpha-particle emission per second. Ten gigabequerels, the maximum suspected dose, would have delivered 10 billion alpha emisions per sec-ond.) The amount wwas so great, he had no hope of survival. Litvinenko is the first person to have died of polonium-210 exposure, and the first murdered with it.The businessmen from the Millennium meeting deny any involment in his death, although traces of radiation were found along the paths they took in the days prior to the meeting. The trail of alpha radiation across london suggest that whoever poisoned Litvinenko did so at a great person risk. Inhailing it by accident, for instance would have meant certain death.Sites within the hotel, as well as several items of tableware, showed ex-tremely high levels of polonium-210. The door to the men’s room was so contaminated that the public-health officals removed it and disposed of it as nuclear wasted. Litvinenko’s home and office where tainted by polonium-210, as were seats in airplanes, taxiis and parts of a soccer sta-dium. you still can’t book certian hotel rooms in London because they’re buzzing with traces of polonium-210 “we’re no dealing with scientists here who would have realized the hazards of the material,” says on souce familiar with the investigation.If the purpose of the assassination was to send a warning to other dissi-dents, the assassins choose their weapon wisely: Polonium-210 creates all the terror of a nuclear strike without the massive fatalities. Since ponlo-nium -210 was first indentifed in the case on November 23, the British Health Protection Agency has monitored about 40 sites; at least 20 of them had significant levels of polonium -210 contamination. The health agency has also tested the urine of about 700 people, earning it the nick-name “the piss palace” among the staff. Todate, 17 individuals have show elevated levels of polonium-210 despite widespread fear of contamination, there was never any threat to the general public. “ polonium is useless as a weapon of mass destruction,” say Regan. If it had been poured into Lon-don’s water supply instead of Litvinenko’s tea, for example , it would of dispersed so quickly that no one would have received a dangerous dose.And although they may not have understood the risks they were taking, whoever masterminded the killing hasd clearly researched their weapon to some extent. Nick Priest, a professor of radiobiology at Middlesex University in England, estimates that it would have taken a few days in a reactor to produce the amount of polonium-210 delivered to Litvinenko. Polonium-210 has a half-lfe of 138 days, meaning half of it will decay in about four and a half monts. So the assassins must of planned the opera-tion well in advance and then acted promptly.

PopSci 79


DOUBLE EXPOSURECanon’s new SLR packs two brains for superfast shooting even in dark.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IIIResolution: 10.1 megapixelsScreen: 3 inch LCDLight Sensitivity: ISO 50-6400Weight: 2 lbs, 8.4 ozGet It: $4,000: canonusa.com

WHAT’S NEW GADGETS

Many prize photo subjects: racecars, wildlife, starlets - move fast. To catch them, Canon built the first digital SLR with dual image processors, allow-ing it to snap an unprecedented 10 frames per second (most point-and-shoots average 2.5). The EOS 1D Mark III is also sly, thanks to a new ultra-quiet mode and a redesigned sensor that captures images in near-total darkness. Shy celebrities don’t stand a chance. -Dan Havlik

LOW-LIGHT PRECISONWith its light sensitivity of ISO 6400, twice that of most professional digital cameras, the Mark III can capture bright, crisp photos even in dark clubs. To boost sensitivity, Canon enlarged the tiny lenses that funnel light into the millons of photo diodes in the image sensor and narrowed the gaps between the diodes.

REMOTE SURVEILLANCEFor surreptitious snaps, you can control the Mark III wirelessly from near-ly 500 feet away. The camera lifts its mirror to capture a “live” preview of what your shooting and, using a Wi-Fi attachment, beams the image to a laptop. Adding stealth, a hook mechanism snares the mirror for a soft, quiet landing after each shot.

SPEEDY SHOOTINGA pair of Digic III processors converts data from the image sensor into photos 1.5 times as fast as one of them could alone. The Mark III also double up mechanical components. SLRs use a mirror behind the lens that reflects images into a viewfinder for composing shots and then swings out of the way when you click the shutter. To get the faster shooting speed the Mark III has a dedicated motor just to flip the mirror and another to open the shutter.

PopSci 28
