Abilene Christian University’s Nuclear Energy Experimental Testing lab helped launch a next-generation molten-salt nuclear startup after a $3.2 million research donation sparked a plan for a test reactor. The reporting describes how the university partnered with Texas and federal counterparts after the Department of Energy offered fuel and salt support contingent on building a test reactor hosted by ACU. The project’s construction permit was approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2024, with an expected reactor startup in 2028. For higher education, the story illustrates how small institutions can land research infrastructure by aligning fundraising, regulatory milestones, and multi-university research alliances—here involving more than 150 researchers across ACU, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and Georgia Tech.