The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State broke ground today on the new 30,000-square-foot Jordan Research Center, designed to foster collaboration among students and faculty in agricultural sciences and technology, engineering and science and mathematics.
Located at the corner of Barstow and Woodrow avenues and scheduled to open in fall 2015, the facility was made possible by a $29.4 million dollar gift from the Jordan family to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in 2009.
“At Fresno State, we want to support advances in the agriculture industry, and we have the opportunity to do that with the Jordan Research Center,” said Fresno State president Joseph I. Castro. “This facility is going to make a tremendous impact in the Valley and around the world. We’ll be able to perform research that will advance knowledge throughout the industry.”
This $24 million project will feature open, flexible space designed for collaborative research. Faculty and students from the Jordan College will work alongside colleagues in the Lyles College of Engineering and the College of Science and Mathematics.
“This is the first-of-its-kind on a CSU campus. Fresno State agriculture will be on the leading edge as we continue to make significant contributions to enhancing production agriculture, food systems and natural resources,” said Dr. Charles Boyer, dean of the Jordan College.
The state-of-the-art center will include wet and dry laboratories, laboratory support space and interaction areas for creative collaboration between faculty and students.
“For our students, the Jordan Research Center will create an environment where research becomes totally integrated into university life. This will be a place where the region’s greatest minds will enrich our environment and unlock the solution for our greatest challenges,” Boyer said.
The Jordan Research Center is the cornerstone of the vision created by the Jordan family for Fresno State. The $29.5 million donation from the Jordan family is the largest cash gift in Fresno State’s history and among the largest ever in the CSU system.
“My late husband Bud, as well as brother in law Lowell, would be so very pleased to see not only the family legacy tied to Fresno State agriculture but to know that the future of agriculture will be well served by the work to be done in the research center,” said Dee Jordan.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Castro also announced three gifts to establish endowments to enhance laboratory spaces inside the building. Olam Spices and Vegetable Ingredients, a global provider of agriculture products and food ingredients, donated $200,000 to support the sensory evaluation, tasting and prep laboratory. Retired dentist Dr. Harry B. Moordigian, Jr. gave $200,000 in support of a microbiology laboratory and alumni Earl and Beverly Knobloch gave in support of the instrument/robotics laboratory space.
“Fresno State specializes in applied research, aligning its resources with the needs of the Central Valley,” Castro said. “The Jordan Research Center is a perfect example of the vision and creativity that will drive Fresno State’s growth.”
For more information, contact Shannon Fast, associate director of development for the Jordan College, at 559.278.4266 or sfast@csufresno.edu.
To discuss potential partnership opportunities in the Jordan Research Center, contact Alcidia Freitas Gomes at 559.278.4266 or alcidia@csufresno.edu.
Related Links:
- Jordan Research Center
- Olam Spices and Vegetable Ingredients
- Olam SVI supports research at Fresno State with $200,000 endowment release
- Earl and Beverly Knobloch gift to enhance robotic research release
- Dr. Harry B. Moordigian, Jr. gives $200,000 to bolster ag research release
