MANHATTAN, KS — It was standing room only at Kansas State University (KSU)’s College of Agriculture’s groundbreaking celebration for its Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation, a significant milestone of the university’s Ag Innovation Initiative, which includes upgrading aging facilities and developing an interdisciplinary approach to working with the baking and milling industry.
“The Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation fits into the vision by providing a state-of-the-art facility that will be an integral part of the College of Agriculture’s hub for Grain Science and Animal Science at K-State,” said Ernie Minton, PhD, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension during his opening remarks. “This multi-faceted initiative is part of an ambitious plan to make Kansas State University the next-generation land grand university — the example of what a land grant university should be in the 21st century.”
The center is the core facility for the college’s agricultural infrastructure initiative, which includes four new buildings, three remodeled spaces, two demolished buildings and a demolished livestock arena. The initiative will not only solidify the school’s reputation as a global grain science think tank but also contribute to solving some of the world’s most challenging food-related problems such as the growing issue of food insecurity.
“This is a $127 million investment, the largest of its kind for an academic building on this campus,” said Richard Linton, PhD, the university’s president. “There has never been a more complex, more meaningful project, I believe, at any land grant institution. These facilities are to support cutting-edge research and learning. We’ll have interdisciplinary lab spaces and areas dedicated to helping partnerships with our industry.”
With a total investment of $200 million, the project represents the largest investment in the history of K-State and of any land grand institution. The College of Agriculture raised $75 million in donations in just four months, a feat that hadn’t been achieved in nearly 12 years. The school has received more than $81 million in gifts and pledges to philanthropy, bringing the total state philanthropic and university resources to more than $151 million.
“This multi-faceted initiative is part of an ambitious plan to make Kansas State University the next-generation land grand university — the example of what a land grant university should be in the 21st century.” — Dr. Ernie Minton |
dean of the College of Agriculture |
Kansas State University
“This groundbreaking, including the shovels in the dirt, represents a new, modern beautiful state-of-the-art facility,” said Troy Anderson, VP of operations for Ardent Mills, and a member of the Ag Advisory Council for the College of Agriculture. “It represents a future where our world-class faculty and administration can do what they do best — teach, perform research and solve extremely complicated problems while developing a more diverse next generation of agricultural leaders and innovators.”
Minton, Linton and Anderson shared the stage with US Sen. Roger Marshall; Carl Ice from the Kansas Board of Regents; Hulya Dogan, PhD, interim department head for KSU’s Grain Science and Industry department; Mike Day, PhD, department head for KSU’s Animal Sciences and Industry department; and Tucker Graff and Paige Vulgamore, College of Agriculture students; among others.
