K-State celebrates major milestone in Innovation Center construction

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K-State celebrates major milestone in Innovation Center construction

5 May 2025

Commercial Baking Staff

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Story by Lily Cota and Annie Hollon

MANHATTAN, KS — A little under a year after Kansas State University broke ground on the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation (GCGFI), the university has reached the next major milestone in its Agriculture Innovation Initiative.

K-State’s College of Agriculture held a Topping Out Picnic on May 2 to mark the placement of the final beam of the GCGFI structure. The event included more than 100 guests, ranging from K-State students and alumni to faculty and supporters of the project, including members of the Kansas Livestock Association and community members.

About the Topping Out tradition

The Topping Out ceremony is inspired by a Scandinavian tradition of placing a pine tree on top of a new building to acknowledge the spirit of the trees that were cut down to build it.

These ceremonies often involve painting and signing the last beam to be placed and putting a tree, flag or other symbolic item on the beam before it’s raised. It’s a time of celebration for the progress of an important project and acknowledges the hard work of the construction team and others involved in the milestone.

Many of the team members working on the GCGFI have strong ties to Kansas State University. Of the core construction team of 12, nine graduated from the university.

“I got asked yesterday, ‘How does it feel to build for the university that built you?’” said Matt Jones, project manager for The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. “I’m filled with overwhelming pride to be here and take the skill set that this university has given to me, bring it back and do it for future students to give them the tools as well.”

Ernie Minton, PhD, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, has been a guiding force in the center’s development. And his dedication doesn’t stop with his students, but extends to interrelated industries, including commercial baking.

“This facility has been a long time coming, and we’re just so grateful that we’re finally here,” Minton said. “The Department of Grain Science and Industry serves the milling, baking and pet food industry. It’ll be a benefit to the industries, but also our students, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Students planning to work in grain, animal or food sciences will have a surplus of resources to acquire the skills they need to succeed.

“What we really want to do is give them a good sense of what it’s going to be like out in the industry when they take a job with baking, milling or food companies,” Minton sad. “We’ll do a better job preparing those students with these new state-of-the-art facilities.”

Across agricultural fields and industries, workforce shortages are top of mind. Engaging younger demographics in these types of careers is a challenge, but it’s one the GCGFI is specifically designed to overcome.

“It’s going to become a great place for students to study, to get the background, and then go out and serve the industry.” — Dr. Ernie Minton | dean, College of Agriculture | Kansas State University

Preparing tomorrow’s professionals

“Our role at Kansas State University is to train the next generation of workforce,” Minton said. “At the base of it, we’re going to be training the students that will go out and serve the industry, but there will also be new innovations occurring in that building as well with a focus on multidisciplinary work.”

The center will provide new interdisciplinary labs for collaboration across colleges, industry partner spaces, a dairy bar and merchandising space, modern milling and baking research labs, experimental baking and teaching labs, and a new dry processing, wet processing and non-food grade pilot plant.

“It’s going to become a great place for students to study, to get the background, and then go out and serve the industry,” Minton concluded.

Joseph Awika, PhD, head of K-State’s Grain Science and Industry Department, director of the International Grains Program Institute, and director of the Food Science Institute, noted the GCGFI was what drew him to join the university.

“It presents an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create innovation and collaboration in ways that have never been done before that is going to really impact not just our department, but our college, the university and the world,” Awika said.

Rep. Ken Rahjes, who currently chairs the Kansas House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, was among those in attendance and shared his excitement for what the center will offer the next few generations.

“This is a great day for Kansas agriculture,” Rahjes said. “It’s been a long time coming, and the innovation center will truly show Kansas as a leader in agriculture.”

Upon its completion, estimated for fall 2026, the center will also support recruitment efforts for the college, thanks to the high-impact learning opportunities that will be available to students.

“This is not just a building; it’s a symbol of where this university wants to go,” Rahjes said. “We don’t just want to be another university doing the same old things that everybody else is doing. Our president and dean really want us to create impact that is visible, global, and this is going to be the center for that.”

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