Purdue celebrates dedication of new animal sciences complex
Purdue University will formally dedicate its new $60 million, 123,000-sq-ft animal sciences complex in a ceremony March 22.
Purdue University will formally dedicate its new $60 million, 123,000-sq-ft animal sciences complex in a ceremony March 22. The facility boosts the university’s commitment to Indiana’s food animal production industry by establishing a center for interactive student learning, advanced research, and enhanced Extension programming.
“These wonderful state-of-the art classrooms, laboratories, and interactive spaces bring together students, faculty, and staff in ways that will foster collaboration, spark new ideas, and move the animal industry forward,” said Mitch Daniels, university president.
The nearly 90,000-sq-ft Hobart and Russell Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences is a three-floor structure housing research laboratories, classrooms designed for interactive and team-based learning, conference rooms for Extension activities, and open spaces to facilitate faculty and student interactions. It also contains offices for the department’s faculty and staff, graduate students, scientists with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Livestock Behavior Unit, and staff of Indiana animal regulatory agencies.
The 24,662-sq-ft Land O’Lakes Center for Experiential Learning includes research and teaching space for meat and protein sciences. It will also house the Boilermaker Butcher Block, a retail shop where animal sciences students learn how to tenderize, cut, and age meat, in addition to sanitation and food safety practices. The adjoining 7,800-sq-ft Purina Pavilion hosts teaching, Extension, extracurricular, and youth events focusing on livestock care, handling, and evaluation.
“The Land O’Lakes Center for Experiential Learning, as part of the Purdue animal sciences complex, is a physical reminder of our joint commitment to the future of agriculture and its most important asset, the next generation,” said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes. “We look forward to seeing what Purdue students will contribute to what I believe is the greatest growth industry of our time.”