Quad-Cities Online, IL
04-19-07
Deere Foundation gives $1.25M for ISU biosystems facility
PRNewswire
AMES, Iowa -- The John Deere Foundation, primary philanthropic arm of Deere
& Company, today announced a $1.25 million grant for construction of a new agricultural and biosystems engineering facility at Iowa State University.
The building is part of a planned multi-structure complex that will include ISU's
Office of Biorenewables Programs.
Michael J. Mack, Jr., a director of the John Deere Foundation and senior vice president and chief financial officer of Deere & Company, said the development of biorenewable fuel sources holds exceptional economic potential for the state of Iowa.
'Based on its long record of scientific and engineering achievement, Iowa State
University is in a particularly strong position to provide leadership for the biorenewables effort. Technical support from the university is essential to producing renewable fuels on a large scale and in an economically feasible, sustainable manner,' he said.
Biorenewables are likely to play an important role in addressing the world's longterm energy needs and have a positive impact on issues such as global climate change and environmental sustainability, Mack noted.
Iowa State granted the country's first agricultural engineering degree in 1905.
Today, its department of agricultural and biosystems engineering administers undergraduate degrees in agricultural engineering, agricultural systems technology, and industrial technology. Housed jointly in the College of Agriculture and College of Engineering, the department is recognized nationally for its programs.
The new agricultural and biosystems facility will be part of a 166,000-square-foot complex that will include three separate buildings to replace current laboratories, classrooms and offices. Cost is estimated at $63.3 million.