Ag Bldg. groundbreaking, $1M Agilent donation
Delaware State University held a Sept. 29 Groundbreaking Ceremony to denote the beginning of work to construct a new 15,000-square-foot, $10 million Agriculture Building.
During the ceremony, it was also announced that Agilent Technologies Inc. – a global leader in the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets – is launching a partnership with the University to increase the share of underrepresented students entering STEM fields.
Agilent solidified its partnership during the event by presenting the University with a $1 million donation that will support new lab instrumentation. That enhancement will help the University expand its educational opportunities and advance research in Applied Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Sciences, and related disciplines.
In addition, Agilent has made a commitment to donate $3.5 million in research instrumentation technology to help the University further advance its research portfolio.
“One of the things that is important for Agilent is investing in the science for the future; not just in the technology for the future, but also in the talent and capabilities,” said Greg McKinney, Vice President and General Manager of the Supplies Division of Agilent. “We couldn’t think of a better partner than Delaware State University.”
The new edifice – which will be the first academic building constructed on campus since the completion of the Optical Science Center for Applied Research Building in 2015 – will provide the University College of Agriculture, Science and Technology with needed additional classrooms and offices to accommodate that ongoing growth.
“Agilent is creating an opportunity for Delaware State University to be the Mid-Atlantic hub for bio-life research,” said University President Tony Allen “That means, Lincoln University, Cheney State, UMES and Morgan State University will be our partners.”
The Agriculture Building will also feature a 124-seat auditorium that opens up into a demonstration kitchen, as well as a “new Century maker-space classroom where students can develop their own unique agriculture and science-related innovation.”
The building will be built on the campus site of Soldier Field, which was home to the Hornet Baseball Program until recently. The Hornet baseball team has moved to the athletics field located at DSU Downtown (formerly Wesley College).
According to Dr. Cherese Winstead Casson, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology, the new construction is made possible by a combination of USDA grant funding and matching state funding support.
After the process of acquiring the required city and construction permits, the University expects construction to begin sometime in 2023 and be completed in 2024.