Oklahoma State University breaks ground on New Frontiers Agricultural Hall
Friday, April 23, 2021
Media Contact: Jennifer Kinnard | Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications | 405-334-1022 | jkinnard@osugiving.com
Oklahoma State University celebrated the groundbreaking for the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall on April 23. The facility will strengthen the three pillars of the university’s land-grant mission: research, teaching and extension.
“OSU Agriculture has the most dedicated donors and alumni behind it, and their support of the New Frontiers campaign shows the significance of this new facility,” said President Burns Hargis. “This new building would not be possible without the support of our loyal and true donors who stepped up to invest not just in bricks and mortar but in the agricultural innovations of tomorrow.”
The facility will prioritize hands-on teaching and flexible research environments that can adapt for years to come, and a strong sense of community through strategically designed gathering spaces. With modern teaching methods in mind, adaptable lab spaces will be available to serve multiple disciplines and interactive classrooms will harness students’ energy and the excitement of innovation.
“This project will modernize our research and the way we teach scientific subjects,” said Thomas Coon, OSU’s vice president for agricultural programs and dean of the Ferguson College of Agriculture. “It will transform Oklahoma’s economy, fostering innovation that will feed a growing world population.”
More than 87 percent of the $50 million fundraising goal has been met with the support of more than 330 generous donors. The campaign kicked off in January 2020 with a lead gift of $25 million to the building project from Kayleen and Larry Ferguson and the Ferguson Family Foundation. The Fergusons joined fellow Cornerstone Donors — those who committed to gifts of $1 million or more — at the event to participate in the ceremonial groundbreaking.
“In any building, the cornerstone determines the position and the strength of the entire structure and sets the direction of progress,” Coon said. “Our Cornerstone Donors are the foundation of this campaign and without their selfless leadership, we would not be as successful.”
Cornerstone Donors:
- Anonymous
- Ferguson Family Foundation
- John and Virginia Groendyke
- Jeff and Lynn Hilst
- Win and Kay Ingersoll
- A.J. and Susan Jacques
- Dr. Barry Pollard/P&K Equipment
- Frank and Ludmila Robson
- Sunderland Foundation
Several additional major gift donors were on hand to participate in the event, as well as faculty, staff, students, alumni and several of the partners responsible for the building design and construction.
Studio Architecture of Oklahoma City partnered with PGAV Architects of Westwood, Kansas, as the architects for the new building. FlintCo of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the construction firm. Construction will begin immediately on the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall and is expected to be completed in 2023.
During the ceremony, the menu for the re-imagined Dairy Bar, a campus classic that is being revived in the building’s ground floor, was announced.
“The Dairy Bar is very exciting to me,” said Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst, agricultural economics department head. “I have heard so many stories from our alumni who have wonderful memories about the Dairy Bar. It highlights our emphasis on creating environments to attract students where they can build relationships that enhance their academic and professional development. I’m excited to be able to just walk by and see everyone coming together as a family.”
The New Frontiers Agricultural Hall is located north of the Henry Bellmon Research Center and northeast of Agricultural Hall, which has been the home of OSU Agriculture since 1957.
Fundraising for the $100 million facility continues, and a variety of naming opportunities within the building remain available. Additional information, including live web cams documenting construction, is available at OSUgiving.com/New-Frontiers.