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Expectations High for Penn State's New Food Science Building

Great expectations were in abundance as officials from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences joined with university, state and industry representatives to dedicate the university’s new $45.7 million Food Science Building today on the University Park campus.

The 130,000-square-foot, four-story building, which replaces outdated facilities as home to Penn State’s Department of Food Science and Berkey Creamery, combines modern teaching and research laboratories, classrooms and offices with expanded production space and pilot plants, which will serve as research testing sites for food companies. Penn State President Graham Spanier was enthusiastic in his expectations of the building’s potential for service.

“This new facility now matches our outstanding reputation as one of the top undergraduate food science programs in America,” Spanier said. “Pennsylvania is at the heart of the food processing and manufacturing industry in the Northeast, and ranking as number one among the 50 states in a number of food industry areas. This new state-of-the-art facility provides both faculty and students with new resources, new opportunities and the potential for incredible growth.

“Three specialized pilot plants will test research concepts for possible development at an industrial
scale by food companies that choose to partner with Penn State. The building also will house the largest and most sophisticated dairy manufacturing plant associated with any academic institution in the country. The cutting-edge scientific and educational facilities will play a significant role in the state's food processing industry,” Spanier said.

Dedication activities were presided over by Robert Steele, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. "The building is a marvelous example of the importance we place in ensuring that our students are educated in modern, state-of-the-art facilities,” he said. “Moreover, it is a strong statement we are making about the importance we see in this program for the future."

In addition to Spanier and Steele, featured speakers were Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff, Penn State Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Baldwin and Department of Food Science head John Floros. Also participating in the ribbon cutting were Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of General Services James Creedon, Penn State Vice President for Physical Plant Ford Stryker, architectural firm IKM Incorporated President John Schott and Gilbane Building Company representative Steve O’Connor.

Floros noted that Penn State food scientists will work closely with molecular biologists, biotechnologists, toxicologists, materials scientists, engineers and others to incorporate biophysics, informatics, nanotechnology, nutrigenomics, medicine and the health sciences to improve food systems in the state and nation.

“The new building with the state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories and technology classrooms will allow the Department of Food Science to become a leader in the integration of teaching, research and service,” he said. Floros said the new facility will help the department “to be recognized nationally for its preeminent undergraduate program and internationally for its innovative research in the context of graduate education. Its value to our students and alumni, to the food industry in the commonwealth and beyond, and to the well-being of citizens throughout the nation will be felt for
generations to come.”

Baldwin noted that the Food Science Department’s previous, outdated physical facilities in Borland Laboratory limited the capacity of faculty members and students to meet the needs of the state and national food industry for research solutions and innovation.

“This new Food Science Building will allow Penn State to better serve its students and contribute more effectively to the competitiveness of this important sector of Pennsylvania’s economy,” she said.

The building’s new Berkey Creamery, named in honor of Jeanne and Earl Berkey, whose $3 million gift helped make the new building possible, has a larger, more customer-friendly salesroom in addition to production facilities, space for support services and an office suite. The creamery salesroom now has indoor seating for approximately 100 people and covered outdoor seating for 50. Viewing windows into the processing areas will allow visitors to watch the production of ice cream, cheese, yogurt and other items while they wait.

Next to the creamery and salesroom on the ground floor are separate, two-story pilot plants for “wet” processing of fruits and vegetables, edible oils, mushrooms and related products, and “dry” processing of confections, powders, chocolates, baked goods, cereals and snack foods.

On the second floor, an expanded and improved sensory laboratory has spaces for specialized sensory instruction, focus group activities, a preparatory kitchen area and 12 computer-based product evaluation booths. The improvements allow researchers to study ingredients, assess their flavor impact for different foods and understand how flavors interact to develop products.


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	Copyright -- Alternative Media -- Affirmative Action This page last updated on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 .