FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 1, 2020
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The recent addition to Tarleton State University’s Agricultural Center, the Animal and Plant Sciences Center, has been recognized for its design by a construction industry publication.
Engineering News-Record named the Tarleton college farm modernization the best project under $10 million in the Texas-Louisiana Region.
The highlight of the project, a multipurpose complex along College Farm Road (County Road 518), opened a year ago. The Animal and Plant Sciences Center is part of improvements and modernization of structures damaged in a 2016 tornado.
Dr. Steve Damron, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said the center has made room for several programs at one location and enables the university to develop courses to meet the increasing needs of agricultural industries in Texas and beyond.
“Texas agriculture’s economic impact exceeds $115 billion annually, and one out of seven Texans works in an agriculture-related job. So it makes sense to increase Tarleton’s program options and provide expanded opportunities for students to work faculty-directed research,” he said. “This new facility makes that possible.”
The center features seven state-of-the-art laboratories for teaching animal and plant sciences, with individual teaching labs for anatomy and physiology, genetics, nutrition, horticulture and crop science, soils, entomology, and a retail marketing space for Ag Center products (The Purple Tractor).
Stantec is the architect, and Linbeck the general contractor.
The award is one of 18 given by ENR in various categories. The winners will be recognized at an Oct. 23 event in Houston.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 14,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Phil Riddle
817-484-4415
priddle@tarleton.edu
