Federal funding would help build $50 million UA food science center

$30 million in a U.S. Senate appropriations bill will help pull the trigger on building a $50 million Agriculture Center of Excellence in Food Science for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, according to Jeff Weaver, director of government of affairs and stakeholder relations for the division.

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was able to include several Arkansas projects and programs in funding bills for the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and other related agencies, according to a statement from his office.

If the federal appropriations are approved in the U.S. House and signed by the president, work could begin within a year, with construction expected to take 24 months, Weaver said. The new center would be built in Fayetteville near the division’s existing food science building.

Weaver said division officials have been planning the 61,000-square-foot building for several years, with significant design and planning already complete.

“The project is as shovel-ready as we can get it,” Weaver said.

Primary purposes of the new center, according to Weaver, include expanding industry-leading research with rice, wheat, blackberries, grapes, and many other Arkansas-grown commodities. Rice research, he said, is vital considering that the state produces at least 50% of all rice grown nationwide.

Specifically, he said a bigger facility will help expand the division’s focus on food innovation, food health and safety, food processing and chemistry, and connecting food and farm entrepreneurs with consumers and markets. Part of that also includes more research with brewing and wine-making.

“We already have a top-5 food science program in the country,” he said. “It’s a very well-respected program. They do great research there with Arkansas products, and they really add value to that (Arkansas-grown products).”

Weaver also said a new center will help with faculty and student recruitment.

“Retaining and recruiting new faculty members that are on the cutting edge of food science research is very important,” Weaver said. “It’s very competitive out there for faculty members. And so, I think that’s one big advantage. Of course, the opportunity for students to learn not only from researchers, but in that space, and the opportunity for the community to access it through the food innovation center is vitally important. I think we will see a lot of good things come out of that.”

Following are other organizations and programs in the appropriations packages announced Monday. The list includes funding for projects of $5 million or more.
• $20 million for the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College workforce training venue in support of current and future industries within the Port of Little Rock Industrial Park

• $20 million for Southern Arkansas University Tech: $15 million to construct the Aerospace Defense Manufacturing Center of Excellence facility and $5 million to provide educational equipment to the Center

• $15.8 million to construct a portion of Interstate 49 near Fort Smith

• $15 million to expand and upgrade labor and delivery capacity at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)

• $15 million to support construction and equipment needs at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith’s Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare to improve health outcomes in the Fort Smith metro

• $13.3 million for technology and infrastructure updates at the Arkansas Department of Health

• $9 million to build a Healthcare Simulation Building at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro that will help address maternal and infant health workforce shortages and regional health disparities

• $8 million for the Infant Maternal Mortality Project at UAMS to support a comprehensive program focused on improving outcomes for low-income women and infants

• $7.7 million for construction of a Health Science Center at Arkansas State University-Newport with a focus on improving maternal and mental health outcomes

• $7 million to enhance Philander Smith University’s educational facilities to advance health outcomes

• $5 million for care and mental health treatment for UAMS students and faculty through the Wellness, Health, and Education Center

• $5 million for the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District to construct a new rail track at the Yellow Bend Port in Desha County, which will enable Class I rail service connectivity