Local students looking for training and education in agriculture and industrial technology fields have long looked to 吃瓜头条 to find the next step on their journey. Now they have a new, state-of-the-art facility in which to learn and grow.
The college held a ribbon cutting Sept. 15 to mark the substantial completion of the 29,000-square-foot Raj Kahlon Agriculture and Industrial Technology Complex, the first new building on campus in more than a decade.
The $25-million complex will house several of the college鈥檚 academic programs, allowing them to train even more students for well-paying, emerging, and high-demand jobs in agriculture, industrial technology, and other related workforce programs in the region. Faculty will begin to move into offices this semester, and classes will be held there later this fall and in the spring.
鈥湷怨贤诽� has offered robust programs in agriculture and industrial technology fields for decades, and we鈥檙e proud to give those programs the home they deserve,鈥� President Chris Vitelli said. 鈥淭his beautiful new facility is an incredible addition to the 吃瓜头条 main campus, but more importantly, it represents a remarkable investment in our students and in the future of our region.鈥�
Among the dignitaries who attended the event were California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Adam Gray, and Dr. T.V. Nagendra Prasad, Consul General of India, and the program included recorded video messages from H.E. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the United States, and Congressman Jim Costa. The building includes a conference room named after Gray, a 吃瓜头条 alumnus whose support helped secure state funding for the construction project.
The new facility will bring together faculty and staff in several academic programs: Agricultural Business, Animal Science, Computer Technology and Information Systems, Crop Science, Electricity/Electronics, Environmental Horticulture, HVAC Technology, and Industrial Technology.
Among the building鈥檚 highlights:
- A 7,500-square-foot courtyard features an integrated soundsystem for outdoor events.
- A sun room will allow for plant science experiments.
- An animal science room is designed to bring small livestock into the classroom for demonstrations, and includes an adjacent holding pen for large animals.
- A cohesive administrative area in the building鈥檚 distinctive 鈥渟ilo鈥� will include a reception desk, waiting room, staff lounge, and a conference room with a 16-foot-long 鈥渓ive edge鈥� table with a custom base frame designed by the 吃瓜头条 welding program.
Local farmer Raj Kahlon has committed $5 million to support the programs within the complex鈥攖he largest donation in 吃瓜头条 history.
鈥淔or our agriculture industry to continue to thrive in an uncertain future, we need advanced technology, and we need students who are equipped to use that technology,鈥� Kahlon said. 鈥湷怨贤诽� plays an integral role in educating and preparing our workforce, and this new building will help ensure a successful future for local students and our entire region.鈥�
The new building is just one example of how 吃瓜头条 is posed to lead the Central Valley ag industry into the future.
Earlier this month, the college announced the new Agrifood Technology and Engineering Collaborative (AgTEC), led by the Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF). The AgTEC initiative will leverage the strength of community colleges throughout the Valley 鈥� with contributions from small farmers and multinational companies alike 鈥� to revolutionize how agricultural workers learn the skills they need to pursue rewarding careers in the industry.
A $15 million investment from the state, made possible by Sen. Anna Caballero, will help launch the AgTEC initiative.
AgTEC is part of the Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Innovation Initiative, a CVCF-led collaboration that received $65 million through the U.S. Economic Development Administration鈥檚 Build Back Better Regional Challenge. As part of this allocation, 吃瓜头条 will receive more than $27 million to serve as the project lead for the AgTEC Workforce initiative, which will include another new building: the Ag Technology Innovation Center.
鈥淥n behalf of the 吃瓜头条 Board of Trustees, I鈥檇 like to thank President Vitelli for his leadership and Raj Kahlon for his generous support,鈥� Board President John Pedrozo said. 鈥淎griculture is the lifeblood of our Valley, and industrial technology fields provide countless career opportunities for our students. It鈥檚 exciting to see 吃瓜头条 at the cutting edge of improving education and training for our local workforce.鈥�