Media Relations

Perdue Gift

Author: Lynn Minton Date: Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

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A donation from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation and matching funds from WKU and the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp will put WKU-O students on the cutting edge of food technology research.

The Perdue donation along with matching funds will provide a huge boost to the program by providing much needed equipment and a second lab dedicated to food analysis.

A fat analyzer and protein analyzer will be purchased to determine fat and protein content in raw and processed meat.

“The addition of state-of-the-art equipment is critical to the development of a food analysis laboratory,” Tice said. “This will allow our students to conduct laboratory experiments and acquire hands-on experience to supplement lecture courses.”

Blaine Ferrell, dean of Ogden College, said the donation will work in combination with money from the city of Owensboro to produce a work force capable of meeting Owensboro’s food processing needs.

“The gift will be matched by an internal grant and money from the city of Owensboro which will be used to purchase a texture analyzer, a water activity meter and a colorimeter to supplement the laboratory, more than doubling the impact of the gift,” Ferrell said.

President Gary Ransdell said the gift will help the program achieve its original purpose.

“The Food Processing and Technology Program at the WKU-Owensboro Campus was established in 2008 in response to the needs of the food processing industry in western Kentucky and the entire Commonwealth,” Ransdell said in a press release.

“It’s important when you can have world class research collaborate with entrepreneurs to communicate ideas,” Madison Silvert, Vice President for Entrepreneurship and High Technology Development said. “That’s what this facility is all about.”

School officials estimate the lab will be ready by the spring semester.