Beverly Hills billionaires give UC Davis $50 million to build agricultural research hub
A group of Beverly Hills family members took a road trip to UC Davis, where they paid $50 million to build a research center into something else entirely.
The Beverly Hills Family Foundation has given $60 million to UC Davis, and the $50 million was for a “family-friendly research park” that would eventually “be an opportunity for UC Davis to transform the agricultural sector in California,” the foundation said at the time.
But the building has morphed into an agricultural research center in ways that are much more ambitious than envisioned at the time.
“The most important thing is that it could be used by the scientists and teachers and we’re trying to figure out where that is,” said Gary Orman, professor at the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences.
The family foundation has been given a $1 million research grant, which they will use over the next two years to create a park for agricultural research. The park will encompass some 2,400 acres, including an 18-mile road, 15 miles of trails and a visitor center, and will be funded by a private grant from the foundation.
The park is still in the early stages of development, Orman said. It’s scheduled to be open to students in fall 2019, and will be about 50 percent complete when it opens to the public in fall 2021. The park is not expected to contain research that is solely for the benefit of UC Davis researchers and students, he said.
But it is expected to include research that directly impacts agriculture.
“Because it is an institution that is dedicated to agriculture and food, but it’s also focused on food science and food technology, we’re exploring food-related research,” Orman said. “And we just announced a collaboration with Stanford University that’s focused on research into sustainable agriculture.”
UC Davis announced Thursday that all five trustees have agreed to support the $1 million family foundation grant, although the money will be used in an unspecified project.
The new family foundation will focus on projects that support the university’s research and its commitment to a strong academic and research base, UC Davis Chancellor Linda P
