State-of-the-art Forestry & Natural Resources Building Will Bring World-wide opportunities

Let’s go inside, said no Department of Forestry and Natural Resources student, faculty or alumni ever! We value wide open spaces, forests, streams and wildlife.

Our department is one of the country’s leading natural resources programs, and Indiana’s only degree-granting and research program in forestry, wildlife and aquatic sciences, so why would we want to go indoors?

Because we’re moving forward on a much-needed new FNR Building.

A new, state-of-the-art, Forestry and Natural Resources building is essential to increasing our technological capabilities, expanding space for program growth, and bringing all FNR faculty, staff, and students under one roof to foster greater interdisciplinary collaborations.

A new building also will allow FNR to recruit the very best students, capture new research and educational opportunities, and promote greater communication, innovation and synergy among students, faculty, and staff.

Features of our proposed new building that excite us most include:

• a floor dedicated to the emerging field of digital natural resources where remote sensing, big data, and artificial intelligence are coming together to create major advancements in the way natural resources will be monitored and managed in the future;
• a new hardwood products research laboratory to help support product development for the state’s $10 billion dollar per year hardwood products sector;
• new laboratories to support research on the Great Lakes ecosystem which contributes $5 trillion to the regional economy, and
• new wildlife research laboratories that will support the thousands of Hoosiers and millions nationally who participate in sustainable hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching.

Our goal is to have teaching laboratories and classrooms in the new building outfitted with state-of-the-art computer and other technological capabilities and to establish Purdue FNR as a national leader in natural resource instruction and training. The new building is planned to permit for 20% growth above current faculty, staff and student numbers. The proposed concept plan includes an increase of more than 12,000 square feet than what we have now.

The new building is expected to cost nearly $50 million, not counting design and contingency costs, and FNR is expected to raise approximately $13-15 million through fundraising. Currently, our goal is to raise $5 million in donations to go with already established departmental funds.

We are actively seeking donations from individuals, industry and other organizations that have an interest in building and supporting a state-of-the-art FNR building on the West Lafayette campus.

Named space options, ranging from laboratories to conference rooms, offices and collaboration spaces, are available from $25,000 and up. These spaces may honor individuals, families, alumni classes, businesses and organizations or the legacy of faculty, staff and alumni.  For more details on naming a space or donating to the new building fund in general, please contact Marissa Mikel (mrmikel@purdueforlife.org).

FNR is diligently working toward being designated as the University's priority capital project for submission to the Indiana State Legislature. As a facility priority for the College of Agriculture, this effort is crucial to securing state approval for a new building, which is determined through the biennial budget process. To achieve this goal, we need your continued support in fundraising and passionate advocacy for a new FNR facility at Purdue. Together, we can make this vision a reality.

For more about the new building, check these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Will you help build it with us?

FNR Capital Campaign
FNR Capital Conversations

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A Letter of Support for FNR from Dean Engel
Dean Bernie Engel, who began his role as the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture on July 15, 2023, said in a letter of support, "I am thrilled to share with you an exciting initiative that is poised to take our Forestry and Natural Resources program to new heights. We are continuing our efforts to construct a state-of-the-art Forestry and Natural Resources building on the Purdue campus".