Dow Chemical doubles contribution to LSU engineering college expansion

LSU’s College of Engineering announced this morning that Dow Chemical Company has donated another $1 million to the college to establish a student leadership center in the renovated Patrick F. Taylor Hall. The gift doubles a previous $1 million contribution by Dow to the project. In February, LSU announced it has exceeded a $50 million fundraising goal for the engineering college renovation and expansion, which will add about 80,000 square feet to the already 300,000-square-foot Taylor Hall and will roughly double the amount of space for the College of Engineering. In total, more than 450 individual and corporate donors have pledged at least $52.5 million in private funds to the project. The largest single donation was a $15 million gift from Phyllis Taylor, co-chair of the LSU College of Engineering Breaking New Ground campaign and widow of Patrick Taylor, the LSU grad and Taylor Energy Company founder for whom the engineering building is named. Twenty-two companies, including Dow, RoyOMartin, Entergy, BASF and Turner Industries, supported the fundraising effort with pledges exceeding $22 million. The state is providing a $50 million match to the privately-raised funds. The student leadership center that Dow’s recent donation will help fund will house up to 15 engineering student organizations locally, allowing LSU engineering students to develop leadership skills, work in a team environment and perpetuate a spirit of service through volunteerism. Student organizations occupying the center will be asked to support their community through outreach activities and service projects that promote STEM education. Construction on the college’s renovation and expansion is expected to begin this fall. —Staff report