The Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center was officially dedicated Aug. 29.

The facility, which officially opened to students in January, includes four classrooms, a banquet hall and 840 fixed seats overlooking the 27,500-square-foot Marvin J. Walter arena.

“It’s a modern, state-of-the-art-facility,” said ISU President Steven Leath. “It creates a nearly unmatched learning environment for our students.”

The project began raising funds in 2009. Ground was broken in September 2012 and the building was completed in December 2013.

Jeff and Deb Hansen pledged a $2 million gift, making them the largest contributors. More than 1,200 private donors contributed $7.3 million of the $7.7 million cost of the project. The university covered the remaining $400,000.

The focus of the Hansen Center is hands-on human-animal interaction and education. Administrators believe teaching laboratories and outreach programs will help prospective student recruitment.

“This facility gives us another competitive advantage,” said Leath. “It offers the types of experiences and learning opportunities that employers want their future employees to have.”

Roger Neuhaus, president and CEO of the Iowa State University Foundation, believes the building to be one of the more flexible facilities on campus.

“One of the goals we have is to make this the most heavily used building on campus,” Neuhaus said.” We’re already getting close to that.”

Agriculture students are praising the advantages of the structure as well.

“There is unlimited potential for the role that this building can play at Iowa State,” said Matt Kerns, senior in animal science. “This facility has gone above and beyond, blowing away our expectations.”