The Iowa Board of Regents approved a proposal by Iowa State to begin construction of an Egg Industry Center on Tuesday at the University of Iowa Memorial Union.

Board members accepted the proposal by Elizabeth Hoffman, executive vice president and provost, for the new egg center that will provide research and funding support for the egg industry.

“Most people don’t realize that Iowa is number one in the nation in the area of egg production and processing,” Hoffman said. “This center would demonstrate Iowa State’s commitment to research and support of the state’s large egg industry.”

The approved Egg Industry Center’s mission will be to identify needs within the industry, attract funds for problem-solving, interact with public consumers of egg and related dairy products and provide communication between land-grant universities regarding issues in the egg industry. Iowa State has a strong relationship with the Iowa egg industry, and more than ten faculty members are working on research projects funded by the Iowa Egg Council.

The council has pledged $2 million over the next 10 years in support for the center, with overall fundraising efforts set at $10 million. The initial cost of the center is $60,000, and it is slated to increase to $72, 970 by the seventh year of activity. Additional funding sources include the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Animal Sciences.

“The center will be modeled after the Iowa Beef and Pork Industry Centers, which have been examples of programs that enhance university activity,” Hoffman said. “Establishment of the center has received support from the USDA and other food safety organizations.”

The proposed Egg Industry Center not only received approval from the Board of Regents, but will be financially and scientifically supported by national and international groups.

The Board of Regents allocates $250,000 or more annually towards programs that provide service and promote economic growth within the state of Iowa, and the Egg Industry Center is expected to grow in the coming years to warrant this monetary support.

“This is an important addition for Iowa State University and the egg industry within the state,” Hoffman said.

Currently, the state of Iowa lacks a center that provides for the egg industry, and establishing a program at Iowa State is expected to fulfill the need.

“We were excited to support the proposal for an Egg Industry Center because many people don’t realize how important it is to Iowa,” said David Miles, Board of Regents president. “The successes of the beef and pork industry centers at Iowa State are impressive, and I’m sure the egg center will be as well.”

The Board of Regents decided to remove discussion of the design-build proposal from the agenda item list because the Iowa legislature does not plan to discuss the bill before its April 22 end date.

“The bill is still being discussed by committee members, so we will wait to decide on it until after it moves through the Iowa Legislature,” Miles said. “A modified draft of the bill will be presented to the board at another time. It will be important in the near future.”