A correction was added to this article Feb. 11.

Because of an editing error, the Feb. 11 article “Ag college gains $1.5 million gift for new program” indicated that a $1.5 million donation to the College of Agriculture by ISU alumni Roger and Connie Underwood provided the final portion of money needed to start an entrepreneurship program. The Underwoods’ gift is the initial gift for the program. The Daily regrets this error.

Two Ames residents have given a $1.5 million gift to the College of Agriculture to fund the college’s entrepreneurship program.

Planning for a new entreprenuership program in the College of Agriculture has begun after two Ames residents gave the final amount needed for its start.

Roger and Connie Underwood made a $1.5 million donation after hearing the plans for the program. It was the final amount needed to start the new program.

“I feel it is important to give back. The agriculture college was very important in my development and created the spirit of business in me,” said Roger Underwood, chief executive officer of Becker Underwood, a biotechnology firm. “I feel that by doing this, I can help the college progress as well as other students at Iowa State University. Hopefully, they’ll give back someday too.”

Underwood graduated from the College of Agriculture in 1980. He also serves on the College of Agriculture Advisory Board, where he initially learned of the entrepreneurship program.

The five-year program, which will be available to all students in the College of Agriculture, is still in its beginning stages, Woteki said.

Catherine Woteki, dean of College of Agriculture, said the program has two main drives: the students and the faculty.

“For students, we are looking to provide opportunities to develop knowledge and skills needed to become entrepreneurs,” Woteki said.

The money will be used to provide internships for students, and to bring in entrepreneurs for seminars, she said.

“As far as faculty goes, we are working toward teaching and informing them of the development of entrepreneurship,” Woteki said.

Steven Nissen, professor of animal science, and Robert Jolly, professor of economics, are the two co-directors of the entrepreneurship program.

“What we really want to do is get down to the level of the students to integrate elements of entrepreneurship into the curriculum of the College of Ag,” Nissen said.

“The goal of this program is to get up close and personal with students and help provide them with the knowledge and skill sets needed to succeed in entrepreneurship.”

The program is intended to bring in more to individual students and get them more involved, he said.

“We’re in a very early part, right now, of getting this initiative underway. In a broad sense, this program is going to be linked and supported by the university’s entrepreneurship program,” Jolly said.

He said the program should be implemented by the 2006 school year. The tentative plan is to have seminars and workshops within the first year, with the hope that the program will become well established within five years.