Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. has donated gifts totaling $1 million to establish a new economics faculty chair and research program at Iowa State.

“The chair is designed to serve the needs of Iowa and United States agriculture in a global environment,” said David Topel, dean of the College of Agriculture.

Thomas Phillips, Pioneer Hi-Bred’s director of community investment, gave a check for $250,000 to ISU President Martin Jischke on Friday.

“Appropriate science and technology policy will be more important than in the past for the success of Iowa agriculture and for the growth and development of the agricultural service industries,” Jischke said in a press release.

“The chair and associated research programs will give leadership to the evolving policy debate on roles for the public and private sectors, and more generally, the public and private management of research and development,” he said.

The new endowed chair will provide the initiative for a major research program at ISU, Jischke said in a press release. He said the chair will elevate the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) so it can better function as a global agricultural environment.

“We think the ISU plan to take CARD global can only help focus agriculture on the big picture,” Pioneer Hi-Bred chairman, President and CEO Charles S. Johnson said in a press release. “Pioneer Hi-Bred is pleased to be able to partner with ISU on this important project that will impact agriculture into the 21st century.”

Pioneer presented the gift in conjunction with the ISU Foundation’s “Campaign Destiny: To Become the Best,” Iowa State’s biggest fund-raising campaign. As of Aug. 31, the campaign had exceeded $270 million of its $300 million goal.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., of Des Moines, is the world’s leading supplier of agricultural genetics, and is the leading developer and integrator of agricultural technology, according to a press release. The company markets a line of seeds, products and services to agricultural customers worldwide.

“We need to give Pioneer a big thanks because they have helped us so much,” Topel said. “This is not the first chair they have given us, and we are grateful for all they have done.”