Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences received a $1 million gift from the Underwood Family Foundation of Ames Wednesday.

The monetary donation will support both the agricultural business and agricultural entrepreneurship programs in the college.

“This additional funding will help us provide more hands-on experiences, networking and integrated learning opportunities for our students,” said Wendy Wintersteen, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

With 523 students enrolled in the business and entrepreneurship programs in fall of 2016, Roger Underwood, director of the Underwood Family Foundation, hopes this gift can positively impact the students in the program.

“We are so supportive of Iowa State’s agricultural business and agricultural entrepreneurship programs. Our goal is to help ensure they remain the best in the world,” Underwood said. “The support we provide will bolster programming, teaching and student experiences and, as a result, we believe it will help change agriculture in Iowa.”

In 2005 a $1.6 million gift from Roger Underwood and his wife, Connie Underwood, established the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Underwood is a member of the ISU Foundation Board of Directors, an ISU Foundation governor and former member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advisory Committee.

“Thanks to this generous gift from the Underwood family, we will be able to magnify the impact of two of our college’s most respected and successful programs,” Wintersteen said.

Underwood also is a founding member of the Agricultural Alumni Association and was a member of the organizing committee for the first-ever Ag Career Day on campus.

“Changing students’ experiences and their lives is our plan,” Underwood said.

The gift is part of the Forever True, For Iowa State campaign, which aims to raise $1.1 billion.