West Virginia State University approved for $50 million funding to build new agricultural lab

CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The West Virginia Legislature has given the green light for a $50 million funding to establish a cutting-edge agricultural laboratory at West Virginia State University (WVSU).

This state-of-the-art facility will accommodate laboratory space for both WVSU and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Governor Jim Justice first announced this initiative during his State of the State Address in January, and it was subsequently included in the list of appropriations for the recent legislative special session.

The project was endorsed by the State Senate on Sunday and by the House of Delegates on Monday. Governor Justice expressed his satisfaction with the approval, stating, “This is another huge win for the people of West Virginia. The immense need for a state-of-the-art agricultural lab is a topic I highlighted during my State of the State Address, and I’m glad to see this project finally get across the finish line. Additionally, I cannot think of a better home than West Virginia State University. We all know this is something that will create a huge impact for the agricultural industry and community in the Mountain State for generations to come.”

WVSU President Ericke S. Cage expressed gratitude to Governor Jim Justice, Senate President Craig Blair, and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw for the transformative investment. He remarked, “Agriculture is a tremendous part of our state’s economy and this new facility will play a vital role in educating the workforce of tomorrow while supporting the agricultural research and development that is already underway. I look forward to working with Gov. Jim Justice’s office and State Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt as we bring this important facility to life.”

The new facility will not only provide laboratory and classroom space for WVSU faculty and students but will also contribute to the establishment of a new School of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at the university.

It will further enhance WVSU’s Agricultural Research portfolio, covering areas such as aquaculture, bioenergy and bioproducts, environmental microbiology and biotechnology, horticulture and specialty crop production, urban forestry, soil, water and natural resources management, vegetable genomics and disease-resistant plant breeding, foodborne pathogens, value-added food products, sustainable food packaging technologies, native pollinators, and environmental engineering and water systems modeling.

President Cage emphasized, “This new agricultural research laboratory will provide outstanding experiential learning opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, and researchers while delivering vital services to the state of West Virginia.”