Dr. Jane Wood, president of Bluffton University, announced that the new, state-of-the-art Nutrition and Dietetics Lab in the Austin E. Knowlton Science Center will be sponsored by Sodexo with a lead corporate contribution of $650,000.

“Sodexo’s commitment to the Knowlton Science Center building project is the largest corporate contribution in Bluffton’s history, and I am deeply grateful for Sodexo’s willingness to invest in this high priority project and in the nutrition and dietetics education of Bluffton students for many years to come,” said President Wood.
 
Sodexo has been Bluffton’s dining services partner for more than 14 years and during that time has invested in a number of enhancements to Bluffton’s student dining experience, including the 2018 opening of Freshens in Marbeck Center which offers a variety of healthy menu options.
 
“Sodexo is pleased to support Bluffton University’s initiative to bring the Knowlton Science Center and the Nutrition and Dietetics Lab to life,” said Amy Buratti, senior vice president for Sodexo. “We have a longstanding relationship with Bluffton University, and we are a committed partner and employer to the local community. It is important to us to give back to the communities where we live and serve.”
 
The news was shared during a special gathering of faculty, staff and students in Marbeck Student Center on Nov. 8, 2018. The Nutrition and Dietetics Lab is designed to support the teaching and learning needs of Bluffton’s nationally accredited dietetics program, one of only two offered by private colleges in Ohio.
 
The lab will feature student prep/cooking stations, an expansive instructor demonstration station, audio visual capabilities, and onsite and streaming video delivery. Adjacent multipurpose space and a nearby green roof patio will support undergraduate instruction and public programs.
 
For the past several years, Bluffton has been engaged in architectural planning for and raising the necessary funds to open a new science building that will support Bluffton students majoring in the natural and health sciences and for all students in the general education program.
 
The Knowlton Science Center will be a 32,500 square foot facility located at the heart of campus with a site development plan that creates a pedestrian only central campus and supports Bluffton’s goals for teaching and learning and for environmental sustainability.
 
At the October meeting of the Bluffton Board of Trustees, trustees authorized demolition of Lincoln Hall, a 1920s residence hall, so that the university can prepare the site for the new building.

To date, Bluffton has surpassed $13.9 million of the $14.5 million total to fund the Knowlton Science Center’s total project cost and is continuing to make progress toward the goal of opening the Knowlton Science Center for the 2020/21 academic year.

The Knowlton Science Center is part of a comprehensive campaign to secure $26 million in support for annual operations and student aid, innovation in teaching and learning, and endowment.