Colorado State University recently celebrated the opening of the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building, a new home for agriculture on the University’s Fort Collins campus. The building represents CSU’s modern land-grant mission, supporting intentional discovery, inclusive learning, and collaborative engagement through state-of-the-art classrooms, labs and meeting spaces.
A $43.5 million construction project made possible by the State of Colorado and the Colorado Legislature, the Nutrien Building is a 40,000 square-foot expansion that doubles the size of the former Shepardson Building. The building is being renamed for Nutrien — the world’s largest provider of crop nutrients, inputs, and services — in recognition of their partnership with the College of Agricultural Sciences and the company’s transformational $10 million investment in the college’s strategic initiatives and in CSU’s students as the future of agriculture. Flexible classroom spaces — including a 360-degree, in-the-round classroom named for the late Bernard Rollin, a renowned animal ethicist and CSU professor — support engaged student learning, while research and learning labs support hands-on discovery and innovation by students and faculty.
The expanded footprint of the Nutrien Building also allows for a more impactful execution of CSU’s commitment to agriculture in the state of Colorado. Each year, agriculture contributes more than $47 billion in economic activity to the state and employs nearly 200,000 people.
Collaborative meeting spaces such as the AgIndustry Leadership Conference Room invite agricultural industry and community partners from around the state to engage with CSU scientists to work together to meet local and global challenges in food safety, food security, wellness, and economic prosperity.
Opening celebration attendees will have the opportunity to interact with CSU President Joyce McConnell, the Colorado State University Board of Governors, Nutrien Ag Vice President of Marketing & Innovation Solutions Brent Smith, College of Agricultural Sciences Dean James Pritchett, students, faculty, and agriculture industry leaders from around the state. Guests are invited to explore the building’s classroom, lab, and meeting spaces, with students and faculty hosting tours and demonstrations of the latest technologies.