SIU students, staff, and leaders gathered with Bob and Beth Gower and their family for the ribbon cutting and renaming of the McLafferty annex into the Gower Translational Research Center.
Bob and Beth Gower are alumni of SIU and have previously donated to the university. They recently donated 2.5 million dollars supporting scientific research at SIU.
The Board of trustees approved the name change in December.
The center houses the BioLaunch Lab, the Fermentation Science Institute, and the Center for Fisheries, Aqua-culture and Aquatic Sciences.
Bob Gower studied chemistry while at SIU. He worked in leadership positions in several chemical companies before founding several businesses. He says SIU has learned how to work with entrepreneurs through work done in this building.
Beth Gower says that she hopes the name change shows people that SIU is conducting exciting research that is important to the future of the world.
