Patrick Leahy Building will house teaching, research, and engagement activities, including Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships
Vermont Business Magazine A new chapter in the University of Vermont’s fulfillment of its land-grant mission began today with the UVM Board of Trustees’ unanimous approval of the naming of the Patrick Leahy Building along with the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships headquartered there.
Amid a celebratory atmosphere during a portion of the board meeting that covered the promise and potential of the work taking place in the recently renovated building, the board capped off a year of recognition for Leahy, who retired in January as the third-longest serving senator in US history. In May, the university named the Patrick Leahy Honors College for the senator and its new state-of-the-art lake research vessel for his wife, Marcelle, herself a long-time supporter of the university’s mission.
"The Patrick Leahy Building will stand as a fitting tribute to the senator's legacy, bringing together at the heart of our campus the teaching and research mission of the university with key elements of our land grant mission," said UVM President Suresh Garimella. "The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships connects the knowledge, talent and innovative spirit of UVM with the people working tirelessly for a strong future in treasured communities around Vermont.
"Together with the Patrick Leahy Honors College, the Patrick Leahy Building and the Leahy Institute will underline and maintain the senator's profound dedication to Vermont, our rural communities, and the students, staff and faculty of the University of Vermont now and for the future."
“Patrick Leahy has been one of UVM’s most valued partners and friends for decades, and the Board of Trustees is proud to have paired the naming of the Patrick Leahy Honors College with today’s action to name the Patrick Leahy Building in the senator’s honor,” said Ron Lumbra, Chair of the UVM Board of Trustees. “We deeply value his service to the state, and we look forward to seeing the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships develop important and impactful connections across Vermont. The Leahy legacy at UVM will last for generations.”
The Institute for Rural Partnerships, unveiled in June at the UVM Research, Innovation, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Summit, was made possible by a $9.3 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, with leadership and support from Senator Leahy.
"The Institute for Rural Partnerships will empower Vermonters and Vermont communities with its research and millions of dollars in annual grants," Sen. Leahy said. "Vermonters are at the forefront of discovering creative solutions and engaging in cooperative efforts to overcome obstacles and achieve success. I look forward to seeing the ideas and solutions that come out of this program, many of which I suspect will be replicated in our state and across the nation.”
The new institute will focus the resources and expertise of multiple UVM centers and institutes to help find solutions to the most pressing challenges rural communities in Vermont face, including workforce training, access to broadband and clean water, sustainable energy, suitable housing, food production, building welcoming and inclusive communities, and mitigating the stresses placed on Vermont by extreme weather events brought on by climate change.
UVM Vice President for Research and Economic Development Kirk Dombrowski is principal investigator for the Leahy Institute project. He envisions the Institute as a space where community-based groups looking for academic expertise can be seeded and supported by the university.
“Across the country we have seen significant challenges to rural viability,” Dombrowski said. “Part of our land-grant mission is to take what we’ve learned and put it into service for our communities to help people overcome those challenges.”
The Patrick Leahy Building is located at the heart of campus at 105 Carrigan Drive. The building is deeply connected to UVM’s land-grant history and sits on grounds the board designated as the Joseph L. Hills Plaza, named for longtime Dean of UVM’s agricultural science program and director of the Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station for whom the original building was named.
The renovated building includes state-of-the-art laboratory space, elevator access, improved landscaping, accessible walkways, and revitalization of the west courtyard including an expanded connector to the Benedict Auditorium in the adjoining Marsh Life Sciences building.
The university will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Leahy Institute at the Patrick Leahy Building on November 10 with the retired senator as a special guest. The event coincides with the UVM Food Systems Research Center Summit. Significant funds for the renovation were contributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The Patrick Leahy Building will also house the Food System Research Center and the USDA-ARS Food Systems Research Unit.
About the University of Vermont
Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. UVM’s strengths align with the most pressing needs of our time: the health of our societies and the health of our environment. Our size—large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet intimate enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study—allows us to pursue these interconnected issues through cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Providing an unparalleled educational experience for our students, and ensuring their success, are at the core of what we do. As one of the nation’s first land grant universities, UVM advances Vermont and the broader society through the discovery and application of new knowledge.
Source: 10.20.2023 BURLINGTON – UVM
