Cargill Gives University of Minnesota $1 Million for Human Metabolism Chair and Fellowships

What: U receives Cargill gift for chair and fellowships in human metabolism
When: Monday, May 5, 2003
Contact: Martha Douglas, University of Minnesota Foundation, (612) 626-9712
Sara Thurin Rollin, Cargill, (952) 742-2275
Catherine Peloquin, University News Service, (612) 624-8038

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL-- The University of Minnesota has received a gift of $1 million from Cargill Incorporated to expand research in the biological systems that affect human metabolism, nutrition, and diseases linked to food consumption. The gift will create an endowed faculty position, called the Cargill Chair in Systems Biology of Human Metabolism, in the department of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics in the College of Biological Sciences, and fellowships in the same area. The university will match the gift with an additional $500,000, bringing the total value of the gift to $1.5 million.

The new chair and fellowships are expected to attract a faculty member and graduate students whose research and teaching bridge the fields of nutrition, chemistry, metabolism, biochemistry, mathematics and human genetics, reflecting the complex nature of the relationships between human metabolism and diet-related diseases.

"The links between diet and disease are becoming increasingly evident, and it is important for public research institutions, such as the university, to take the lead in studying all dimensions of these complex systems," said university President Robert Bruininks. "We're delighted that Cargill is helping us achieve this goal."

This new gift from Cargill was announced today (Monday, May 5) at opening ceremonies for the Cargill Building for Microbial and Plant Genomics in St. Paul. The Cargill Foundation gave the university $10 million toward the building in 1999.

"Cargill wants to be certain that the university has the infrastructure it needs to be a world leader in the fields of microbial and plant genomics," said Warren Staley, chairman and chief executive officer, Cargill. "The addition of the endowed chair and fellowships to the new building shows that by working hand-in-hand, public-private partnerships can trigger significant growth that will benefit people everywhere."

Cargill views the permanently endowed teaching position and graduate fellowships as an investment in the future of science, discovery and innovation, Staley said.

Matching funds are making it possible for the gift to fund both an endowed chair and fellowships. The university will match $750,000 of the gift with $250,000 from the Permanent University Fund, which was created to match gifts for endowed chairs. The remaining $250,000 of the gift is designated for graduate fellowships and will be matched by the 21st Century Graduate Fellowship Endowment, created to match gifts for endowed fellowships.

"The holder of this chair will add a new dimension to the talent that already exists within the department of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics, as well as other disciplines at the University of Minnesota," said Robert Elde, dean of the College of Biological Sciences. "The potential for research that leads to better health is very real."

Research in this field could lead to discoveries in many areas related to nutritional diseases. Examples include how genetics affects diet and exercise patterns, whether personalized medicine or dietary interventions can be identified early in life before the onset of disease, and what the potential is for developing nutraceuticals that aid in treatment.

Creating endowed faculty positions and new graduate fellowships have been priorities for Campaign Minnesota, the universitywide fund-raising campaign that ends June 30. Since the campaign began in 1996, 103 endowed positions have been created, bringing the total to 365. Through March 2003, the campaign has raised $1.59 billion.

Cargill, based in Minneapolis, is an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products and services with 97,000 employees in 59 countries. The company provides distinctive customer solutions in supply chain management, food applications, and health and nutrition.

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