PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The California Institute of Technology has broken ground on an environmental sustainability research center that will pursue solutions to challenges including water, energy, food and waste.
Wednesday's groundbreaking for the Resnick Sustainability Center, attended by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was made possible by a $750 million gift from Stewart and Lynda Resnick in 2019.
Stewart Resnick is chairman and president of The Wonderful Company, a privately held company that grows, packages and markets products including fruits, nuts, flowers, water, wines and juices.
The new building on Caltech's Pasadena campus will have 79,500 square feet (7,385.8 square meters) of space for various avenues of research as well as all undergraduate chemistry labs.
Separately, Stanford University announced Tuesday that it is launching a new school focusing on climate change thanks to a $1.1 billion gift from billionaire venture capitalist John Doerr and his wife, Ann. The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will open this fall.
