A $5 million commitment from an alumnus of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., will help pay for the expansion and renovation of the college's Nobel Hall of Science, which is set to break ground this spring.
The college says that he gift commitment from Bob Peterson and his wife, Cindy, will provide a $5 million challenge fund to help raise the final gifts needed for the expansion and renovation.
In addition, once the dollar-for-dollar challenge is met, a second $5 million commitment from the Petersons will be donated to an endowment to support scholarships for National Merit Scholars.
The Nobel Hall of Science expansion and renovation is a $70 million upgrade that will nearly double the size of the college’s laboratory science building and create a connection to Anderson Theatre to emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) learning.
According to Hastings + Chivetta, the project's architect, the work will result in the renovation of 98,000 square feet of existing space and the addition of about 72,000 square feet of new construction.
"The new complex will house offices, classrooms, collaboration areas, meeting rooms, libraries, a museum, teaching and research laboratories," the firm says.
Peterson graduated from Gustavus in 1974 with degrees in economics and environmental studies. Since 1991, he has served as President and CEO of Melton Truck Lines, Inc., one of the nation’s leading flatbed trucking companies, headquartered in Tulsa, Okla.
