Wendy Beneviste (’73 BS Retailing), who created the Wendy L. Benveniste Faculty Excellence Fund, to benefit SoHE

Gift Creates University, State, International Partnership

Under the guidance of its president and chief executive officer, Yuzaburo Mogi, Kikkoman Corporation has demonstrated vision and leadership through regular annual gifts to UW-Madison and the UW System. When the opportunity arose to take an active role in the Microbial Sciences Building Campaign, the Kikkoman Foundation once again stepped forward pledging $1 million to create the Kikkoman Laboratory of Microbial Fermentation.

The Microbial Sciences building is one of four new expansion building projects included in the BioStar Initiative. "The University of Wisconsin-Madison, through its BioStar Initiative, has demonstrated its world leadership role as an academic research university. The Kikkoman Laboratory of Microbial Fermentation will advance the microbiology program and provide the means for an enhanced level of teaching and research," Mogi said. "Kikkoman is pleased and proud to be a part of this initiative and we look forward to our continued association with the University."

UW's microbial sciences program, which includes medical microbiology, bacteriology and the Food Sciences Institute, focuses on advancing food safety, human and animal health, agriculture and biotechnology.

Elton Aberle, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, predicts that with its microbiology program already ranked among the nation's top three, UW has a nucleus of expertise from which to advance to an even higher level of excellence in teaching and research. "Advances in microbiology are key to discovering approaches that provide a safe food supply, protect our environment and treat devastating diseases," he said.

Kikkoman Foods became one of the best known names on grocery shelves by devoting countless hours in the laboratory studying microbial fermentation processes and technology. To help relate UW's theoretical and experimental efforts to commercial realities, company representatives will visit the new laboratory to share practical applications of food science knowledge.

Thanks to the Kikkoman Foods Foundation gift, the new laboratory will mark an important step toward creating a scientific environment as modern as the science. It also exists as testimony to the bond of friendship, based on learning, between a world-class company and a world-class university.