{"id":4122,"date":"2024-12-05T05:00:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T05:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4122"},"modified":"2024-12-05T17:57:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T17:57:45","slug":"siu-names-gower-translational-research-center-in-honor-of-2-5-million-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4122","title":{"rendered":"SIU names Gower Translational Research Center in honor of $2.5 million gift"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Saluki Legacy: Bob and Beth Gower\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fI8SLCAMG9k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>By Jeff Wilson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CARBONDALE \u2013 The impact made by Dr. Bob and Beth Gower has been felt by Southern Illinois University Carbondale students and faculty for years. Now, the Gower name will be forever imprinted into the university\u2019s future at the Gower Translational Research Center.<\/p>\n<p>The Gowers have been generous donors to Southern for many years. Most recently, they dedicated $2.5 million to advance the mission and support the research activities taking place across campus.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4123\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4123\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4123\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Bob-and-Beth-Gower-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Bob and Beth Gower\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Bob-and-Beth-Gower-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Bob-and-Beth-Gower-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Bob-and-Beth-Gower.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4123\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob and Beth Gower have donated $2.5 million in support of Southern Illinois University Carbondale\u2019s research activities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In honor of this transformational gift, the SIU Board of Trustees voted Thursday, Dec. 5, that the McLafferty Annex be named the Gower Translational Research Center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Gower family story is an incredible one, and it all began at Southern, so it is appropriate that we honor their legacy with this naming,\u201d Chancellor Austin Lane said. \u201cWe are so thankful for everything they have done for this university.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bob Gower, a West Frankfort native, graduated with bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in chemistry in 1958 and 1960, respectively. He met his wife, Beth, while both were studying at SIU. She graduated in 1961. Dr. Gower earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is the founder and executive chairman of Ensysce Biosciences, a biotech company that develops tamper-proof and abuse-resistant prescription drugs.<\/p>\n<p>Before their latest gift, the Gowers established the Bob G. &amp; Mary Beth Gower Scholarship Endowment in SIU\u2019s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which has benefited more than 50 students. They also established the Beth &amp; Bob Gower Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Gower is a two-time recipient of the SIUC Alumni Achievement Award from the College of Science (1988, 2008). He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the college and was inducted into the Chemistry &amp; Biochemistry Hall of Fame in 1997. He served as a member of the steering committee for the university&#8217;s Opportunity Through Excellence campaign and as a member of the Chemistry &amp; Biochemistry Advisory Committee. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the university in 2018. The Gowers, who reside in Houston, have three adult daughters and several grandchildren.<\/p>\n<p>Their $2.5 million gift is yet another major step in the SIU Foundation\u2019s Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign. With a goal of raising $500 million by July 2028, the campaign currently sits at more than $361 million. It is the fifth largest such campaign in the history of public universities in Illinois.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe could not have this kind of success without the support of alumni like Bob and Beth Gower,\u201d said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation. \u201cThis is a spectacular moment in the history of our great university, and this momentum is going to carry us into an even brighter future.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4124\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4124\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4124\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gower-Translational-Research-Center-300x127.jpg\" alt=\"Gower Translational Research Center\" width=\"300\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gower-Translational-Research-Center-300x127.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gower-Translational-Research-Center-1024x435.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gower-Translational-Research-Center-768x326.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gower-Translational-Research-Center.jpg 1177w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4124\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Formerly McLafferty Annex, the Gower Translational Research Center is located at 1785 University Press Drive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Gower Translational Research Center, located at 1785 University Press Drive, is a hub of high-level research. In October 2024, SIU dedicated a $7.2 million BioLaunch lab in the center. The 10,000-square-foot space is dedicated to life sciences research and more.<\/p>\n<p>Funded in part by a $2.7 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Wet Lab Program, BioLaunch is the newest addition to the Illinois Food, Entrepreneurship, Research, and Manufacturing (iFERM) Hub, a state-of-the-art research and training suite for faculty use, students, start-up companies and private firms in the region. iFERM capitalizes on the university\u2019s research and innovation into food, fermentation and biotechnology. In 2021, the SIU Foundation provided a $1.1 million grant to advance the progress on the Fermentation Science Institute, which is inside the center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBioLaunch and other components of the iFERM Hub will help us solve challenges in food, agriculture, energy and health through research, innovation and education,\u201d Dr. Costas Tsatsoulis, vice chancellor of research at SIU, said during the BioLaunch ribbon cutting. \u201cAnd it will provide infrastructure for the development of Illinois agriculture value-added products to promote and support successful entrepreneurial activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The center is also home to the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, and an ultra-fast laser facility, further enhancing its role as a center for diverse research initiatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jeff Wilson CARBONDALE \u2013 The impact made by Dr. Bob and Beth Gower has been felt by Southern Illinois University Carbondale students and faculty for years. Now, the Gower name will be forever imprinted into the university\u2019s future at the Gower Translational Research Center. The Gowers have been generous donors to Southern for many &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4122\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">SIU names Gower Translational Research Center in honor of $2.5 million gift<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donor-stories","category-higher-education","category-siu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4125,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122\/revisions\/4125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}