Drake recently received a $400,000 donation from Kemin Industries. The money will be used toward the purchase of a 500 megahertz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. The gift is especially meaningful because the founder of Kemin Industries, RW Nelson, is a 1950 Drake graduate who majored in biology. The impact of the donation and the presence of a 500 MHz NMR on thousands of students cannot be overstated: It improves our analytical capabilities and guarantees that Drake students will continue to get a state-of-the art education. It also significantly upgrades the research capabilities of the faculty in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physics, kinesiology, neuroscience, and the health sciences. In addition, the new instrument provides opportunities for collaboration between Drake faculty and students and other educational institutions and corporate partners in Iowa. The acquisition of the instrument also contributes substantially to the STEM@DRAKE initiative.

—Office of Development