Anheuser-Busch Foundation Announces $250,000 Gift to Colorado State University for Fermentation Sciences Program

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Apr 03, 2014, 05:25 ET

FORT COLLINS, Colo., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anheuser-Busch Foundation today announced a $250,000 donation to Colorado State University's newly developed Fermentation Science and Technology program. The gift will fund the renovation of academic space and the hands-on lab at CSU. Before a crowd of university and local officials, representatives from the brewery emphasized Anheuser-Busch's commitment to community involvement, and praised the accomplishments of the university and its new program.

Launched in the fall of 2013, Colorado State University's Fermentation Science and Technology program has already been a popular focus among CSU students. Colorado State University recently developed and implemented a new Bachelor of Science degree in Fermentation Science and Technology in the department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, part of the College of Health and Human Sciences. CSU's Fermentation Science and Technology program is the first of its kind in the region and just the third of its kind in the country.

"Anheuser-Busch and Colorado State University share a commitment to the Fort Collins community, education and brewing quality," said Fort Collins Brewery General Manager Kevin Fahrenkrog. "We work hard to bring adults the beers they love and look forward to helping educate the next great generation of brewmasters."

Brewing experts from Anheuser-Busch have already embraced opportunities to meet with students in the classroom and discuss the growing field of fermentation science, and they view the partnership as a way to continue fostering connections with the local Fort Collins community.

"We are the world's largest brewer, but we're real people with a passion for brewing great beer," said Anheuser-Busch Senior Brewmaster Katie Rippel. "It's an honor to contribute to the program's development and help empower the future of brewing and fermenting."

"From cheese to tea to certain vegetables, we've seen interest in fermented foods and beverages grow year after year," said Mike Pagliassotti, head of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. "We're thrilled that this program has taken off so quickly and has become so popular with our students."

"Adding this program has not only been a successful step for the university's research and development. It's opening more and more doors for our students, as well," said Jeff McCubbin, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. "We're so appreciative of Anheuser-Busch's involvement, and we look forward to the continued success of this partnership for years to come."

In the past decade, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation has also supported brewing science and education through an endowment to the University of California Davis and by funding a food science laboratory building on the UC Davis campus.

Anheuser-Busch and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation have donated more than $530 million to charitable organizations since 1997, including $75 million in education for tomorrow's leaders.

ABOUT ANHEUSER-BUSCH
Anheuser-Busch and its employees build on a legacy of corporate social responsibility by focusing on three key areas: promoting alcohol responsibility, preserving and protecting the environment and supporting local communities. In the past three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have committed more than $1 billion in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to encourage responsible drinking and prevent underage drinking and drunk driving. Anheuser-Busch reduced total water use at its breweries 32 percent over the last 5 years and by 45.5 percent over the last 10 years. The company has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. Since 1997, Anheuser-Busch and its Foundation have invested in local communities through donations of more than $530 million to charitable organizations. The company also has provided more than 72 million cans of drinking water to people impacted by natural and other disasters since 1988. Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch, the leading American brewer, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

ABOUT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY'S FERMENTATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Designed to prepare and educate students in the science and art of fermenting foods and beverages, the Fermentation Science and Technology Degree Program includes the development of practical research and outreach initiatives to answer questions facing the growing fermentation-related industries in Colorado, the United States, and the world. This program is currently offered in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in the College of Health and Human Sciences at CSU.

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch