>> Congress approves $400 billion for farmers, forests, poor
CSU Dean Alton Johnson said the impact on research will be broad on campus and beyond.
“We are looking at vast agriculture technology. We are looking at exercise, food nutrition and health. And we are interested in water resources and environment,” Johnson said.
The amendment allows CSU to receive the same level of special funding afforded to other land grant institutions. Due to a variety of issues, Central State was not awarded land grant status until recently.
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Rep. Mike Turner, R- Dayton led a bipartisan group to support CSU.
“Central State was missing out on federal funding due to the inequality of how the university was being recognized in a funding formula,” Turner said in a written statement.
Turner worked with Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman to win passage of an amendment to the Farm Bill, providing funding that advocates should have been available decades ago.
Pedro L. Martinez, CSU provost, said the university now is looking forward to being able to provide more in research and community service in the long tradition of land grant institutions.
“It will give us the opportunity to build the infrastructures that we need in order to make up for all that time,” Martinez said.
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Administrators said the Greene County school will be working with Ohio State University in communities across the state on food issues, workforce development and other topics.
“Central State will be the custodian of the funds but it is for the citizens of Ohio and we really want to thank our congressional delegation for putting the effort into us getting this money to help the citizens,” Johnson said.
The Senate passed the Farm Bill on Tuesday and final House action on it came Wednesday. It now goes to President Trump for his signature.
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