The groundbreaking ceremony of the Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center took place on Friday, Nov. 8, attended by university officials, students, faculty, staff and benefactors. 

Plans for the new center include 15,500 square feet of multi-use space flexible for teaching, research and clinical training — including wet labs, a surgery suite and a necropsy area. The center is set to become an interactive, experiential animal facility that embraces hands-on learning, supporting the next generation of leaders in veterinary medicine, animal healthcare and animal agriculture.

The Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center will ultimately foster a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach between people, animals and their shared environment while training students in sustainable animal food production and animal agriculture. The complex furthers Cal Poly’s role as the top undergraduate animal science program for students, faculty and industry partners in the country.