Palo Duro Research Facility is a new addition to WTAMU that will house many research projects. It is located where the old Canyon hospital used to sit.

Dr. James Hallmark, Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs said that with the support of a grant, WT matched 1.5 million dollars to help renovate the old hospital. The new facility will give students and faculty new roles to experience and work with.

“We attract students and great faculty because of those facilities,” Hallmark said.

According to Dr. Angela Spaulding, Dean of Graduate School, Chief Research Officer, Research Compliance Officer, the first phase of the PDRF will provide many research outcomes. Some of them include protecting and adding to the future of agriculture, developing the economic potential of wind energy, and providing research opportunities to both undergraduates and graduate students. This will give the students hands on experience enabling them to enter new fields towards the workforce industry.

Currently the building holds “Agro-Security for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on the High Plains,” “Public Heath and Food Safety Initiative,” the Alternative Energy Institute (AEI), and the University Research Alliance (URA).

“Future phases of the Palo Duro Research Facility will include commercial research labs that will be available to the private sector and will facilitate interaction between regional business and university researchers,” Spaulding said.

There is still a lot to finish at the research center because not of the entire building has been renovated yet.

“Just renovating 1/3 of the building cost a lot of money,” Hallmark said.

Students and faculty will both benefit a lot from this new project.

“What a great opportunity for students to get the experience to work in their field,” Hallmark said.