Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Payne Energy Innovation Center at the University of Missouri
On September 2, University of Missouri students, faculty, and administration gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Payne Energy Innovation Center. This facility, set to begin construction in 2025 and slated for completion in 2028, aims to address global resource depletion linked to the rising energy demands of AI training and use.
UM System President Mun Choi highlighted the center as a “groundbreaking facility” where researchers, industry partners, and students can collaborate to tackle urgent societal challenges. The center will encompass four floors across 116,000 square feet, accessible to students through the Francis Quadrangle near Lafferre and Switzer Hall.
Prior to the ceremony, a gift announcement and milestone update event took place in Jesse Hall, where President Choi revealed the center’s name, honoring Mizzou alum David Payne, chairman of PayneCrest Electric. Dean of Engineering Marisa Chrysochoou and UM Board of Curators Chair Todd Graves expressed gratitude for Payne’s contributions and underscored Mizzou’s commitment to addressing energy concerns and technological advancements.
Senior engineering student Lauren Millard, president of Mizzou Racing, shared excitement about the opportunities the center will offer students, allowing them to undertake larger projects and enhance team collaborations.
The Payne Energy Innovation Center will provide a collaborative environment for researchers from the Quantum Innovation Center, the Mizzou AI Education, Research and Infrastructure Center, and the Cybersecurity Center. While the Quantum Innovation Center will fully relocate to the new facility, other associated institutes will remain in their original locations while still collaborating with the center.
Search efforts for a director will commence next month, with hopes of appointment by 2027. At the announcement event, it was revealed that David Payne donated $50 million to the College of Engineering and the Energy Innovation Center, complemented by a pledge of $10 million from Jim Fitterling, Executive Chairman at Dow and a member of the center’s advisory board.
Further support came from the state legislature, which contributed $90 million to the center. The groundbreaking ceremony and gift announcement were part of the larger “Power the Roar” celebration, which has raised $1.1 billion of its $2 billion goal.
Fitterling emphasized the ongoing journey to provide reliable and affordable power to meet the nation’s demands.
