Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences dedicated the new Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility in 2022, the only facility of its kind focused on turkey production at a major university.
The university’s first-ever dedicated turkey teaching and research facility provides students a living classroom to experience hands-on learning in modern production practices and state-of-the-art equipment for research that addresses current challenges and helps advance Iowa’s turkey industry, one of the largest in the United States.
Located south of the Iowa State campus, the facility also offers continuing education, outreach, peer-to-peer opportunities for professionals in the industry and observation areas where visitors, including schoolchildren, can see first-hand examples of turkey production systems and learn about turkey production.
The facility is named in honor of Stanley L. Balloun, an international expert, pioneering researcher and leader in the science of turkey feed who received his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from Iowa State and served as a professor in animal science at the university.
The Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility was made possible through a university-industry partnership and is fully funded through contributions from industry partners and private donors.
A lead gift was provided by Jim and Julie Balloun of Atlanta, Georgia. Jim Balloun received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State and is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Acuity Brands, Inc., a lighting and building management firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Jim Balloun is the son of Stanley L. Balloun.