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Dateline: 4/24/2007

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY NEWS RELEASE
Dale Goodwin, Director
Peter Tormey, Associate Director

Groundbreaking April 26 for New PACCAR Center

Gonzaga University will formally break ground on its new PACCAR Center for Applied Science at 11 a.m., Thursday, April 26, at the site of the 25,000-square-foot high-tech building, immediately south of the Herak Center for Engineering.

Architect's Rendering of PACCAR Center for Applied Science to be built at Gonzaga University.
Architect's Rendering of PACCAR Center for Applied Science to be Constructed at Gonzaga University. Groundbreaking ceremony is at 11 a.m., Thursday, April 26.
Gonzaga welcomes all members of the Gonzaga community — faculty, staff, students and alumni — and the public to attend the traditional groundbreaking ceremony signaling the start of construction. A reception will follow in the Bernard & Marsha Daines Gallery in the Herak Center. The PACCAR Center is expected to open in time for fall 2008 classes.

Gonzaga announced in mid-February that PACCAR Inc., a Fortune 200 global technology company headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., had provided the lead gift of $2 million to construct the facility. The PACCAR Center will house sophisticated technological laboratories dedicated to robotics, artificial vision, and transmission and distribution engineering, as well as classrooms and faculty offices.

“The PACCAR Engineering Center will become the technological heart of our campus, and will be a tremendous asset for our students and the entire Inland Northwest region,” said Rev. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., GU president.

Gonzaga School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Dennis Horn praised PACCAR for its leadership in support of the visionary project, which he said “will enable us to provide our students with invaluable laboratory experience in cutting-edge fields using the latest technology.” Horn noted that he expects to see significantly more interest in Gonzaga from engineering students nationwide due to PACCAR’s gift.

Mark Pigott, chairman and chief executive officer of PACCAR, said the need for highly trained leaders in technology is key to maintaining a competitive edge in today’s global economy. PACCAR’s support of Gonzaga began in the 1960s with contributions directed at major capital projects.

PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. It also provides financial services and information and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

For more information regarding the PACCAR gift, contact Dale Goodwin in Gonzaga’s public relations office at (509) 323-6133.