A socially-distanced ribbon-cutting ceremony took place as Robert Hosford, state director for the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development program, announced a $61.4 million investment from USDA to Campbell University.
Representatives from USDA Rural Development team and the offices of Senators Tillis and Burr, along with Congressman Richard Hudson, gathered in the student union’s movie theater to dedicate the investment — the first formal event in the movie theater space.
“These investments here at Campbell University are significant,” said Congressman Hudson. “We recognize the incredible growth your campus has seen over the last decade, especially the nursing program … and this will let Campbell serve more students from our community as well as students from around the country and around the world.”
USDA Rural Development North Carolina helped more than 8,000 families statewide in the last fiscal year, investing more than 2.1 billion dollars in projects and making them the third-largest bank in the state.
“Agriculture is the largest industry in North Carolina, and those farmers live in the Creek,” said Director Hosford. “They live in Dunn, Lillington and Erwin. Rural communities. They need to have the same options as my daughter does in downtown Raleigh, like high speed internet and great hospitals.”
The investment funds will primarily used to support Campbell’s nursing and medical school buildings, administrative building and the new student center. These unifying spaces help students engage in learning and discovery, house the business office and financial aid department, and allow space for social interaction and study.
