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A philanthropic pledge announced in 2022 has now taken physical shape at the University of California, Davis, where a new agricultural research centre opened its doors in May 2026. The facility, named after California philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, follows their $50 million donation to the university, the largest contribution it had received from individual donors at the time. This began in October 2022, when UC Davis announced that Lynda and Stewart Resnick had pledged $50 million towards agricultural research and innovation. Around $40 million was allocated towards developing the research facility, while the remaining $10 million was earmarked for research grants through the Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund. In 2019, they announced a $750 million donation to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), supporting research into climate change and sustainability.
Designed to bring agricultural science, technology and education under one roof, the building will support work on crop resilience, resource efficiency and food production. Four years after the original announcement, the project has moved from a proposed research hub to a completed campus facility, with laboratories and learning spaces intended for students and researchers. The contribution was a landmark donation for the university, which planned to use the funding to establish a dedicated centre addressing some of the challenges facing modern agriculture. The couple’s contribution was divided into two parts. Their business interests have given the couple a longstanding connection to California’s agricultural industry. Their donation to UC Davis was part of a wider commitment to research, education and environmental sustainability, rather than a contribution limited to the construction of a university building. The couple had also made a substantial commitment to another California institution. The UC Davis contribution continued that philanthropic involvement in scientific research. Its research programme covers five broad areas: improving crop resilience in a changing climate, using water and energy more efficiently, finding new applications for agricultural byproducts, developing advanced technologies and increasing access to nutritious food.