California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo has announced a $20 million gift from alumnus William L. Frost and his wife, Linda, for the construction of a multidisciplinary undergraduate research and technology center.

The gift will support construction of a $57 million, 64,000-square-foot Science & Agriculture Teaching and Research Complex featuring research labs and technology space for Cal Poly's colleges of Science & Mathematics, Liberal Arts, and Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences. Construction will begin in 2018 and is expected to take approximately two years.

Bill Frost is a 1972 Cal Poly graduate who earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry; Linda Frost earned a degree in biology from San Jose State University. The Frosts’ pledge continues more than a decade of support for Cal Poly and its College of Science and Mathematics, including a scholarship and faculty mentor research program.

"This center will bring Learn by Doing alive for thousands of Cal Poly students across many disciplines," said Cal Poly president Jeffrey D. Armstrong. "We are grateful to Bill and Linda for their generosity, vision, and leadership on this project and their ardent support for undergraduate research."