Shimadzu Scientific Instruments donates record $7.5 million to support UT Arlington Institute for Research Technologies

ARLINGTON, Texas, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new $7.5 million gift from Shimadzu Scientific Instruments to The University of Texas at Arlington will support one of the most significant installments of advanced scientific equipment in the United States, propelling the University to new heights of discovery and innovation.

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The Shimadzu commitment is the largest, philanthropic gift in the history of UT Arlington. In honor of the gift, the University will rename the Institute for Research Technologies at UT Arlington the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies.

"We are grateful for this generous support from Shimadzu and for their strategic relationship with The University of Texas at Arlington," said James D. Spaniolo, UT Arlington president. "This partnership promises to make North Texas a new hub of scientific discovery and innovation. The Shimadzu Institute will be a magnet for world class students and a resource for discovery across Texas and beyond."

The Institute will house $25.2 million in equipment from Shimadzu, a world leader in scientific technology. The partnership between Shimadzu and the University will bring the most advanced scientific equipment to Texas, including some instruments that will debut in the U.S. for the first time at UT Arlington.

New labs featuring state-of-the-art analytical equipment will empower research in diverse fields, from environmental testing and analysis of human disease to the development of more effective pharmaceuticals and more efficient oil and gas exploration.

"We have been pleased to find in UT Arlington kindred spirits who are committed to providing students the highest-quality education possible through access to the most advanced scientific equipment," said Shuzo Maruyama, president of Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. "Our technologies enable research that improves people's lives, and we have a great passion for preparing students to be the next generation of great scientists."

Maryland-based Shimadzu Scientific Instruments is the American subsidiary of the Shimadzu Corp., which was established in 1875 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. The company's technology is employed around the world in medical diagnostics, aerospace and industrial endeavors and in analytics.

Its clients are industry leaders in fields such as chemical/petrochemical, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, electronics and clinical forensics. Worldwide sales top $3 billion annually.

Shimadzu technology extends into nearly every area of daily life – from testing of drinking water to the manufacturing of the plastic cup it comes in, the company notes.

At UT Arlington, the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies will include the Shimadzu Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry, which was established in 2012, and the newly created Center for Imaging and Center for Environmental, Forensic and Material Analysis.

"The Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies will allow our students to examine their world at a level they've only dreamed of, from using light to see how parts of the brain function together to finding environmental contaminants as small as one part per billion in a sample of drinking water," said Pamela Jansma, dean of the UT Arlington College of Science. "Their experiences will position them for lifelong success in critical fields."

UT Arlington and Shimadzu began collaborating nearly a decade ago. In April 2012, the company made an in-kind gift of equipment valued at nearly $3 million to establish the Shimadzu Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry within the UT Arlington College of Science.

In November, the UT System Board of Regents allocated $7.5 million from the Permanent University Fund to help UT Arlington establish the Institute for Research Technologies in partnership with Shimadzu.

About The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of more than 33,800 students and 2,200 faculty members in the heart of North Texas and the second largest member of The University of Texas System. Research activity has more than tripled over the past decade to $71.4 million last year with an emphasis on bioengineering, medical diagnostics, micro manufacturing, advanced robotics and defense and Homeland Security technologies, among other areas. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more.

About Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Inc.
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI) is the American subsidiary of Shimadzu Corp., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1875, Shimadzu is a $3 billion multinational corporation with three major divisions: Medical Diagnostics, Aerospace/Industrial and Analytical Instruments. In the United States, SSI has a network of more than 50 locations providing local and regional sales, service and technical support. Visit www.ssi.shimadzu.com for more information.

SOURCE University of Texas at Arlington