Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences building open house

With extensive renovations to the Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences Building now complete, faculty, staff and students are taking full advantage of the updated spaces.  While most of the renovations involved updating heating, cooling, and plumbing systems, which were important for overall use of the building and health of the occupants, there were several areas where donor support assisted in making the building a more welcoming and enjoyable space for everyone.  With the help of the Dugan family, ACBS was able to add an Advising Center that includes private offices where advisors meet with students to guide them on their university and career paths and space for a student study center, as well as update and furnish the ACBS Business Offices.

To celebrate the conclusion of renovations and thank the Dugan family, ACBS hosted an Open House to show off the completed work.  Guests toured the updated laboratories, advising center, and new gathering spaces.  Several members of the Dugan family attended and enjoyed seeing the finished work firsthand.  It’s important for the Dugan family to give back to the UArizona, Dennis Dugan says. “We want to show support of the ag industry and the people who have been so great to our family throughout the years.”

The story of the Dugan Dairy dynasty began more than 50 years ago in eastern Wisconsin and it continues today in Arizona as one of the state’s most successful operations. Mike and Delores Dugan started out milking nine Holsteins near their hometown of Maintowoc but, in 1962, decided to venture west for health reasons and with hopes of improving their quality of life.  The Dugans and their six young boys settled in Chandler, Arizona and began their new operation with 65 cows.

The Dugans instilled in their sons the understanding of the relationship between hard work and success. Recalls Dennis, “We were up milking, feeding and doctoring the cows every day before school and again right after school. We learned early on the significance of having a good work ethic.”

Mike and Delores wanted to ensure each of their sons’ success so one by one, they brought the boys into the family business providing each with their own farm while all along offering them guidance and support. The Dugans and their sons eventually built a combined operation of more than 25,000 cows and now a third generation is continuing the traditions. “None of this would be possible without them,” Dennis says.

The Dugan family has always cared deeply about their community and they make involvement and charity a high priority. Dennis, a UArizona alum (’72), established The Pinal 40, a group of professionals that supports children’s charities in Pinal County. Richard Dugan, also a UArizona alum (’75), served as the mayor of Chandler in the early 80s.

ACBS thanks the Dugan family for their generous support.