The Craig School of Business at Fresno State will host a public groundbreaking for its Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms that will soon be constructed with stadium seating and the latest technology.

The celebration will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, on the north lawn in front of Duncan Patio.

The Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms are the result of a $1 million pledge made in May 2017 by Ruiz Food Products, Inc., a Dinuba-based food manufacturing company. The gift will help finance construction of an annex to the existing University Business Center and house two new executive classrooms with innovative education technology.

“With two new executive-style classrooms, the Craig School of Business vastly improves its ability to offer transformative educational experiences,” said Dr. Robert Harper, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “While the classrooms will be used for our executive MBA program and accelerated bachelor’s program, they will also serve as vital spaces for other students within the University as well. We remain grateful to Ruiz Foods for its gift to fund a large portion of the project.”

The Ruiz family has a history of supporting business education at Fresno State. Fred Ruiz is a founder of the Institute for Family Business, a community resource that promotes family businesses as a catalyst for economic growth.

Kim Ruiz Beck, chairperson of Ruiz Foods, is an alumna of the Craig School and serves on the Foundation Board of Governors for the California State University, Fresno Foundation. In 2017, she earned the Top Dog Distinguished Alumna Award from the Fresno State Alumni Association.

The classrooms will be designed to replicate what executives would expect, allowing for faculty to fully utilize technology in presentations to improve learning outcomes for undergraduate, MBA and executive MBA students.

The added space will also serve the community. When not in use for academic purposes, the space will be available for rental as part of the slate of services provided by the University Business Center.

Harper said the anticipated completion date for the project is summer of 2019.