Proposed Science Museum Receives $1m Donation

A proposed science museum in the Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota area has received a $1 million donation from a local business leader.

Officials with the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum say the gift from John Ballantyne will help with facility planning and feasibility studies for the facility in the community of about 250,000 people.

Ballantyne is co-founder of the Fargo biological sciences company Aldevron and serves as its chief scientific officer.

“The concept of the museum and what it means for the area is long overdue and just based on a relatively brief conversation with the board, I know the group has what it takes to make this a reality,” Ballantyne said.

The museum would focus on the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, collectively known as STEM. The plans includes a mobile STEM classroom.

Aldevron’s operations began in a laboratory at North Dakota State University in 1998 and have grown to include sites in Madison, Wisconsin, and Freiburg, Germany.