Ruiz Foods gives ‘transformational gift’ to Fresno State Craig School of Business

Dinuba-based Ruiz Foods Products, Inc., one of the central San Joaquin Valley’s leading food makers, has pledged $1 million to Fresno State for the expansion of the University Business Center at the Craig School of Business.

The donation will create the “Ruiz Foods Executive Classrooms,” a state-of-the-art learning environment for students throughout the Craig School of Business.

“This is a transformational gift for the future of business education at Fresno State,” said Joseph Castro, Fresno State president. “The Craig School educates business leaders and entrepreneurs for the Valley and beyond. The new educational space so generously made possible by Ruiz Foods will elevate the academic experience and open new possibilities for innovative teaching.”

The gift from Ruiz Foods will finance construction to expand the existing University Business Center and will house two educational spaces, including a classroom with stadium seating for people that is equipped with innovative education technology.

This space 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 Ruiz family has a history of supporting business education at Fresno State. Fred Ruiz is a founder of the Institute of Family Business, a community resource that promotes family businesses as a catalyst for economic growth. Kim Ruiz Beck, chairman of Ruiz Food Products Inc., is an alumnus of the Craig School and serves on the Foundation Board of Governors for the California State University, Fresno Foundation.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Ruiz Foods gives ‘transformational gift’ to Fresno State Craig School of Business."