Sweltering heat seemed to provide the perfect atmosphere on Wednesday for a ceremonial groundbreaking event for the ongoing construction of the University of Missouri’s $120 million energy innovation center next to Lafferre Hall.
The temperature certainly didn’t matter to David Payne, who was all smiles after UM System President Mun Choi announced that Payne had made a historic $50 million gift toward the project, which will now be called the Payne Energy Innovation Center. The donation is “the single largest investment in a school or college in (Mizzou) history,” according to a news release.
Payne’s donation will assist the College of Engineering by supporting programs, students, faculty research and — namely — improving facilities, including the “significant” renovation of Naka Hall, home to the electrical engineering and computer science department, according to the release. The department will now be named the David L. Payne Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to recognize the generosity of his donation.
Additionally, funds from Payne’s gift will be used for the new energy innovation center, which was approved for funding and construction in June 2025. The Payne Energy Innovation Center is expected to open in fall 2028.
Additionally, funds from Payne’s gift will be used for the new energy innovation center, which was approved for funding and construction in June 2025. The Payne Energy Innovation Center is expected to open in fall 2028.
Payne, a St. Louis electrical-contractor executive who acquired Payne Electric in 1985 – growing the company’s revenue past $35 million by 2000, also bought Crest Electric to create PayneCrest, according to Lifestyles magazine. The combined company exceeded $200 million in revenue in 2023, the magazine said, with work spanning complex commercial and industrial electrical systems, data centers, power projects, and renewable energy infrastructure.
He told COMO Business Times that he is presented with many philanthropic investment opportunities.
“The biggest reason [for making the $50 million gift to Mizzou] is that this place changed my life, Payne said. “I can’t even explain it, all the things I learned here. Every way that it taught me to grow up and problem solve and do things. It just taught me so many things besides electrical engineering. That’s always been near and dear to me. This means more to me right now than anything.”
Payne said he has been talking to Choi for four years about making a gift to help fund the energy center.
While consumers often think of energy as fuel, power for the electrical grid, and other top-of-mind energy uses, there’s one aspect of energy that the public often overlooks, he said.
“One of the things people don’t think about is removing energy,” he told CBT. “Once you heat it up, you’ve got to cool it down. Nobody thinks about that. We’re not just looking at building a nuclear reactor or a power plant. We’re looking at a lot better ways to do it.”
Technology and energy are now at a crossroads, because one of the biggest fears about artificial intelligence and, most notably, data centers that power that technology, is the power generation.
“This will help us get to point where we can create power in a quicker way but also in a safer way and in a small compact way, instead of heaving a huge plant,” Payne said, projecting discoveries that the new energy innovation center could pioneer. “More efficient power will hopefully reduce everybody’s fears that data centers will steal their power.”
The 116,000-square-foot center will feature advanced labs and collaborative areas for work in nuclear energy, energy materials, artificial intelligence, grid efficiency and security, according to a UM System news release. Each floor of the building will be dedicated to different research areas related to energy.
The center’s research will take on challenges on global energy, such as aging infrastructure, cybersecurity threats, extreme weather and changing energy loads that impact how energy is stored, generated, secured and delivered, according to the release.
“This facility will unite world-class expertise to accelerate discoveries, prepare the next generation of engineers and create solutions with the potential to transform how we produce and use energy,” said Marisa Chrysochoou, dean of the College of Engineering.
In recognition of Payne’s gift, the department will now be named the David L. Payne Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
“The Payne Energy Innovation Center and the generosity of David Payne position Mizzou as America’s next hub for energy transformation and solutions,” said Todd Graves, chair of the University of Missouri Board of Curators. “This investment strengthens the university’s land-grant mission by preparing tomorrow’s workforce and creating lasting economic impact across the state for generations to come.”
The $50 million gift also helped push Mizzou’s Power the Roar campaign to $1.1 billion, surpassing the halfway point toward its historic $2 billion goal. Launched publicly last fall, the campaign is fueling investments to educate future leaders, save and improve lives, build a resilient world, strengthen communities and develop champions.
The center builds on years of momentum behind Mizzou’s vision for energy innovation, including a $10 million gift from Mizzou alumnus Jim Fitterling, BS ME ’83. That support helped launch plans for an interdisciplinary energy center and laid the foundation for the project now taking shape, according to the news release.
“Mizzou has an opportunity to shape not only the next generation of energy technology, but how that technology changes lives,” said Cooper Drury, dean of the College of Arts and Science. “By bringing policy experts together with scientists and engineers under one roof, we can move discoveries from the lab into communities faster and ensure the benefits of innovation reach people across Missouri and beyond. That kind of collaboration is how we turn big ideas into lasting impact.”
The Payne Energy Innovation Center is a partnership between the College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Science, and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), with expertise from the School of Law, the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, and the Missouri School of Journalism.
