June 14, 2007-Kennecott Copper of Utah has committed $600,000, its largest single donation ever, toward a new Earthquake Information Center at the University of Utah. The center is the regional site for earthquake tracking and study for Utah and parts of Idaho, Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park.

“Under the leadership of William Champion, the Kennecott Companies continue to act on their concern for education and demonstrate their dedication to the community through their unprecedented gift to establish the Kennecott Earthquake Information Center,” said Frank Brown, dean of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences. “This gift further cements the longstanding relationship between Kennecott and the University of Utah. Kennecott provides an excellent example of ways in which private enterprise can profoundly impact not only the University, but also the community as a whole. We are immensely grateful.”

The Earthquake Information Center, which will soon be housed in the new Frederick Sutton Building, now under construction for the Department of Geology & Geophysics, will be named the Kennecott Earthquake Information Center. “Kennecott is proud of our historic relationship with the University of Utah and, in particular, the College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The Earthquake Information Center has a well-deserved, regional reputation for its expertise in seismic study and earthquake tracking,” said William Champion, president of Kennecott Utah Copper. “We are pleased to provide support to further the tradition of excellence in this important area of scientific endeavor.”

The Kennecott Earthquake Information Center will serve as the nerve center for reports on local earthquake activity to emergency managers, the news media, and the general public as well as being a modern facility for education and research. This 2,250-square-foot portion of the new Sutton building is scheduled for completion in February 2009.