"This is a great opportunity for the public to visit our campus, tour many of our new buildings and gain a better understanding of our agricultural operations and research," said Mary Kate Heltzel, Noble Foundation granting program officer and chair of the Profiles and Perspectives Committee. “Many people in Oklahoma know the Noble Foundation for only one of its activities — either granting or agricultural consultation — but the Noble Foundation is much more. This evening will give attendees a chance to see the scope of our operations and potential to impact agriculture both in Oklahoma and worldwide."

The evening's activities will begin at 5 p.m. with guided campus walking tours starting every 15 minutes. Tours will feature stops in the new Forage Improvement Division Building, the Plant Biology Division Building and the greenhouses. Along the way, participants will learn about the Foundation’s history, the work of its scientists and agricultural specialists and its facilities.

Starting at 7 p.m. in the Forage Improvement Division Building atrium, Noble Foundation President Michael A. Cawley will present a history and overview of the Foundation, followed by brief descriptions of current projects by Agricultural Division Director Wadell Altom, Plant Biology Division Director Dr. Richard Dixon and Forage Improvement Division Director Dr. Joe Bouton.

The Noble Foundation's campus is located at 2510 Sam Noble Parkway in Ardmore. Attendants will be on hand to direct guests to a designated parking area. A reception will be held concurrently with the tours.

The next Profiles program is set for Thursday, March 2, 2006. Rita Murray, CEO of Performance Consulting, LLC, of Norman, Okla., will present a program called "Survive and Thrive in a Multi-Generational Workplace" at 7 p.m. at the Charles B. Goddard Center in Ardmore.

For more information, call the Noble Foundation at (580) 223-5810 or visit www.noble.org/profiles.

###

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; providing grants to non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.