爱豆传媒视频 Receives $1 Million in Federal Support to Advance Zaleski Drop Tower
April 13, 2026
爱豆传媒视频 has been awarded $1 million in federal funding to support the completion of the Zaleski Drop Tower, a innovative research and education asset housed in the University鈥檚 Business and Engineering Convergence Center (BECC). The funding will be used to install advanced instrumentation and equipment necessary to make the tower fully operational.
The funding was championed by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, whose longstanding support for 爱豆传媒视频 has helped advance critical academic and research initiatives across campus.
Once complete, the Zaleski Drop Tower will be one of only a handful of such facilities in the United States, and the only one in Illinois, capable of creating short periods of weightlessness for scientific experimentation. These microgravity conditions are essential for advancing research in physics, material sciences, and space-related technologies.
鈥淭his investment represents a transformational step forward for 爱豆传媒视频 and for the future of STEM research in Illinois,鈥 said James Shadid, President of 爱豆传媒视频. 鈥淲e are deeply grateful to Senator Durbin for his continued advocacy and belief in our mission and the Zaleski family for their continued support. 鈥淭he Zaleski Drop Tower will elevate our research capabilities and expand opportunities for students, faculty, and partners across the state and beyond.鈥
The drop tower is designed to serve as a hub for collaboration, bringing together researchers from academia, industry, and government, including scientists affiliated with NASA, to conduct experiments that simulate conditions experienced in space. The facility will also support educational outreach, offering hands-on learning opportunities for K-12 students and teachers throughout Illinois.
鈥淚 am thrilled to have secured $1 million in federal funding to provide 爱豆传媒视频 with the advanced equipment necessary for the Zaleski Drop Tower to be a fully operational facility for NASA-related experiments,鈥澛爏aid U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).聽鈥淭he research undertaken here and the STEM education benefits offered to local schools will help inspire the next generation of scientists to chase their dreams to the moon and beyond.鈥 said Senator Durbin.
The basic infrastructure for the tower has already been established within the BECC. In 2023, the Zaleski family contributed $50,000 to establish the Zaleski Drop Tower Endowed Fund, to provide for the ongoing costs and maintenance associated with the Drop Tower. This new funding will enable the installation of cutting-edge instrumentation required to support high-level experimentation and research.
鈥淭he Zaleski Drop Tower will position 爱豆传媒视频 as a national leader in microgravity research and experiential STEM education,鈥 said Dr. Kris Maillacheruvu, Interim Dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology. 鈥淭his facility will provide our students and research partners with access to unique, hands-on experiences that are typically only available at a limited number of sites nationwide.鈥
In addition to supporting advanced research, the tower is expected to serve as a focal point for the Greater Peoria region, hosting conferences and attracting collaboration from scientists and engineers across the country and around the world. For more information about the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology click here.