Allyns donate $2.2 million to help fund innovation center at Syracuse University

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University life trustee William (Bill) Allyn and his wife,

Janet (Penny) Jones Allyn are donating $2.28 million to its College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Their donation will help pay for the Bill and Penny Allyn Innovation Center and an Invent@SU invention accelerator, the university said in a news release.

Both Allyns are Syracuse alumni. Bill Allyn graduated in 1959 and Penny Allyn graduated in 1960.

Bill Allyn served as president and CEO of Welch Allyn for more than 20 years. Chicago, Illinois–based Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HRC) acquired the Skaneateles Falls–based manufacturer of medical-diagnostic equipment in 2015.

Penny Allyn taught and coached physical education for many years. The couple serves on the board of the Syracuse–based Allyn Foundation, a private foundation that provides grants to charitable organizations in Central New York.

Their support was inspired, “in part,” by Invest Syracuse: Advancing Academic Excellence and Student Experience, a $100 million initiative that seeks to “redefine the student experience, advance discovery and innovation and expand opportunity,” according to the release.

The Allyns made their entire donation in honor of the late Richard (Dick) Dulude, a 1954 graduate of Syracuse University, a lifetime trustee, and a former member of the Welch Allyn board of directors.

In funding the center and Invent@SU, the Allyns hope to “ignite Dulude’s passion for innovation in new generations of Syracuse University students,” per the release.

Use of the donation

The first $2 million of the Allyns’ gift will help pay for construction of the Bill and Penny Allyn Innovation Center, which will be located at the south entrance of Link Hall. The center will “visually enhance” the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s “physical presence and connectedness with campus and house the student services that support retention and academic success,” Syracuse said.

The Allyn Innovation Center will serve as a “hub for student services, creativity and collaboration at Link Hall,” the school added.

In addition to funding a “significant” portion of the Bill and Penny Allyn Innovation Center, the Allyns provided a gift of $280,000 for the Invent@SU program.

The invention accelerator provides the structure for students to design, prototype and pitch innovative products with real-world applications.

The program is a collaboration between the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ School of Design.

Invent@SU “augments the University’s entrepreneurship ecosystem in the area of device inventions,” the school said.

The six-week program gets students involved in a process of “design, prototype and pitch” as they develop tangible products following the Invention Factory model.

The school offered two invention accelerators during the summer of 2017, including one at Syracuse University and another at the Fisher Center in New York City. Forty student inventors participated and over 120 alumni served as guest evaluators or judges.

The accelerators will continue each summer and will include Syracuse University students from all disciplines.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com