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Syracuse University will establish a research institute and two endowed professorships in honor of Carolyn Wheeler, who graduated from SU in 1967, and her husband, Charles Wheeler.

Established by the Wheelers’ legacy donation to SU, the new Carolyn B. and Charles M. Wheeler Institute will foster basic and applied life science research, according to an SU News release.

The goal of the institute is to merge the entrepreneurial and business knowledge of students and faculty in the life sciences fields in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the release said.

“The life sciences are essential drivers of health, as well as economic growth and employment,” said Gene Anderson, dean of Martin J. Whitman School of Management, in the release. “The Wheelers’ generous gift will greatly advance the impact of the life sciences on the health of individuals and communities through the power of business.”

SU established two endowed professorships to lead the institution: the Carolyn B. Wheeler Endowed Professorship in Arts and Sciences and the Charles M. Wheeler Endowed Professorship in Whitman. The professorships will recognize and provide further support for the research and teaching of highly accomplished faculty members, according to the release.

“I am grateful to Charles and Carolyn Wheeler for their generosity in establishing the Wheeler Institute and its two new endowed professorships,” said Karin Ruhlandt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Thanks to the Wheelers’ visionary gift, students will develop the scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial insight needed to help push the boundaries in pharmaceutical and medical innovation for healthier communities, as the world continues to face down the pandemic.”

The institute will provide tailored curriculum and research in finance, regulation and supply chains for specific business conditions in industries such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices, according to the release. It will also provide opportunities for experiential learning and professional development.

Through the institute, the Wheelers hope to bring “the best and brightest students in biological research and business” to SU, the release reads.

“They are our hope for a better future, to transcend all the problems our world is facing,” Carolyn Wheeler said in the release.

Published on October 5, 2021 at 11:05 pm

Contact Francis: btang05@syr.edu | @francis_towne