Alumnus John Elliot and his wife, Fonda, donated $5 million from the family’s foundation to create the Elliot Studios for Design for the new College of Architecture and Environmental Design building.

It will also fund endowments for The Elliot Program for Healthcare Design, The Elliot Scholars and The Elliot Professorship in Healthcare Design. In a press release from the university, Elliot said the family encourages other graduates to “participate and foster the vision” that the school has for the future.

“Fonda and I are honored to be able to give back to the university that gave us the opportunity and the tools to help build our pathway to today,” John Elliot said in a press release. “If it was not for Kent State, and the school of architecture, I would not have had the foundation to develop my architectural practice and a healthcare company that employs more than 1,000 dedicated healthcare professionals.”

• The Elliot Program for Healthcare Design will support a new program in Healthcare Design. The college currently has a certificate in Healthcare Facilities and will soon offer a master’s degree in Healthcare Design.

• The Elliot Scholars will fund 10 scholarships for full-time architecture students in a graduate degree program. Awards will be designated for both Kent State domestic scholarships and global study opportunities.

• The Elliot Professorship in Healthcare Design will be used to provide competitive compensation and research support for especially promising faculty members holding the rank of assistant professor, associate professor or professor in the college.

“We are thrilled with the Elliot family’s decision to provide this landmark gift,” said Doug Steidl, dean of the college, in a press release. “It will not only serve to enhance our new facility, but it will provide ongoing support to the students through scholarships, the addition of faculty expertise and the establishment of a new program in healthcare design.”

Contact Cindy Deng at [email protected].