When Greg Ayers, CEO of CryoCor, Inc. is asked about his days at Purdue, the memories come flooding back. "I have many great memories of Purdue, in the classroom, lab, and outside of the classroom. Purdue was a place that changed my life in more ways than one," he says.

In order to give back to his alma mater, Greg donates both his resources and his time to further enhance the Weldon School. A perfect opportunity was presented to him in naming a space in the new Biomedical Engineering Building. Along with alumnus John DeFord, Vice President of Science and Technology at C.R. Bard, Ayers' name will be forever associated with BME at Purdue and the building through the DeFord/Ayers Student Lounge.

"While in graduate school, John and I spent many long, fun, hard, challenging hours in the student lounge in Potter. It was always a place to blow off some steam, collaborate with other students, especially in the late hours of the day," states Ayers. "This gift met my requirement of benefiting students and was also a way to contribute in a meaningful way to the new Biomedical Engineering Building. This was a perfect fit and one I am honored to do."

Ayers not only wanted his gift to help students, he also wanted others to follow his lead. "I have met some great people at Purdue, both faculty and students. The naming of space in the building is a unique idea, one that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While not difficult, I'm glad I was able to convince John to participate in this opportunity with me. It adds additional meaning for me, given the time John and I spent together at Purdue."

Several naming opportunities still remain for the new Biomedical Engineering Building. To learn more about making a gift to Purdue and the Weldon School, please contact Brian Knoy at bjknoy@purdue.edu or 765-494-6241.