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DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday received a $100,000 pledge from Nabil Takla, president of Morganti USA of Danbury, to fund a scholarship for WCSU students. The company will fulfill its pledge over a five-year period at $20,000 per year.

Takla presented the check to WCSU President James W. Schmotter in a ceremony at the university.

Schmotter said support from industry is an important component of the university’s financial health.

“Support from the Morganti Group will provide benefits far beyond today,” Schmotter said. “The Morganti Scholarship will help more students to stay in school, or to attend the university without taking another job. When they graduate, WCSU students stay in Connecticut and contribute to the state’s economy. The way Connecticut will grow out of this recession and build its economic strength is by having more residents improve their educations and get good jobs. Today, the Morganti Group took a giant step toward securing the future for all of us.”

Takla said the gift is a reflection of Morganti’s commitment to the region and to its employees, many of whom have graduated from WCSU.

“Morganti believes in investing in our communities. More importantly, we all have a responsibility to support the essential institutions that support our next generation of leaders,” Takla said. “This gift to WestConn demonstrates our commitment to the university as well as the importance we place on the role the university plays in our community.”

Dr. G. Koryoe Anim-Wright, vice president for Institutional Advancement, said Morganti’s gift will benefit students throughout the university.

“This substantial gift, which will endow the Morganti Group Scholarship, will help large numbers of students in every school of the university,” Anim-Wright said. “I cannot overstate the impact that this act of generosity by Mr. Takla and the Morganti Group will have on student success.”

The Morganti Endowment will grant scholarships to WCSU students based on merit and/or need. The first scholarship would be awarded in Fall 2010.

Morganti Group was founded by John Morganti in 1920. The company has grown from a small family-owned Connecticut general contracting firm to a major international construction management organization and a leader in construction industry techniques. In 1988, Morganti was acquired by Consolidated Contractors Company, one of the largest international construction firms, headquartered in Athens, Greece.

Morganti was the construction administrator for the WCSU Science Building and construction manager of the university’s Fifth Avenue parking garage and of the Westside Classroom Building. Other area projects include the wastewater treatment plant in Danbury, and the YMCA buildings in Brookfield and Ridgefield, among several hundred other projects that include airports, hospitals, prisons, industrial buildings and educational facilities around the world.

The WCSU Foundation fuels the university’s effort to change lives. As a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization, the foundation raises funds and manages charitable gifts for the support of the university and its approximately 5,000 full-time undergraduate and 1,000 part-time graduate students. Working with the university and other partners, the foundation operates under the leadership of a board that is made up of respected community professionals.

The foundation’s philanthropic programs include annual giving, special events, major gifts, capital campaigns, endowments and planned giving. The foundation sponsors on-campus activities and supports university projects that enrich the entire learning experience for students and offer vivid cultural opportunities for the greater community. A gift to the foundation can complement limited state funding to projects such as scholarship programs; building funds; campus beautification; and cultural, artistic and athletic programs.

The foundation offers 29 scholarships across all academic disciplines. The awards help many students stay in school or take classes without having to work multiple jobs.

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.