Western Connecticut State University, which last month debuted a destination arts center, recently stepped into a trio of favorable spotlights. In short order, the Danbury school was named the most socially mobile college in the state, it hosted a powerhouse economics forum, and it received the largest gift in its history.
Constantine “Deno” Macricostas gave $3 million from the Macricostas Family Foundation to WCSU, which the school identified as the largest donation in its history.
The donation will see the WCSU School of Arts and Sciences renamed the The Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences. The Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Board of Regents for Higher Education acknowledged the gift and approved the new name, WCSU reported this month.
“With this gift, Deno Macricostas and his family become, by far, the largest philanthropic supporters of our university,” WCSU President James W. Schmotter said in a statement. “Our gratitude to them is unbounded, and it is made even more special because of Deno”™s personal experiences. His is the classic American immigrant success story, and it provides an inspiration to all on our campus. This gift will transform our School of Arts and Sciences, the largest of our academic units and one in which every WCSU student, regardless of major, studies. It is indeed a momentous day for Western Connecticut State University.”
“Education is important to the success of our children and our community,” Macricostas said. “We live in a competitive and challenging world that requires growing our knowledge and increasing exposure from each generation. Our family takes pride in helping to support the great work of Western Connecticut State University in preparing students for active participation in our global society.”
WCSU, with downtown and west-side campuses, also made a solid showing in a recent national survey.
Two Web-based companies, CollegeNET and PayScale, have created a national social mobility index, or SMI, to “comparatively assess the role of our higher education system in providing a conduit for economic and social advancement.”
WCSU placed No. 11 on the inaugural list of 100 colleges. It is the highest rank in the state.
The SMI survey measured five factors relating to higher education, according to WCSU: cost of tuition, opportunities provided to low-income students, graduation rate, early career salary for graduates and the status of the university”™s endowment.
More than 530 colleges and universities were compared based on the five criteria.
At No. 11, Western was one of only three universities in New England to break the Top 100.
According to the study, a “high SMI ranking means that a college is contributing in a responsible way to solving the dangerous problem of economic immobility in our country.”
And on a recent night, an economic symposium titled “The Economy and You” drew a sizable crowd to Western Connecticut State University”™s Ives Concert Hall ”“ 300 had signed up.
Topics including education, health care, the “jobless recovery” and bank security were on the docket.Experts on hand included Schmotter, Western Connecticut Health Network CEO John Murphy and international economist Nicholas Perna, an adviser to Webster Bank.
“Our goal is to create a groundbreaking event that will generate innovative ideas and serve as a resource for forward-thinking insights and concepts,” said event host Robert Reby, CEO of Danbury-based Reby Advisors, in a pre-event statement. “We want to inform the community on critical issues that help them not to just survive but thrive in this economy.”
Schmotter”™s topic was “Building a Better Education System.” Murphy shared insights on “The Future of Healthcare.” Perna”™s presentation was titled “Will the Jobless Recovery Continue?”
Breakout sessions included “The Future is Here: Cars That Drive Themselves,” with Bob Camastro, general manager and owner, Mercedes-Benz of Danbury and Wappingers Falls; “Is Your Home a Good Investment?” with Paul Scalzo, owner, Bethel-based Scalzo Group; “The American Manufacturing Comeback,” with James Marquis, president, Danbury-based Kimchuk Inc.; and “How to Rob a Bank (Online Theft),” with Jay Mortara, an officer with the Danbury Police Department.
