Reza Taleghani ’97 JD/MBA, P’27 Gives Largest Gift Ever to Villanova’s Graduate Center and Bolsters Law School’s Mission and Strategic Priorities
Reza Taleghani ’97 JD/MBA, P’27 has long championed Villanova University’s commitment to fostering academic excellence and community among both graduate and law students.
Over the years, Taleghani has made notable contributions to the law school, including serving as a member of its Board of Consultors, naming the JD/MBA program and establishing an endowed scholarship for JD/MBA students—demonstrating his commitment to legal and business education for future generations of Villanova students.
Building on this legacy of giving, his recent $1 million gift to name two distinct campus spaces is a further testament to this dedication, enriching the experience for graduate students across the University and enhancing resources for the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.
Fostering a Vibrant Graduate Student Experience
Influenced by his son’s undergraduate journey at Villanova and his own experiences as a graduate student, Taleghani directed $500,000 of his gift to name the Graduate Lounge in Vasey Hall—a recently created space where graduate students can connect and collaborate, which will now be known as the Taleghani Family Lounge.
As the first gift of its size to the Center for Graduate Research and Education (“Grad Center”), the fund will allow the Grad Center to further its mission of enhancing the graduate and law student experience at Villanova.
Through academic, professional and social programming, the Grad Center fosters community and provides tailored support to Villanova’s 3,500 full-time, part-time, on-campus and online graduate students. Graduate students serve to strengthen the fabric of the entire Villanova community, while also bolstering the undergraduate experience and the University’s research enterprise.
Supporting Innovative Legal Education
Taleghani’s gift also designates another $500,000 to name the admissions suite in John F. Scarpa Hall as the Taleghani Family Office of Admissions. This allocation will go toward the Law School’s Dean’s Strategic Fund. This essential fund provides Mark C. Alexander, the Arthur J. Kania Dean and Professor of Law, with the flexibility to allocate resources toward a variety of mission-focused priorities and opportunities, supporting everything from pioneering new programs to addressing unforeseen student needs.
Additionally, this fund enhances Villanova Law’s capacity to fulfill its educational vision and contribute to the ambitious goals outlined in the University’s Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless.
Taleghani’s belief in Villanova’s mission has been a driving force behind his generosity. Inspired by the vision of University leaders and its distinguished faculty and staff, he has admired how Villanova has achieved remarkable growth while preserving its values and culture since his graduation in 1997. Taleghani’s commitment to sustaining Villanova’s excellence in academia motivates his efforts to ensure it continues to serve as an inspiring model for others.
This $1 million gift supports the University’s recently launched comprehensive capital campaign Espiritus Nova: The Campaign for Villanova University, for which Taleghani also serves as the parents and family committee co-chair.
About Reza Taleghani ’97 JD/MBA, P’27
Reza Taleghani ’97 JD/MBA, P’27 has held various leadership roles in finance and business since graduating from Villanova. He spent 17 years of his career at J.P. Morgan, where he served as managing director and group head, working across investment banking, asset management and the commercial bank. He also led Sterling Airlines, a low-cost carrier in Europe, as its president and CEO, based in Copenhagen. From 2015 to 2018, he was president and chief financial officer of Brightstar Corp., and he currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Samsonite.
