Public Safety is tracking a significant snowfall that will be arriving in our area late Sunday morning (Jan. 25). It will snow heavily throughout the day and evening eventually tapering off Monday (Jan. 26) with 10-14 inches expected statewide. A sleet and freezing rain mix is also possible along the shore. Temperatures will be in the teens and twenties.
Due to this significant winter storm and the extensive campus clean-up operations that will need to take place, all in-person day and evening classes scheduled for Monday, January 26, 2026 have been cancelled. All scheduled in-person classes will transition to being held online or remotely. Additional information on the virtual format for each class will be provided by your instructor.
Faculty have been asked to prepare for Online or Remote sessions in the event of in-person meeting cancellations. These options will be determined by the Faculty member and all questions should be directed to the Faculty teaching each course section. Faculty also have been asked to be very understanding and accommodating of the individual situations of their students who may have difficulty managing these alternative online or remote class meetings on short notice.
Please note that only essential employees, as previously determined by their respective department leaders, should report to campus. All other employees should fulfill the requirements of their role remotely.
Campus operations for residential students, unless otherwise noted, will operate as scheduled, though hours may be modified or changed based on the conditions. Separate messages will be sent from the Peterson Library, the Beckerman Recreation Center, and Dining Services regarding any changes to their normal hours of operation. The Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation will remain open for residential students to use for study space and to participate in online classes.
Off-campus students that live in the City of West Haven should abide by the city’s parking ban during inclement weather to avoid having their vehicle tagged and towed. Please check the City of West Haven’s website for further information on their snow parking ban.
The Charger Blog
Austin Thomas ’19, ’21 M.S. has helped manage the University of New Haven’s makerspace for four years, and he’s particularly excited about how its move to the state-of-the-art Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation will provide new opportunities for all students.
November 7, 2020
When the University of New Haven first opened its makerspace in Buckman Hall four years ago, Austin Thomas ’19, ’21 M.S. was excited when his professor, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Ph.D., asked him to help manage it. He has been actively involved with the space ever since.
Thomas envisioned a space that was staffed and managed by students and was accessible to everyone. That, he says, is exactly what it has become. As part of a team of students that helps run the makerspace, Thomas manages the day-to-day operations. He has become intimately familiar with the cutting-edge technology available in the space, including 3D printers and laser cutters, and he has used the equipment to create his own projects.
“It is different from a lab that is managed by a professor,” explains Thomas, a candidate in the University’s graduate program in mechanical engineering. “Students learn about the opportunities available to them in the makerspace in a variety of ways, including word of mouth. It’s like a library in that it offers something for everyone and is a place where all students can come together.”
This semester, the makerspace became even more of a central hub for students across all disciplines to collaborate, conceive, and create. The space was moved to the University’s new Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation, which opened at the beginning of the fall semester.
The makerspace enables students to work with a variety of materials, including wood and sheet metal. Thomas was long looking forward to the opening of the new makerspace, excited about the opportunities it would offer him and his fellow students, and the additional cutting-edge tools that would be available.
“It is a bigger space, and I hope students know that it is accessible to everyone,” he said. “It is not owned by one group of people. The makerspace is for all students.”
Thomas especially enjoys the interdisciplinary nature of the space, and he is passionate about sharing the technology and capabilities with students across the University community. An integral part of engineering students’ learning, the space, Thomas says, is increasingly being used by students in a variety of fields of study.
Students in the University’s art and design, program are using the space, and the University offers courses that enable students to create digital projects and produce physical representations of them in the makerspace. Thomas has worked directly with art and design students, training them, for example, on how to use the laser cutter.
“Being able to help students see their work come to life is incredible,” he said. “As an engineer, I see things as straight-forward. Art students find inspiration everywhere, such as in a sheet of paper. This got me excited since I realized I could help them make their ideas a reality. Seeing their faces light up inspired me to introduce more students to the makerspace.”
Now a Tagliatela College of Engineering graduate assistant in his last semester of graduate school, Thomas is continuing to explore the limitless potential of the makerspace and develop ways to add depth to students’ experience as part of his independent study. He is exploring the needs and perceptions of students in different majors and developing courses on topics such as design software and electronics. He hopes fostering inclusivity, innovation, and excitement for the makerspace is the legacy he leaves for future students.
“We can create some incredible projects if we put our heads together,” he said. “I want to help students use these tools so they can bring their great ideas to life. We interact with technology and design no matter what field we are in.”
University News
New University-wide council will advance strategic partnerships, immersive student opportunities, and innovative research, supporting the University’s strategic plan the development of its pioneering Center for Innovation and Applied Technology.
The Charger Blog
Entrepreneur David Sussman, Pompea College of Business Advisory Board Member and chief visionary officer of The Family Security Plan®, is collaborating with University of New Haven students, faculty, and staff to create a program and app that helps Chargers support each other to achieve academic, personal, and professional goals. It’s called Uccountability.
University News
Vice President for Innovation and Applied Technology Paul Lavoie will serve on the Board of Directors and as America’s Chief Manufacturing Officer for the newly launched American Manufacturing Futures Institute.