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
Ceyda Mumcu, Ph.D., a former professional athlete, is passionate about fostering meaningful change in sports while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her research examines the increasing interest in women’s sports, as well as the ways in which leagues, teams, and the athletes themselves are advocating for change.
March 15, 2022
For Ceyda Mumcu, Ph.D., research is an important way to explore issues that matter to her in the field of sports. As a former professional basketball player in Turkey who experienced unequal treatment firsthand, she is passionate about making a difference in women’s sports – and in pushing for change.
An expert in fan behavior, sport marketing, and marketing analytics, Dr. Mumcu has pursued scholarly work focusing on women’s sports, diversity, equity, inclusion, and change. Last year, she was invited to join an interdisciplinary research group of scholars, and their proposal, “Communicating for Justice and Equality: Women’s Sport and Corporate Social Advocacy” has now received a grant and an award that will support their work.
The group recently received the Mary Ann Yodelis Smith Award for Feminist Scholarship, which was awarded by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s Commission on the Status of Women. The proposal also received a grant from the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Penn State University.
“I always try to research and contribute to topics that are close to my heart,” said Dr. Mumcu, an associate professor and chair of sport management at the University. “I consistently put all my effort into discovering or generating insights, and being acknowledged for our contribution is incredibly fulfilling.
“Over the time I played sports, unequal treatment wasn’t just in terms of public attention or media and or corporate interest,” she continued. “It also happens with clubs and in organizational structures. It is something I experienced personally, and it is my life’s work, perhaps, to make a difference and help push for change.”
The interdisciplinary group includes researchers that Dr. Mumcu describes as “incredible scholars” who are working on similar topics but come from diverse backgrounds, including communication and sociology.
“I am so grateful to be part of the research group I am working with,” said Dr. Mumcu. “It is encouraging that there are likeminded individuals who have been working for the same cause.”
"We can improve the world through more equitable opportunities for everyone."Ceyda Mumcu, Ph.D.
Dr. Mumcu says women’s sports in the United States, which have historically received considerably less attention than men’s sports, have recently enjoyed “remarkable” commercial success. During the pandemic and as our lives and societies have become increasingly digitized, she says viewership and interest have exploded.
“We have seen great numbers, great ratings, and exponentially increasing viewership,” said Dr. Mumcu, who was also a co-author of the first study on marketing sports to LGBTQ+ fans. “Social media engagement is increasing. Merchandise is sold out, and, in some cases, it’s backordered. This is showcasing great change for women’s sports.”
Women’s sports aren’t just leading the way in terms of increased interest. They are also on the leading edge of fostering social change. Dr. Mumcu says that, over the past several years, women’s sports leagues, teams, and the athletes themselves have been key players in pushing for change and in “amplifying the voices of society for underprivileged populations.” As a researcher, this was something that Dr. Mumcu found inspiring and worth exploring.
“This gave us an opportunity to research and determine that women’s sports are more focused and involved in social change and activism compared to the male sports,” she said. “That gives us the idea that we should probably examine how social advocacy is actually taking place in women’s sports. This is the greatest moment to focus on this research, as things are changing on a daily basis.”
Dr. Mumcu has been discussing these trends with her students, who, she says, closely follow sports and industry trends. She says that, like much of society, they are also likely to follow mainstream male sports more closely, and she hopes to help them see the bigger picture. The impact of women’s sports on social change and activism continues to be an important topic of discussion in her classroom.
“Students do not always recognize the impact women’s sports or female athletes are making,” she said. “This is an opportunity to make an impact on the growth of future generations of professionals. We always talk about sport as a social institution with the power to change the world, so our contributing to that change, no matter how small or how large, is going to have an impact on making a change. We can improve the world through more equitable opportunities for everyone.”
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.