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
The University of New Haven’s new Badminton Club has been a fun way for Chargers who love the sport to play competitively – and to share the sport with their fellow Chargers.
December 5, 2023
As an avid badminton player, Shirdi Kummarakuntla ’24 M.S. always wanted to continue the glory of this sport as a student at the University of New Haven. This motivation led to the foundation of a new club sport on campus.
“Badminton, as a sport, was not widely present at the University, which was something I wished to change,” says Kummarakuntla, the club’s president. “I, along with the support of my friends who are now part of the e-board of the club, decided to introduce badminton as a club sport at ChargerRec.”
Kummarakuntla thanks his coach Sri Teja Chinnam, director of enrollment systems, who ensures the club is well-trained before every tournament or on-campus practice session.
“Our coach is our best mentor, and our intense training is always on point due to his persistence,” he said. “Our coach’s and team members’ efforts and dedication have led us to where we are now.”
Chinnam’s dedication to the sport is a driving factor behind the success of the Badminton Club, and Kummarakuntla is grateful for his support. He credits Chinnam for maintaining and enhancing the consistency among the participants and members of the club.
While building the foundation of the Badminton Club, Kummarakuntla’s goal was to take the University of New Haven to a new level in terms of inter-state tournaments. Spring 2023 was the first semester in which the badminton team traveled to Philadelphia for a two-day tournament in April, followed by another two-day tournament this Fall where they secured the runner-up position.
The team has also participated in two open tournaments so far and has been the winner of men’s doubles at the Simsbury Open 2023, held in October. The team is now preparing to participate in the upcoming Eastern Collegiate Conference in the spring and in open tournaments in and around Connecticut.
The team recently attended the Eastern Collegiate Badminton Conference held in Boston, where 14 members participated in the competition.
“There was everything in this journey: the intense pressure, breakthroughs, tough fights, and easy wins,” said Kummarakuntla. “I want to thank everyone on our team for our success.”
Apart from participating in off-campus tournaments with the team, the badminton club is always ready to encourage new joiners from all levels, courses, and majors at the University of New Haven. The club sport recently organized an ‘open for all’ tournament for University of New Haven students, faculty, and alumni, which Kummarakuntla says was a “great success.
“Around 40 players were competing in 60 matches,” he continued. “This was the first big event we hosted on campus, and we were ecstatic to see the response. We held all five formats in the tournament: men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. After seeing this event's outcome, we are planning the upcoming on-campus tournament and will be sharing the details very soon.”
The University’s Badminton Club is not only a successful club sport as part of Charger Rec but is a family of its own, believes Kummarakuntla. He is pleased with the results and outcomes and thankful to the e-board, who has been with him since day one of the formation of the club. The current e-board consists of four other members, namely, Sudhanshu Sunke ’24 MBA, vice president of the Badminton Club; Srikiran Boddupalli ’24 M.S., secretary; Govardhan Illuru ’24 M.S., treasurer; and Rydham Bhanushali ’24 MBA, social media manager.
According to Kummarakuntla, a huge part of the team’s success is credited to the e-board, and he sincerely believes in the teamwork displayed by everyone, including building everything from scratch to being consistent for the club and the sport.
“This was the club’s first e-board, and therefore, it was not easy, but it all worked out with mutual efforts,” says Kummarakuntla. “I think we laid a good foundation, and the team’s future is now secured.”
Adding more to the upcoming plans and ambitions for the club, Kummarakuntla shared how he and his e-board, as well as the members, are planning to compete against more colleges and universities. To achieve this, they are raising funds, improvising on their equipment, and are expecting to share some part of the funding with their coach.
Kummarakuntla wholeheartedly thanks ChargerRec and its staff for providing this space to practice, learn, and accomplish the club’s goals. The goal is to continue to build the future of the Badminton Club, to participate in more competitions and tournaments, and to help take this sport and recognition of the University’s club to greater heights.
The Badminton Club encourages beginners to attend their practice sessions and to engage in an opportunity to learn and pursue this sport. They are ready to train new and passionate enthusiasts and would love to help in every possible manner. The club plans to launch special training sessions for badminton sports lovers and is happy to welcome new players to their team.
The club’s success, events, and activities can be found on their Instagram handle @unewhavenbadminton, and they can be contacted via email at badmintonclub@newhaven.edu or in person for more questions.
Anchal Bhatia ’24 MBA is a candidate in the University’s MBA program.
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.