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
Julia Clara Ferreira ’27 is excited to be the first member of her family to go to college. A recipient of a competitive scholarship for the children of immigrants, Ferreira hopes to make her parents, who moved to the U.S. from Brazil, proud.
October 11, 2023
For Julia Clara Ferreira ’27, the Fall semester has been an exciting time. She started her first semester of college and accepted her first scholarship – and she is the first member of her family to accomplish either.
As a high school student in Danbury, Conn., Ferreira imagined herself pursuing a career in a science-related field. The daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Brazil, she had her sights set on higher education. That meant exploring opportunities that members of her family hadn’t yet seen, and she’s excited to be the first.
“Being a first-generation student means a lot to me,” she said. “I’m very proud of it. I feel like my parents are very happy for me to go to college, since they’ve never experienced that. They finished their high school educations in the U.S., but they never had the opportunity to go to college. So, I feel like I’m living out their dream for them, which makes me really happy.”
While in high school, Ferreira was a participant in the ConnCAP program, which serves Danbury High School students in families in which neither parent has completed a four-year college degree. The program offered her support with her college applications, FAFSA, and with crafting her resume. When she was a senior, one of the staff members also mentioned an opportunity to apply for a scholarship. Intrigued, Ferreira applied.
Ferreira recalls she was leaving work when she noticed she’d received a voicemail. Initially, she says she was afraid it was a message telling her she didn’t receive the scholarship. Instead, she received a message of congratulations.
“I was absolutely shocked!” she said. “I told my mom, and she started crying. It was also the first scholarship I received, and I was extremely happy, extremely grateful. It means a lot. It was extremely special because the actual award was for children of immigrants, and that felt meaningful.”
Ferreira accepted the scholarship from the New American Dream Foundation, a nonprofit based in Danbury, at a recent ceremony. She’s one of only three students in the state to receive one.
In addition to learning about college and scholarships as a high school student, Ferreira also was introduced to the field of forensic science as a possible career path. She describes herself as a kid who always enjoyed mystery books and documentaries, and it was through one of those films that she was first exposed to forensic science. Captivated, she began to research the field, and she took her first forensic science classes.
“When I learned about forensic science, it sparked for me,” she explains. “It’s so interesting.”
Ferreira is now immersing herself in her forensic science classes at the University – and in life as a college student. She’s already joined the University’s Forensic Science Students Association, and she’s eager to continue to get involved in the Charger community. She’s excited to be a trailblazer in her family and to take advantage of every opportunity that she has as a first-generation student.
“My main goal is to make my parents proud,” she said. “I want to get good grades and I want to have a good college experience. I already have a good support group that I’m grateful for. I also want to meet people and join clubs. I didn’t do that in high school, and I’m excited to do that now.”
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.