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
A virtual Capture the Flag event sponsored by the University of New Haven’s Connecticut Institute of Technology and its Hacking Club drew more than 2,500 participations and awarded nearly $50,000 in prizes. Ronald Scarpa ’25, ’26 M.S. reflects on organizing this high-impact cybersecurity competition.
July 3, 2025
The University of New Haven’s Connecticut Institute of Technology (CIT)’s Capture the Flag (CTF) competition CTF@CIT combines cybersecurity education and community engagement. Hosted virtually over three days and powered in part by the University’s Hacking Club, this Capture the Flag event drew participants from across the country. From entry-level to advanced hackers, competitors tackled a range of challenges designed to test their technical skills.
In the following first-person reflection, Ronal Scarpa ’25, ’26 M.S., a Cybersecurity & Networks major and an organizer of the event, shares what it took to make CTF@CIT 2025 a success—and why it mattered.
The University of New Haven’s Hacking Club once again demonstrated its commitment to cybersecurity education and community outreach at CTF@CIT 2025.
This year, we saw incredible growth compared to last year’s approximately 1,500 competitors. CTF@CIT 2025 drew in an astonishing pool of more than 2,500 participants offering $46,000 worth of prizes from our amazing sponsors. This considerable jump in numbers is a clear testament to the growth of the organization and the increasing interest in cybersecurity education.
Reflecting on the competition, I am immensely proud of how we created such an impactful event with only a handful of volunteers. The tremendous participation allowed numerous students to practice and improve their cybersecurity skills, while also providing a great learning experience for the organizers.
Creating challenges that are both fun and educational is not always easy. This competition helped us enhance our abilities to create engaging challenges while improving our technical skills in the process. These types of cybersecurity skills are in hot demand today, not only for protecting national security and corporate systems, but also for safeguarding personal privacy and security. By investing in cybersecurity learning, we are helping people from all over to protect themselves in all aspects of their digital lives.
The competition had a wide variety of challenges such as forensics, cryptography, reverse engineering, OSINT, and more. This allowed participants to enhance their skills in a wide variety of subjects. In addition to the virtual competition, we held an in-person networking event. This face-to-face gathering allowed around 100 attendees to connect, share ideas, enjoy free food, pick up sponsor swag, and work on challenges with their team. It was very cool to see people commuting from all over the country, with some people flying in. This really proved how important this event was to participants, as it was a perfect opportunity to meet new friends, reconnect with old ones, and learn a little in the process!
Organizing CTF@CIT 2025 taught me a great deal about community building and orchestrating events at such a large scale. Each challenge encountered was a valuable lesson that will be used to improve for next year’s event, CTF@CIT 2026.
None of this success would have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Hex-Rays, Offensive Security, TCM Security, Malcore, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Binary Ninja, Black Hills Information Security, and IZT Cloud. Their combined contribution of nearly $50,000 in prizes highlights their commitment to cybersecurity education and motivated participants to succeed.
CTF@CIT 2025 marked another significant milestone for the University of New Haven’s Hacking Club. With record-breaking participation and a generous prize pool, we were able to teach students from all over through hands-on learning. Personally, organizing the event deepened my understanding of both event planning and community building, which I look forward to incorporating next year at CTF@CIT 2026.
As we continue to promote cybersecurity education, we empower individuals to better protect themselves and their systems online. For more information on this event and to stay updated on future competitions, visit https://ctf.cyber-cit.club/. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved and hope to see everyone again next year!
Ronald Scarpa ’25,’26 M.S. is a Cybersecurity and Networks major in the Tagliatela College of Engineering.
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.