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
Cristina Shaul ’25, a music major, turned an independent research project into a hands-on lesson in album production — compiling, licensing, designing, and marketing a limited-edition cassette that celebrates 10 years of creativity in the University’s Hip-Hop Technology and Production course.
April 22, 2025
Over the past two semesters I worked with Patrick Rivers, Ph.D. and Professor Mark Tavern on creating a compilation album as my independent research project. During that time, I gained experience in being an album producer, creative director, and product manager.
As the first step, I A&R’d the compilation, listening to all the material, choosing what I thought worked best together. The music was compiled from 10 years of tracks completed by students in Dr. Rivers’ Hip-Hop Technology and Production course.
The project itself was inspired by Dr. Rivers, who says, “Hip-Hop Technology and Production was the realization of my dissertation. Ten years later, this compilation represents some of my most rewarding times in a classroom. Our students' inspiration, creativity, and humanity are recorded on this cassette.”
After choosing the tracks, I reached out to each producer, some of whom are now alumni. I licensed the material from each, and then decided on the order. Once set, I turned to Tony Rodriguez ’26, who assembled and mastered the album.
This project was more challenging than I anticipated. Ten years of students giving their all into their music is a lot to sift through, and picking favorites was even harder. The connections I made throughout this process were the most rewarding part. Hearing from dozens of students and alumni who were proud of their education and their time with this class was truly special.
I then worked with Professor Tavern on the package design and on manufacturing the final product. I had no idea where to start with the package design other than wanting it to feel authentic to the hip-hop scene. Our graphic designer, Sofia Shaul, helped me discover the project's aesthetic, guided me in the right direction, and helped me add my own touch to the 1980s and '90s hip-hop vibe I envisioned. While it was stressful at times stepping into the role of a product manager, it turned out to be an incredibly valuable experience, especially one I never expected to have on this project.
Simulating the look and feel of a mixtape was meant to celebrate the earliest hip-hop recordings. Because it was originally a live music genre, passing around homemade mixtapes was the only way to hear the music outside of a club, and helped hip-hop morph into the recorded music genre it is now. This decision is also a nod to DJ Kool Herc, who used hand-written flyers to advertise the first hip-hop party at 1520 Sedwick Avenue in the Bronx on August 11, 1973.
The final step involved putting together a marketing plan and overseeing the promotions involved in building up to the record’s street date. It made sense to release the project on the student-run record label, Rein Records, and I coordinated promotions with members of the label’s marketing team.
“I really couldn’t be prouder of all the work that went into this project”, says Prof. Tavern. “Records require lots of collaborators, but also a producer who sees things through to the end. I told Cristina several times along the way that everything she had to do to realize this cassette was an in-real-life experience for those in the record business, and she got the chance to do that as part of her coursework.”
The cassette is a limited edition and hand-numbered, and I am pleased to share a physical-only release launched earlier this month, exclusively at the Rein Records Bandcamp site.
Cristina Shaul ’25 is a music major within the University's College of Arts and Sciences.
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.