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
Campus and community leaders gathered with industry partners to explore the University’s ambitious plan for a best-in-nation Center for Innovation and Applied Technology - an industry-driven hub preparing the next generation of leaders.
November 20, 2025
The University of New Haven welcomed more than 300 guests to an Open House, that offered an energizing preview of its Center for Innovation and Applied Technology. University leaders, industry partners, and local officials gathered in a to-be-transformed 130,000 square-foot commercial space adjacent to campus on Campbell Avenue, underscoring the collaboration behind this initiative.
Vice President for Innovation and Applied Technology Paul Lavoie opened the event sharing great enthusiasm, emphasizing that the center will be “a best-in-nation space built entirely around industry needs.” He spoke of the University’s new Corporate Partnership Council, which is designed to create constant communication with employers across the state. “This center is going to be all about industry,” he said. “We believe the days of ‘just in case’ education are over.”
Lavoie described the center’s future footprint, noting the space attendees were in is less than half of what the full center will soon become. “On the other side of that wall, there’s another 80,000 square feet. This will become one building—one center—in the very near future,” he said.
“We are producing students who are not just ready for the workforce, but better than ready,” he added.
University President Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., spoke next, reflecting on how the center embodies the University’s commitment to preparing students for what comes after Commencement. “What we really should be concerned about is what happens after they walk off that commencement stage,” he said.
Dr. Frederiksen emphasized that today’s economy demands graduates who are resilient, technically skilled, and ready to excel in an increasingly global and AI-driven workforce. Ensuring that preparedness, he noted, requires deep collaboration with industry. “We need to be absolutely certain that we deliver a return on the investment that families make,” he said.
He also spoke about bridging traditional divides. “We are closing the gap between academic life and industry,” he said. “Students can gain firsthand experience, and faculty can contribute to the thought leadership shaping the next generation.
“This space is our opportunity to help solve industry problems, prepare students on day one, and transform lives,” he continued. “We want students to come here with purpose, because this is a gateway to the rest of their lives.”
Michael Ambrose ’84, ’19 Hon., chair of the University’s Board of Governors, highlighted his decades-long engineering career and emphasized how consistently University of New Haven graduates excelled on his teams as a senior leader at Sikorsky. “When it came down to actually doing the engineering, building the parts and designing what they would look like, it was typically a University of New Haven graduate doing that work,” he said.
He also spoke to the center’s statewide significance. “This is a partnership with the city of West Haven, the state of Connecticut, and industry across the region,” he said. “Technology is changing faster than it has in decades. We know what it takes to prepare the talent that’s needed.”
West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer ’92 MBA shared that she is not only the mayor of the University’s host city, but also a proud alumna and former faculty member. “I’ve seen this University grow,” she said. “These last few years, things are happening at lightning speed.”
Mayor Borer spoke about her early memories of the building now being transformed into the center. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d be standing in the old Railroad Salvage building, and that it would become a modern, state-of-the-art space,” she said.
Industry speakers echoed Mayor Borer’s pride and sense of urgency, emphasizing that the center’s impact extends far beyond any single field. Mike Rocheleau, executive vice president of PTA Plastics and president of ManufactureCT, described the space as essential to preparing the region’s future workforce. “A center like this isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategic commitment,” he said. “Industry and academia need each other.”
Rocheleau added, “We’re not just watching from the sidelines. We’re excited to work alongside you.”
Elizabeth Kontomerkos, senior vice president at Bank of America, highlighted the bank’s enthusiasm to support the center’s mission. “The strength of our industries doesn’t just come from technology—it comes from people,” she said.
Together, their remarks affirmed the University’s mission to create a space where students, faculty, and industry partners can come together to imagine solutions, build skills, and shape the future of work.
"This center is a game changer,” said Kontomerkos.
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.