University News
Three longtime University of New Haven contributors have each pledged $1 million toward the university's first-ever comprehensive capital campaign.
May 25, 2016
The campaign, The Charger Challenge, announced last month, has a goal of raising $100 million in time for the university's centennial in 2020. The campaign had raised $49 million during its quiet phase.
Two of the gifts, from Philip H. and Susan Bartels and from Charles E. Pompea '71, '90 EMBA and his wife, Tamera, will support the university's proposed $35 million Innovation Center. The center will provide students and faculty with a collaborative learning space and a cutting-edge maker space for interdisciplinary special projects.
The third gift, from William Bucknall '63 A.S., '65 and his two daughters, Kristin Loranger and Elise Bucknall, through their family foundation, will endow the Bucknall Family Scholarship for students in science, technology, engineering or math.
"The transformational displays of generosity that have taken place over the last several weeks illustrate how strongly these individuals - and many others like them - are committed to what is taking place at UNH," said President Steven H. Kaplan. "Most importantly, they believe, like I do, in the tremendous potential of our students. I know firsthand that their belief is well-placed and that their investment will pay significant dividends for generations to come."
Philip Bartels, an attorney with Shipman & Goodwin, one of Connecticut's largest law firms, is chair of the UNH Board of Governors. He and his family have been generous donors to UNH, supporting, among other projects, the Bartels Student Center.
Charles Pompea, a former vice chair of the UNH Board of Governors, spent two decades advancing up the ladder at Primary Steel, a company he eventually purchased in 1993 and oversaw for 15 years. A Florida resident, he is the majority owner of the Springfield Falcons hockey team.
Pompea and his wife also have supported a number of UNH projects including the Bergami and Pompea Graduate Center, the campus in Orange acquired by UNH two years ago.
Bucknall, who rose through the ranks at United Technologies Corporation to senior vice president, became one of the top human resource professionals in the nation before his retirement in 2008. His generosity has supported the Bucknall Theater in Dodds Hall, among other projects.
About the University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920, the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.
The Charger Blog
In honor of Women’s History Month, Malia Cohen, California’s State Controller reflected on her journey into public service, the challenges of leadership, and the impact of policy work, as she joined President Frederiksen to kick off the University of New Haven’s Frederiksen Forum: Trailblazing Women speaker series.
The Charger Blog
Beatrice Glaviano ’26 shares her take on getting older, the grind of college, and remembering to have a life outside of it all.
University News
The partnership will include student site visits, mentorship opportunities, and course collaborations with the Mets, and the university’s brand will also be showcased in the team’s digital content.