University News
The Class of 2026 includes more than 1,100 undergraduates and nearly 2,000 graduate students hailing from 46 states, 31 countries, and 152 cities and towns across Connecticut. Long-time University of New Haven professor Martin J. O’Connor, a member of the New Haven Fire Department for three decades who retired as chief, will give the Commencement address on Saturday.
May 12, 2026
The University of New Haven will host Commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, to award more than 3,100 degrees to its Class of 2026.
A highlight of the celebration will be the Commencement address that will be given by Martin J. O’Connor, a long-time University of New Haven professor and campus chaplain who spent three decades as a member of the New Haven Fire Department. He will deliver his address during the ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m. for undergraduate members of the Class of 2026.
A member of the faculty at the University of New Haven for more than three decades, Prof. O’Connor has taught courses in fire protection law, criminal law and procedure, and public service ethics, and coordinated internships for thousands of students.
As a member of the New Haven Fire Department, he served as the first commanding officer of its nationally recognized Fire Investigation Unit, before retiring as chief in 1998.
A licensed attorney in Connecticut and an ordained deacon of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Prof. O’Connor has served and preached in New Haven parishes for 36 years, and he has served as the University’s campus chaplain since 1999.
As part of the Saturday ceremony, Prof. O’Connor will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Among the undergraduates receiving their degrees on Saturday will be Jacob Urban ’26, a training captain and EMT with the West Haven Fire Department. He is the initial West Haven first responder to receive a tuition-free bachelor’s degree through a collaboration between the University and the City.
Graduate and doctoral degrees will awarded during the Commencement on Friday, May 15, at 4:30 p.m.
Both ceremonies will take place on the University’s West Haven campus at Kathy Zolad Stadium. More than 4,800 guests are expected for each ceremony.
Student speakers, who were selected through a competitive audition process, will also address their classmates at each ceremony.
Additional information and live streams of each ceremony can be found at newhaven.edu/commencement.
University News
The Class of 2026 includes more than 1,100 undergraduates and nearly 2,000 graduate students hailing from 46 states, 31 countries, and 152 cities and towns across Connecticut. Long-time University of New Haven professor Martin J. O’Connor, a member of the New Haven Fire Department for three decades who retired as chief, will give the Commencement address on Saturday.
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