University of New Haven President Named One of “5 to Watch” by Leading Connecticut Business Newspaper

Each year, Hartford Business Journal identifies leaders it expects to make headlines in the year ahead.

Included in the publication's 2026 list of “5 to Watch” is University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen. It is the first time since 2024 the HBJ included a higher education lead in its annual list of five to watch.

“University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen is heading into 2026 with an ambitious agenda that includes launching a new innovation center, opening a satellite campus in Saudi Arabia, returning the university’s business school to the main West Haven campus and upgrading its athletic center,” the Hartford Business Journal wrote in a feature on President Frederiksen (subscription bypass link).

“The many significant projects and initiatives we are pursuing are a direct reflection of our growth and the University’s increasing visibility,” President Frederiksen told the Hartford Business Journal.

“One of the first major projects to take shape under Frederiksen’s tenure is the University’s new Center for Innovation & Applied Technology,” the HBJ wrote. The University hosted an open house in November for the 130,000-square-foot facility, located on 12 acres near the school’s main West Haven campus.

“The building, which previously housed discount home-goods retailer Railroad Salvage, is designed to serve as a hub where students and companies collaborate on production, automation and applied research projects,” the HBJ continued.

The ultimate goal, Frederiksen told the publication, is to give students real-world experience that makes them more appealing to prospective employers upon graduation.

The feature story also highlighted the University’s plans to establish a campus in Riyadh. In October 2025, the University became the first in the world to receive approval from the Saudi government to establish an international branch campus in Riyadh.

President Frederiksen told the HBJ that the planned campus in Riyadh continues longstanding work in Saudi Arabia, as the University has worked with Saudi students for more than two decades through private education programs and degree offerings.

President Frederiksen also spoke about the impact of the University’s athletics program transitioning to Division I.

“It’s huge for enrollment, school spirit, student life, visibility and exposure,” he told the HBJ, noting that he attended Vanderbilt University on a Division I tennis scholarship. “It energizes a campus.”