The 2024 calendar year was an exciting one for the University of Hartford. Let's take a look back at our most memorable moments.
1. We welcomed the University's seventh president, Lawrence P. Ward.
Lawrence P. Ward became the University of Hartford’s seventh president on July 1, 2024.
A dynamic leader in the national higher education landscape with deep Connecticut roots, Ward arrived at UHart after a successful 10-year tenure at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he served as vice president for learner success and dean of campus life.
President Ward was officially inaugurated on Saturday, October 26. The ceremony at Lincoln Theater was the high point of UHart’s annual Hawktober Weekend. A full audience of family, friends, representatives from other colleges, and distinguished guests cheered as Ward was presented with the University’s charter and mace, and the medallion signifying his office was placed around his neck.
In his inaugural address, Ward said, “What has become so clear to me, as I anticipate the road ahead for me as your president, is that this is no longer my story. This is, in fact, not a ‘me moment.’ It is a ‘we moment.’ This is now our story.”
Ward spoke of what he called the “amplifying effect” of a University of Hartford education. Describing experiences alumni have shared with him, Ward said, “They describe a transformative impact that the University had in their individual journey of discovery and of new possibilities. A faculty or staff member who believed in them when they perhaps didn't fully believe in themselves. They had a transformative experience at the University of Hartford, then graduated, inspired to have a transformative impact on others. And that story, time and again, repeats itself.”
2. UHart announced a $3 million scholarship gift for Connecticut students.
The $3 million gift from Stanley Black & Decker provides scholarships to students from 29 towns within the Greater Hartford region, addressing rising unmet need.
Student success has long been at the heart of Stanley Black & Decker’s investments in the University of Hartford. From monumental capital improvements to strengthening career readiness programs to building the scholars program that bears its name, Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) has been one of the University’s strongest corporate partners. Now, thanks to a new $3 million gift, the corporation is building on this commitment in a new way—one with a special emphasis on Connecticut students and our local workforce: the Stanley Black & Decker Scholar of Excellence award.
3. We built a new track and field for our students.
UHart's Grant Family Track and Field opened in the fall and was named in recognition of UHart alumnus and member of the Board of Regents, Kevin Grant '82, M '86, thanks to his generous leadership gift to the University. In addition to Grant’s gift of $1 million, the reimagined complex—which features a 400-meter, eight-lane “full pour” track surrounding a new field tailored to field hockey, as well as an adjacent throwing area—was made possible through gifts from corporate partners including Stanley Black & Decker, CVS/Aetna, and Robinson & Cole LLP., along with support from alumni and friends of the University.
A ribbon cutting to celebrate the new track and field took place during Hawktober Weekend. This new facility provides a place not only for our student-athletes, but a home to our entire campus community to exercise, make new memories, and experience camaraderie.
The start of the fall semester brought two new deans to UHart's academic leadership team: Josie Brown was named dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Hillyer College, while Aarti S Ivanic was appointed to lead the Barney School of Business.
Meet our new deans.Donald Allan Jr. '86, president and CEO of Stanley Black and Decker and UHart's Board of Regents chair, generously gave $600,000 in support of career readiness and professional development at UHart—a passion that he and his wife, Marilyn, share. In recognition of this gift, UHart created the Allan Center, furthering career preparation initiatives and programming for our students.
Read more.With the issues of democracy and authoritarianism looming large in the conversation around the past presidential election, the University of Hartford welcomed historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat for a lecture on “Preserving Democracy” in October. This program was part of the University's Rogow Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Program.
Rogow Lecture SeriesHawktober 2024 was a huge success with favorites like the parents breakfast, jazz brunch, and the return of The Pub. The weekend kicked off with the 2024 Anchor Awards, the University’s most prestigious set of alumni awards. The incredibly moving ceremony honored seven distinguished alumni, including Lee Ann Leahy ‘84, a retired PricewaterhouseCoopers public accountant, and Antonio Javier Soler ‘86, the chief commercial officer at Monster Beverage.
A colorful new two-story mural in the Frog Hollow section of Hartford, on the corner of Park and Lawrence Streets, is part of an ongoing effort to celebrate the culture and history of the neighborhood. UHart’s Noel Casiano, assistant professor of psychology and human services at Hillyer College, is one of the community leaders whose realistic image is featured on the mural.
10. The Hartt Salsa All-Stars were invited to perform in D.C.
The All-Stars gave a half-hour performance to wind up Education Secretary Miguel Cardona’s Educación en Acción Summit last October. The day-long event featured leaders in higher education, best-selling authors, Latino influencers, and even a few celebrities. Salsa music star Frankie Negrón and singer/actor Mauro Castillo (Encanto) spoke with the group about their inspirational careers, giving them valuable advice and encouragement. Later, Negrón and Castillo went up on stage and performed a few numbers with the All-Stars. By the end of the show, the audience was on its feet and dancing, and the young performers were riding high.
The University of Hartford women's soccer team was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Champions for the second year in a row after defeating Springfield College by a 6-0 final.
Go Hawks!Three students from the Barney School of Business placed second in the nation for the 2024 NAAIA National Talent Development Competition. NAAIA is the National African American Insurance Association, whose mission is to empower African American insurance professionals and attract talented individuals to the insurance industry. This is the third year that Barney has participated in the competition.
More about the competition13. We opened the Zachs Hillel Center for Jewish Life
The center serves as a hub for Jewish students on campus and helps Hillel to further its mission of creating a strong Jewish community at UHart. Located on the residential side of campus, the expanded Hillel Center is double the size of its previous location, allowing for larger gatherings and increased foot traffic.
The center is made possible through the generosity of the Zachs Family Foundation. The fundraising effort also allows UHart to create the role of Fain Family Endowed Director of Jewish Student Life. This role will ensure that there is a trained Jewish professional on campus in perpetuity.
14. UHart and Hartford HealthCare helped our students' careers take flight!
The College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions joined with Hartford HealthCare to host a lifelike simulation of a medical emergency–complete with a LifeStar landing on the quad outside the Hursey Center to provide hands-on experience for our respiratory care and nursing students. Hartford HealthCare staff walked students through a scenario using a manikin simulating a patient. The students evaluated, intubated, and loaded the unresponsive “patient” into a waiting ambulance, then onto the helicopter.
Thirteen students and three faculty members from the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture headed into the path of totality to launch two high-altitude balloons: one from the campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, and a second balloon from Oak Ridge, Missouri.
See the balloon.The Connecticut Art Directors Club (CADC) recently named the Hartford Art School's Michael Scricco as a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee. CADC shared the news to its community with the words "his creative brilliance has profoundly shaped our community, and his influence continues to inspire us all."
Read Hank's StoryOn April 3, the entire University of Hartford community joined together to celebrate UHart's ninth annual Day of Giving. This was the most impactful year yet thanks to the generosity of 1,518 donors who contributed a total of $ $477,595. The electric atmosphere of the day was further fueled by 28 challenges and 15 matches offered by donors.
See your impact18. Hartt alumnus and “MJ” star shared experience and dance moves with our students.
Nearly 50 students from The Hartt School were part of a master class led by alumnus Jamaal Fields-Green ’18, who returned to Hartford as the star of the national tour of MJ: The Musical at the Bushnell. Fields-Green taught the aspiring performers some of the Tony-winning musical’s challenging, Michael Jackson-inspired choreography, including the song “Smooth Criminal.”
Fields-Green is the only actor to play Jackson in all three global productions of MJ: on Broadway, in the national tour, and in London. Fields-Green also led a Q&A session where he shared his experience and insights about making a living in the arts. He’s a mainstay on national tours, having previously played John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in the national tour of Hamilton. But he also runs his own production company, records his own music, and writes, directs, and stars in in his own films.
19. We celebrated our favorite four-legged friend's birthday!
20. We celebrated the Class of 2024!
The indelible influence of teachers, the challenges of the pandemic, and the unwavering support of family were recurring themes at the University of Hartford’s 2024 Commencement ceremonies last May. More than 1,200 graduate and undergraduate students and their guests came together at the XL Center in downtown Hartford. Two distinguished UHart alumni delivered the day's Commencement addresses.
During the morning ceremony, Jay Malave M’98, chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin, one of the nation’s leading global security and aerospace companies, addressed doctoral and master’s degree recipients. Later in the day, UHart undergraduates heard from Georgia State Senator Sonya Halpern M’90, a persevering advocate for equity and opportunity.
We are so proud of our graduates!
It was a year of change, promise, and momentum.
Thank you, UHart community, for making 2024 a year to remember.
We look forward to a new year and new stories to share in 2025!