UHart's Top 23 Moments of 2023

President Joe Biden addressed gun safety legislation in a packed Lincoln Theater at the University of Hartford June 16, as a crowd of nearly 700 people—including legislators from across the country—convened for an all-day summit. This is the second sitting president to visit UHart, as President Barack Obama spoke on campus in 2013 on reducing gun violence.

Field hockey and men’s & women’s tennis will be available beginning in fall 2024 with varsity competition to commence in fall 2025. The additions will increase the number of intercollegiate sports offered by the University to 20. The enthusiasm surrounding these new programs will intersect with the opening of UHart’s new track and field on campus, scheduled for completion in late 2024.

Neal Katyal—a prominent lawyer, scholar, and national news commentator who has argued dozens of cases before the Supreme Court—spoke on Oct. 3 at the University of Hartford about the recent affirmative action ruling and its monumental impact. The “What’s Next: Unpacking the Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action with Neal Katyal” program was part of the University's Rogow Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Program.

Representatives from the United States Secret Service recently spent three days on campus to actively recruit UHart students to apply for careers with its law enforcement agency. UHart partnered with the Secret Service as an official participant in its Special Agent Talent and Achievement Recruitment Program, also known as the STAR Program.

UHart honored Hartford HealthCare CEO Jeffrey Flaks at a celebration on campus that raised $300,000 in scholarships to support students across all academic programs. The Executive Leader of the Year Award reception drew more than 200 people from prominent businesses in the region, corporate partners, the health-care industry, and the UHart community.

Iranian artist Minoo Emami's retrospective solo show featured an array of multimedia pieces. The exhibit, Minoo Emami: Under My Veil, evoked themes of resistance and resilience that came together to transform the trauma of war and oppression into objects of beauty and hope. The exhibition and related programming provided an opportunity to learn about Persian aesthetics, Islamic customs, and the events in modern Iranian history that inform Emami’s work.

After a three-year gap due to the pandemic, second-year Hillyer College Honors students once again headed to the island of O’ahu for the annual Hawaii Honors Experience Winterterm course. Professor of History Robert Churchill, Professor of Business David Goldenberg, and Instructor of English and Speech Maria Johnson accompanied the students on the 12-day trip, where they studied Buddhism, the cultural diversity of the Hawaiian Islands, and the history of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In addition, they met with United States District Court Judge Derrick Watson to discuss current topics in the law.

The Anchor Awards are the University’s most prestigious alumni awards, established to recognize alums who have distinguished themselves by achieving the highest levels of professional and community accomplishments. This year’s recipients were David G. Nord ’79, Jackson D. Olson ’20, Netanya “Nina” Nhatavong ’20, Carole P. Kunstadt ’73, Kimberly “Kim” K. Goodwin M’00, Marlon E. Guild A’03, ’05, Karen S. Nobumoto Esq.; '73, Luella “Lu” D. Landis ’66, M’70, Scott C. Jarzombek ’99, and Jolie A. Rocke DMA; ’89.

One of The Hartt School’s most recognizable names—and one of the most celebrated vocalists of all time—has received another honor. This past summer, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the 46th honorees for lifetime artistic achievements, one of whom was Dionne Warwick. At the ceremony, which also included a reception at the White House, Warwick was quoted as saying, “I must say, it is a privilege to wear this medallion. It means that the recognition of the 62 years that I have given to you is now being recognized.”