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UConn Waterbury opens new facility, launches hands-on STEM and workforce programs
Summary
Waterbury campus leaders described a recently renovated downtown building and multiple education, workforce and community initiatives — an accelerated nursing pathway, a $4.5 million USDA NextGen Fellows program, a Waterbury Robotics Institute and community-facing programs funded by philanthropy and ARPA.
Famiko Haft, campus dean and chief administrative officer at UConn Waterbury, told the Board of Trustees the campus has completed renovations at 36 North Main Street, opened the facility in January and is using the space for an accelerated nursing program, research space including cognitive neuroscience and a global literacy hub in partnership with Yale and UConn Global.
Haft highlighted community-facing programs that she said aim to build a local pipeline into health, STEM and allied careers. Examples she described:
- Hands on Health: weekly visits for Waterbury middle-school students led by allied-health undergraduates; program funding and in-kind support exceed $50,000 so far. - USDA NextGen Fellows: a $4.5 million program (initiated fall 2023) that provides last-dollar scholarships, paid internships and mentored research for students interested in agriculture, food systems and related fields. - Waterbury Robotics Institute: housed at 36 North Main, the institute partners high-school teams with undergraduate mentors and is supported by ARPA and the Leavenworth Foundation. - UConn Waterbury Housing Clinic for Thriving Communities: a fall-2024 initiative that gives students field experience in affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization with partners including the Department of Housing Commissioner and Neighborhood Works; supported by H.W. Smith Foundation funds for stipends and adjunct hires. - Walkberry: a downtown engagement program that connects students to 20+ local businesses via discounts and a printed map, funded by the Paluso Family Fund. - WishFest (Waterbury Innovation, Sustainability and Health): campus convenings that bring speakers and hands-on learning to K–12 and college students, funded by the Reed Endowment, OLLI, School of Business and grant partners.
Haft said these programs are intended to strengthen student success, build workforce pipelines and deepen the campus's role as a local economic and cultural partner. Trustees asked about staffing and fatigue risks amid rapid program growth; Haft said workforce and morale are her primary near-term concerns and that the campus meets monthly with city leaders and school partners to coordinate services.
Ending: Trustees praised Waterbury's outreach and encouraged continued community partnerships and sustainable staffing plans as the campus expands.
