Charger 360

Charger 360 is the official video podcast of the University of New Haven. Each episode features guests from across the University with the goal of, as the show's name implies, giving you a 360-degree view of the amazing things going on in Charger Nation. From academics, to athletics, to student life, and beyond, we cover it all... and have some fun in the process.

Latest Episode

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 13: David Schroeder

David Schroeder, interim dean of the Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, reflected back on his career, going all the way back to his high school graduation when his name appeared with his fellow graduates in his hometown paper with his destination listed as “unknown.” He looked back on beginning his career as a private investigator working for a company that, at the time, had the death penalty contract for the County of Orange and that led the Rodney King investigation against the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD, and how this work led him to a career in academia and teaching the next generation. “It changed everything for me in terms of my own self perception of what I wanted to do. Civil rights investigations became very central in my life.”

All Episodes

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 12: Sebastian Trujillo Rodriguez

Sebastian Trujillo Rodriguez ’25 MBA joined Charger 360 to talk about Màs Allà del Deporte, a podcast he created and co-hosts with several classmates for international student athletes. The show, which is recorded in the WNHU studio, has featured guests from across the globe. A former collegiate golfer at the Division I and Division II levels and a native of Colombia, Sebastian is a graduate assistant for the Chargers golf teams.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 11: Ron Kuntze and Katelyn Beach

Katelyn Beach ’25, a marketing major and president of the marketing club, and Ron Kuntze, marketing professor and director of the University’s Nonprofit Institute, joined Charger 360 to talk about a project in Dr. Kuntze’s social media marketing class in which Katelyn and some classmates are currently collaborating with WNHU, the University’s award-winning radio station, to help maximize its social media reach. They also reflected on the impact of real-world, client-driven learning opportunities, a hallmark of the UNewHaven educational experience.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 10: Michael Iliopoulos '25 M.S.

Described by the Charger 360 hosts as “the most interesting man in the world,” Michael Iliopoulos ’25, a candidate in the University’s graduate program in Cybersecurity & Networks and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, talked about his lifelong interest in television gameshows. Three years ago, he was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, capping a more than decade-long pursuit to appear on the popular gameshow. It was the University’s military-friendly reputation that attracted him to West Haven. As a Charger, he’s interned at General Dynamics Electric Boat and Clorox, where he’s already accepted a full-time position. He also shared his passion for thrill-seeking activities, including skydiving, bungee jumping, flying a stunt plane, completing an ultra-marathon, and racing a Lamborghini.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 9: Darby Brown '25

Darby Brown ’25, a forensic science major, sociology minor, president of the Undergraduate Student Government Association, and member of the cheerleading team, shares her interest in neuroscience and crime-show TV and how she combined those interests into a career path. She also discussed her involvement in the SOAR program as well as her journey in student leadership, her passion for advocating for students, and the near year and a half she has spent as president of the USGA.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 8: Claire Glynn

Claire Glynn, professor of forensic science and director of the University’s Graduate Certificate in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG), joins Charger 360 to talk about her journey from Ireland to West Haven and what attracted her to the University. She discussed FIGG, describing it as an “incredibly new, novel, and very powerful tool” that was only introduce into criminal investigations about six years ago. She explained that she had been doing genetic genealogy as a hobby for more than 10 years, figuring out her own birth father after she was adopted, when, as a forensic DNA expert, she learned the role genetic genealogy played in ultimately identifying the "Golden State Killer," saying her two worlds collided immediately.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 7: Chris Raffone & Valentinna Ferrarini '26

Chris Raffone, head coach of women's tennis, and Valentinna Ferrarini ’26, the team’s number 1 singles player and an international affairs major who hails from Brazil, joined Charger 360 to talk about women’s tennis posting an undefeated record and capturing its first Northeast-10 Conference title in the program history. Valentina talked about her passion for tennis, her journey to West Haven, and having roommates from Paraguay and Japan and teammates hailing from seven countries. Raffone, a second-year head, said he had never been around a team that had "so much competitive passion."

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 4: Ron Harichandran

Ronald Harichandran Ph.D., dean of Tagliatela College of Engineering and vice provost for research, shares his passion for building things and taking things to a higher level. He reflected back on his 13 years at the University and his focus on raising the reputation of the Tagliatela College of Engineering ("lean, mean, and out to win!" he says) and the impact it is making on student outcomes. He also talked about the interdisciplinary nature of engineering and plans for the University to launch a new master’s degree program in AI within the next year.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 3: J.J. Dionisio ’25

Stopping by Charger 360 this week is J.J. Dionisio ’25, a music and sound recording major, who is serving as the station manager for WNHU, the University’s award-winning radio station. He talked about how he got involved with the station, the roots of the show "The Kitchen Sink" he has hosted for the last several years, and the WNHU’s "Alumni Mondays." He also reflected on the essence of college radio, which he says is based on freedom and discovery, and the global reach of WNHU through its Internet stream.

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 2: Jeff Hunt

Jeff Hunt, assistant director of the Center for Learning Resources, talks about his journey to the University of New Haven, which included growing up in the Pacific Northwest, teaching and serving as an administrator in South Korea, and pursuing a master’s degree in New Mexico. He's traveled to 19 countries and 47 states. He outlined the services offered by the CLR, which has more than 10,000 visits annually and is the largest student employer on campus. The average GPA of students seeking support is 3.2. “When students are being pressed to grow, they should find classes hard. That is where they are going to find success.”

Charger 360 - Season 3, Episode 1: Nancy Savage

Nancy Savage, Ph.D., joined the season three premiere of Charger 360 to reflect on her journey to the University, her more than 20 years as a Charger, and being named provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. She discussed some ongoing initiatives related to retention, micro-credentials, and a new Life and Career Readiness Framework that is being developed in collaboration with Student Affairs. She also talked about her love for cooking (inspired by her mother), her favorite dishes to make, and her passion for baking holiday cookies.

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 17: David Ramirez ’24 and Rob Holub ’08, ’09 MBA

David Ramirez ’24, a sport management major and esports and gaming minor, and Rob Holub ’08, ’09 MBA, director of esports, joined Charger 360 to talk about the University being at the forefront of esports education and the opportunities available to esports student-athletes. David reflected on the opportunities he has had thanks to esports and gave an inside look to some in-game Call of Duty clips, while Rob talked discussed what led to the University creating academic opportunities in the growing fields of esports and gaming.

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 16: Joe Markowski '26

Joe Markowski '26, a communication major, Connecticut native, and host of The Nashville Sounds on WNHU, the University's award-winning student-run radio station, reflects on his relationship with his mentor Bruce Barber, his passion for restoring old cars, and his family's long connection to the University. "The University made it known that here it's family. The connections I have made... I don't think I could have made them anywhere else."

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 15: Shaily Menon

Shaily Menon, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, reflects on a conversation she had with her father as teenager growing up in India that helped lead to her career path. “I love higher education and learning so much, and I have stayed on college my whole life,” she said. She discussed how she engages others through the approach of distributed leadership, the role she played in helping to create the book “So you Want to be a Dean? Pathways to the Deanship,” and her passion for painting.

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 14: Marcus Harvin

Marcus Harvin '23 A.S., '25 joined Charger 360 to talk about his experience being one of the first graduates of an innovative program created through a collaboration between the University's Prison Education Program and the Yale Prison Education Initiative. He reflects on how he ended up in prison, the opportunities he had through his education, and the nonprofit he launched that he called a byproduct of his participation in the University’s President’s Public Service Fellowship program.

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 13: Mario Gaboury

Mario Gaboury, J.D., Ph.D., dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, joined Charger 360 to talk about his family’s connection to the University’s West Haven campus that dates back 100 years. He also discussed how passionate Lee College students are about giving back and serving society, the Lee College faculty who bring a significant amount of real-world experience into the classroom, and the hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 10: Joe Franco and Andy Billman

Joe Franco and Andy Billman, adjunct professors in the University's Communication, Film and Media Studies Department join Charger 360 to talk about the inspiration behind the documentary they are creating about Toad's Place, a well-known night club in New Haven that has been attracting famous performers for nearly 50 years – and the many University connections to the documentary and the iconic location. Prof. Franco helped with the launch of ESPN in 1979, spending more than 33 years at the network, and Prof. Billman was an award-winning producer at ESPN.

Charger 360 - Season 2, Episode 8: Gabi Garcia-Perez

Gabi Garcia-Perez '23, '24 M.S., a native of nearby Guilford, Conn., talks about her journey as a Charger. She reflects on being a member of the women's soccer team; her undergraduate studies and her experiences in the M.S. in Finance program; and hosting a show on WNHU 88.7 FM, as well as her involvement in the Women in Business Club, the Incendio Dance Project, and much more. (Oh, and she's one of the faces of the University's new Power On brand campaign, too!)

Charger 360

Season 1, Episode 2: Lisa Dadio and Police De-escalation

Charger 360's first season continues as we speak with Lisa Dadio, M.S., MSW, a senior lecturer in criminal justice, assistant dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, and the Director of the University's Center for Advanced Policing. The Center for Advanced Policing recently received a $1 million grant to become one of only six regional de-escalation training centers across the country that provides law enforcement training that is approved by the Department of Justice.

 

About Charger 360

Charger 360 is filmed in the Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation and produced by University students and staff. Charger 360 is hosted by Bruce Barber and J.W. Stewart. We hope you enjoy watching Charger 360, and we welcome your feedback. Click here to write to us!

All topics discussed on Charger 360 are accurate at the time of recording, but are subject to change.