Hartford Business Journal

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | MANUFACTURING 32 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 13, 2025 She says Jonal made investments in new real estate, equipment and in hiring in 2024. She expects that to slow down a little in 2025, but says hiring will not stop completely. "I still have a couple more posi- tions, particularly in engineering and chemistry that I need to fill," Nemeth said. "It's hard to find talent, which is why if you find somebody, even if you don't need them, you bring them on — at least that's our philosophy." Like Isherwood, Nemeth says it can be hard to compete for talent with their big customers, but she touts the unique ability in a small business to get a taste for many different roles and skill sets. "At a big company you do one func- tion every day, day in and day out, and you get a good salary, but you don't have as much job security," she said. "We have to find a unique person that wants to wear many hats, fire on all cylinders and get their hands dirty." Efforts like those at Burke Aero- space and Jonal Laboratories to create linkages with the education sector are now becoming more typical, according to Lavoie. "Innovative companies are reaching out to academia, helping to shape curriculum, and building strong pathways from academia into the workplace," he said. "This requires manufacturing leaders to get out in the community and to serve on advi- sory boards, host tours of students, implement apprenticeships and robust training programs and to make a commitment to develop people." Manufacturing Continued from page 31 MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT IN CT *Each year is as of October. | Source: State of Connecticut Department of Labor, Office of Research INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | HIGHER EDUCATION Lawrence P. Ward is in his first full year as president of the University of Hartford. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Changing Of The Guard New leadership, AI adoption key trends impacting higher-ed industry By Hanna Snyder Gambini C onnecticut colleges face numerous challenges, including recovering finan- cially from the pandemic and the need to grow enrollment at a time when the state is graduating fewer high school students. But perhaps the biggest high- er-education trend in 2025 will be a changing of the guard. Connecticut colleges are undergoing a sea change in leadership, with many institutions getting new presidents or business school deans. That will lead to both short- and long-term changes at some of the state's top colleges, which are not only major employers but key drivers of workforce development. The leadership changes include: • Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney will retire at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year after 11 years in the role. She will be replaced by Daniel G. Lugo, the current president of Queens University of Charlotte, on July 1, 2025. • Judy Olian will step down as pres- ident of Quinnipiac University in 2025, after seven years at the helm. A national search for her replace- ment remains ongoing. • Andrea E. Chapdelaine, formerly president of Maryland-based Hood College, was appointed the 12th president of Connecticut College in July 2024. • Lawrence P. Ward began his tenure as the seventh president of the University of Hartford on July 1, 2024. • Maurie McInnis became the 24th president of Yale University in July, and is the first woman to fill that role. • Jens Frederiksen joined the University of New Haven on March 1, 2024, as its seventh president. • The UConn School of Business recently named professor Greg Reilly its interim dean, to take over for John A. Elliott, who has rejoined the accounting department faculty. A national search for a permanent business school dean is underway. Dollars and cents Other issues that will impact the state's higher-education industry in 2025 include the continued emergence of artificial intelligence, growth of remote learning and private sector partnerships. State colleges, including UConn, will also be active at the state legis- lature as policymakers debate a new two-year budget. There's still uncertainty over how the state's fiscal guardrails, which restrict how much lawmakers can spend and borrow, and the depletion of federal pandemic aid will impact higher-education funding. Gov. Ned Lamont in November ordered mid-year budget cuts from public colleges and universities totaling about $8 million, despite the state projecting a surplus for the current fiscal year, according to the CT Mirror. UConn and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, which oversees four public universi- ties and Connecticut State Commu- nity College, have already warned about budget shortfalls heading into the next academic year. Insufficient state funding, the schools said, could put programs and services at risk. AI at the forefront Meantime, the continued emer- gence of artificial intelligence will impact all colleges. Nancy Savage, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at the University of New Haven, said her school is developing a new master's degree in AI, which it plans to launch in the next year. UNH in 2025 will also focus on examining how AI impacts and supports the student educational experience, and how the technology can be leveraged to develop new academic programs and real-world opportunities for students. The goal is to give students the skills to pursue careers in AI, machine learning and advanced manufacturing, Savage said. Olian, the Quinnipiac University president, said her Hamden-based college has been exploring AI appli- cations in fields such as engineering, business data analytics, medicine Nancy Savage 100K 2000 2008 2016 2004 2012 2020 2001 2009 2017 2005 2013 2021 2002 2010 2018 2006 2014 2022 2003 2011 2019 2007 2015 2023 2024 150K 200K 250K NO. OF JOBS

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