President’s Message
Welcome! University of Bridgeport has a proud legacy of providing our students with career-oriented programs and flexible degree options that prepare them to succeed in life.Our programs have always stood on the cusp of innovation. UB has a storied history of firsts like the world’s first school of dental hygiene and the first master’s degree in Nutrition in the country. That spirit of innovation continues today, and we have expanded our degree programs into fields like engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence to train our students for careers that are in-demand now and in the future.
Helping students to achieve their potential is at the core of what we do at UB, and we know that higher education serves students best when it embraces the qualities that make us unique. We all learn — and are inspired to learn — in different ways. Some of us are visual learners. Some need to relate what we’re learning to our own lives to make it meaningful. During their time at UB, our students are supported by our faculty, and at the same time empowered to take control of their own learning — their future.
UB is a welcoming and supportive community that embraces diversity and nurtures students on their unique paths to personal and professional growth. By recognizing and celebrating our differences, higher education becomes even more inclusive. Our beautiful seaside campus is open to all students interested in an education that readies them for life and leadership.
As an institution of higher education, we also play an important role in serving the greater community, and we seek to exemplify the importance of service to others through the work we do in Bridgeport and our surrounding communities.
It is this well-rounded view of academics, innovation, personal responsibility and service that we hope to instill in all of our students.
Sincerely,
Danielle Wilken Ed.D.
President
University of Bridgeport
Danielle Wilken Ed.D.
A dedicated champion of educational equity, Danielle Wilken, Ed.D., began serving as President of University of Bridgeport in May 2021. As the 12th president in UB history, Dr. Wilken brings nearly 25 years of academic and administrative leadership experience to the University.
Having grown up in Long Island, Dr. Wilken pursued her undergraduate degree in Biology and Clinical Laboratory Science at SUNY Stony Brook. There, she also earned her master’s in Health Policy and Management before eventually attaining her doctorate in Educational Leadership from University of Hartford. Her degree in Educational Leadership helped her build a prolific career at Goodwin University, where she devoted twenty years to serving the community in leadership roles ranging from program director to vice president of Academic Affairs.
Before transitioning into her role at UB, Dr. Wilken served as Goodwin’s Provost for more than two years. As Provost, Wilken reimagined the way Goodwin instructs its students by bringing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to the forefront, helping spearhead its school-wide implementation. A research-based and scientifically proven model for learning, UDL makes education flexible, accessible, and adaptive to diverse student needs. Wilken’s efforts to bring UDL to Goodwin — and later Bridgeport — attest to her commitment to creating equitable and inclusive learning environments.
Since stepping into her role as president, Dr. Wilken has used her professional knowledge, experience, and drive to promote University of Bridgeport’s growth. In just a few short years, her efforts as president have brought UB into the public eye. New Haven Biz identified Dr. Wilken as one of the “5 to Watch” in January 2023 in an article highlighting both the University’s progress and her leadership. By increasing the University’s local presence, Dr. Wilken hopes that more students will find their home at University of Bridgeport. Since beginning her tenure as president, Wilken has overseen UB’s first consecutive enrollment increases in several years. Year-over-year growth of nearly 34% during the fall 2022 and fall 2023 semesters tells the story of a university cultivating a promising future with Wilken at the helm.*
For Dr. Wilken, helping University of Bridgeport grow isn’t only about getting students in the door — it is also about cultivating an environment that provides them with life-changing opportunities to learn and grow. Since becoming UB’s president, Dr. Wilken has enriched campus culture by overseeing campus-wide improvements and the addition of an eSports Lounge, a new and more prominent location for the Knight’s Pantry, a Subway® on campus, and 7 new NCAA Division II athletic teams, including men’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s swimming, wrestling, and track and field.*
Under Wilken’s leadership, UB has also seen the addition of new academic programming. Her efforts helped obtain an additional million dollars to usher Goodwin University programs onto UB’s campus, including the opening of the Goodwin University Harrison Steans Advanced Manufacturing Center, which will house a Goodwin Welding program. In the fall of 2024, students began taking prerequisites for UB’s new associate degree in Nursing program and Goodwin launched a Licensed Practical Nursing program on UB’s campus. Her work has resulted in strong inter-institutional partnerships and the offering of critical workforce training programs to Bridgeport and surrounding communities.
Dr. Wilken also reengaged community partners and key university benefactors, helping UB procure a $1 million donation to establish an endowment for the Bauer Center for Innovation. In 2024, she partnered with Bridgeport Public Schools to introduce the Bridgeport’s Brightest Scholarship, a four-year renewable scholarship program focused on local Bridgeport Public School graduates. In its first year, UB welcomed 26 Bridgeport’s Brightest scholars to campus, allowing them to achieve their goal of a college education.
Wilken feels at home in Bridgeport’s shoreline community, coming full circle from where her journey began on the other side of the Sound. She considers the city of Bridgeport to be a vibrant, diverse, and caring community. Moreover, she recognizes that the city presents incredible opportunities for students to learn, grow, and gain hands-on experiences in their chosen fields. Wilken has worked to reestablish and strengthen UB’s connections with the surrounding community.
President Wilken’s advice to University of Bridgeport students is simple but powerful — try everything that interests you and embrace your mistakes as opportunities to grow. Wilken also encourages students to be resilient when trying new things — just because something isn’t right for you right now doesn’t mean it will never be right for you at all. This advice echoes the unwavering spirit of the University itself. “University of Bridgeport has always been a symbol of hope,” President Wilken says. “The University has stood for nearly 100 years thanks to its ongoing adaptability and unbreakable spirit.”
* Based on data from the fall 2023 and summer 2024 semesters.