Challenging the University of Hartford community to “reimagine what excellence looks like,” Lawrence P. Ward was inaugurated as the University’s seventh president Saturday, according to a release.
The ceremony in Lincoln Theater was held during the university’s annual Hawktober Weekend.
In his inaugural address, Ward said, “What has become so clear to me, as I anticipate the road ahead for me as your president, is that this is no longer my story. This is, in fact, not a ‘me moment.’ It is a ‘we moment.’ This is now our story.”
“I’m asking you to lean in and to lean forward, to foster a stronger sense of belonging,” Ward said. “And frankly, this starts with me and my commitment to open communication, careful listening, transparency, trust and leading with authenticity. We must also demonstrate active leadership in the greater Hartford community. For a university that carries the city of Hartford’s name, we must play a leading and contributing role in the economic and educational vitality of the Greater Hartford area, the state of Connecticut, and the northeast region.”
Ward became UHart’s seventh president on July 1. Ward arrived at UHart after a 10-year tenure at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he served as vice president for learner success and dean of campus life, according to a release.
Board of Regents Chair Donald Allan, Jr. ’86, president and CEO of Stanley Black and Decker, said: “You don’t have to spend much time with Larry to understand and experience his deep, intentional, and genuine commitment to students. It is his life’s work. He is thoughtful about every aspect of their experience. He is interested in their thoughts and insights. He is concerned for their well-being and he is fueled by their energy and success. He understands that a thriving, successful, vibrant University of Hartford is vital to our region’s students, families, partners, workforce, and communities. I have no doubt he will be an exceptional leader in this work.”
Ward’s brother, Rev. Fredd Ward, senior pastor of the First Church of West Hartford, gave the invocation, and Ward’s children, Emerson and Aidan, each gave addresses. The inauguration ceremony also featured a musical performance by Hartt School mezzo Lynnae Labato ’25. She sang the song “Home” from the musical The Wiz, a favorite of Ward’s.
According to a release, Ward spoke of what he called the “amplifying effect” of a University of Hartford education. Those who have attended UHart, he said, “describe a transformative impact that the university played and their individual journey of discovery and of new possibilities. A faculty or staff member who believed them believed in them when they perhaps didn’t fully believe in themselves. They had a transformative experience at the University of Hartford, then graduated, inspired to have a transformative impact on others. And that story, time and again, repeats itself.”
“My vision for the University of Hartford is that it continues to be a beacon of light and hope, such that others might be inspired to share their light, and they, in turn, feel similarly inspired to carry their light to still others.”
