The tour offered yet another chance for Hardin to engage in meaningful discussions with members of the Quinnipiac family while fostering collaboration with local small business owners. That spirit aligns with the stated goals of this early phase of her tenure, a time for listening and learning about the community she serves.


“It was a great opportunity to meet the business owners, hear their stories and hear their sense of pride about their connections to Quinnipiac,” Hardin said.

The first of three stops was Ashley’s Ice Cream on Dixwell Ave. in Hamden, co-owned by Quinnipiac alumnus Brian Anderson ’98. Hardin and her guests enjoyed a custom Quinnipiac ice cream cake, decked out in blue-and-gold icing and layered with two of her favorite flavors, coconut and coffee. Anderson, who studied small business and entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac, presented Hardin with a purple tie-dye t-shirt bearing the Ashley’s logo. 



“I always envisioned running a business someday,” said Anderson, who oversees five Ashley’s locations in the New Haven area. “It’s huge to have Dr. Hardin visit. Hamden isn’t a small town. There are so many small businesses here, so to have her come in is really cool. I’m glad that we’re part of the Quinnipiac community. We’ve had so many students who have been employees over the years, and we love serving students. To know that I was once one of them, and to now run a business that’s part of this community, it’s just a full circle moment.”

Kelly’s Cone Connection, next to the historic Glenwood Drive-In on Whitney Ave, was the second stop on the tour. Owner Kelly Ciccone’s mother is a Quinnipiac graduate and her son, Nico, is a second-year finance student. Knowing Hardin’s affinity for spicy foods, Ciccone developed a Mexican hot chocolate sauce, which gets its heat from a dash of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Dr. Hardin’s review? “Amazing,” she said. 



“I feel so privileged to have President Hardin visit,” said Ciccone, who presented Dr. Hardin with a bouquet. “Quinnipiac is just such a special place to my family. My parents had season tickets to hockey and basketball games. And when I visit the campus, I’m just so impressed by how much it’s grown.”

The tour wrapped at Wentworth’s on the other end of Whitney Ave., where Hardin got to sample a special flavor inspired by another one of her favorites — vanilla flecked with a refreshing bits of Junior Mints.

The three shops are perennial favorites in the Quinnipiac Student Choice Awards and have all employed students while school is in session. One of those Bobcats, Kiley Astorino, a second-year occupational therapy student, was working just her second shift at Kelly’s as she served Hardin and her guests on Wednesday.

“I know this is a big moment — not just for me, but for the entire university community,” President Hardin said. “Anytime you bring in a new president, it’s a moment to reflect on past success, on the present moment, but also to think about the future. I understand the importance of this moment. It means a lot to me, because the support has been absolutely phenomenal.”

Ice cream and presidents have gone hand in hand — or is it cone in hand? — for centuries. Thomas Jefferson was credited with bringing a French recipe to the White House in the early 1800s scrawled in his own distinctive script; Ronald Reagan, via an official proclamation, established July as National Ice Cream Month in 1984; and Joe Biden’s affinity for chocolate chip scoops carried over from his two terms as vice president.

The ice cream tour was part of a series of events in the lead-up to Thursday’s inauguration exercises at M&T Bank Arena. Sunday morning’s hike at Sleeping Giant State Park kicked things off, followed by RecWell Day on Tuesday and an assortment of community-focused speaking events on the Mount Carmel Campus. Dr. Hardin, an avid distance runner, will participate in Saturday morning’s Roaring Start 5K race, signaling the start of another busy Bobcat Weekend. 

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