Sadly, the University has been notified of the passing of one of our students, River Duggar. River, a first-year student from New Canaan, Connecticut, passed away on October 28, 2026. River enrolled at UConn Stamford in Fall 2026 and was a student in the ACES program.
Prior to enrolling at UConn, River was an accomplished figure skater, specifically ice dancing and synchronized skating with the Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team. Earlier in her academic career, she competed in Odyssey of the Mind, placing second in Connecticut and qualifying for the world finals. River was a talented musician, specifically as a pianist and a person who chose to express herself through art.
Services for River will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Collins Funeral Home 92 East Avenue Norwalk, CT 06851 and funeral services on Saturday, November 7, 2026, 10:00am at St. Aloysius Church, 21 Cherry St, New Canaan, CT 06840. Condolences to River’s family can be sent to the Dean of Students Office, 233 Glenbrook Road, Unit-4062, Storrs, CT, 06269-4062.
The UConn community is grieving this loss, and we recognize that members of our community may be affected in different ways. Support resources are available, and we encourage anyone in need of assistance to contact the offices listed below.
Student Health & Wellness (SHaW), offers mental health support across all campuses. In Stamford, the SHaW suite is located in room 2.13. On the Storrs Campus, students needing support should visit SHaW in Arjona on the 4th floor. There are several ways students can connect with SHaW:
· To make an appointment with SHaW Mental Health call 860-486-4700 (press 1 for Storrs and press 2 for regional campuses) and follow the prompts to connect to your campus.
· If you need help more immediately, BeWell can be accessed for free and confidential mental health support 24/7/365 by calling 833-308-3040 (US, Canada & the Caribbean) or 1-984-268-2016 (all other international locations).
· Let’s Talk Mental Health Office Hours is a drop-in service available to students. Visit here for dates, times, and locations: Let's Talk | Student Health and Wellness (uconn.edu). At the Stamford campus, Let’s Talk Mental Health Office hours are Monday and Tuesday 10:00am –11:00am and Wednesday and Thursday 3:00pm-4:00pm.
· Information about managing grief is located on the SHaW-Mental Health website
Stamford students needing support should connect with the staff in the Office of Student Services. Students needing support can stop by room 302 or schedule an appointment via Nexus. Staff may also be reached by contacting 203-251-8484 or emailing stamfordstudentservices@uconn.edu.
Storrs students needing support should connect with the staff in the Dean of Students Office in suite 102, Wilbur Cross. Students can stop by during drop-in hours, no appointment needed at that time, or they may call 860-486-3426 to request a meeting with an Assistant Dean.
Staff and faculty, including Graduate Assistants are encouraged to reach out to UConn’s Employee Assistance Program if they are in need of support.
Our deepest condolences go out to River’s family and friends during this difficult time.
As a community, it is important that we look out for one another and ask for help when needed.
Sincerely,
Fany DeJesús Hannon, Ed.D
Dean of Students
For more information, contact: Dean of Students Office at dos@uconn.edu