On the Front Lines of Discovery

Glenn McGee, Ph.D., a University of New Haven professor of management, says being adopted played a significant role in his decision to spend his adulthood studying bioethics and writing and teaching about the ethical implications of reproductive technologies like genetic testing, embryonic gene therapy, and stem-cell research.

"All of my childhood friends looked or acted like their mom, dad, brother, or sister, but I didn't," he said. "I guess at some level that motivated me to try to figure out what this thing called ‘parenthood’ really means. New technologies put us in the position to pursue not only healthy babies but ‘enhanced’ ones. I wanted to help scientists and society figure out the limits of the pursuit of ‘perfect babies.’"

McGee’s work took center stage once he collaborated with the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep to explore the ethical implications of human cloning.

"After that, debates about bioethics in America exploded, which pushed my research into high gear and my opinions into the limelight," he said.

In the more than 20 years since, McGee has discussed his research on such prominent programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and NPR’s Fresh Air. He’s written three books and dozens of articles, served as editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Bioethics, and spent nearly a decade as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center of Bioethics, before joining the University of New Haven in 2014 to teach health sciences and healthcare management.

"It was a no-brainer to join a university that is growing so fast and that has so much energy." Glenn McGee, Ph.D., Professor of Management

Influential Thought Leaders

The faculty that McGee joined can, collectively, be called one of the most distinguished and influential among its peers in terms of the strength of its scholarship, and, without question, says McGee, is a definitive strength of the University.

"I’m surrounded by colleagues and students with big dreams and the energy to make things happen," he said.

According to Google Scholar, the University of New Haven’s most-referenced faculty members are cited more than those at half of the top ten regional universities ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the North Region of its "Best Colleges" rankings and more than any other Connecticut college ranked in the University’s category.

Helping to build this reputation are more than 150 scholars who joined the University of New Haven during the past five years, nearly doubling the size of the faculty. Also during this time, the University added its first Ph.D. program and dramatically increased the number of grants, publications, international conference presentations, and its presence in national and international media.

Among those who have joined McGee is a psychiatrist who served as a special adviser for the U.S. Department of Defense who can explain why waterboarding doesn’t work and other forms of interrogation do. And, across campus in a brand new cyber forensics lab is a professor who hacked an iPhone in 12 hours – after Apple said it could not be done.

According to Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Daniel J. May, Ph.D., doubling the size of the school’s faculty with this new wave of scholars is part of a broader, long-term strategic plan that began two decades ago to transform the University from its roots as a private community college into a world-class institution.

"We’ve remade the University," he said.

An International Trailblazer in Cyber Security and Forensics

Some of the most cited – and most influential – research is produced by the University’s Cyber Forensics Research and Education Group, which in just the last two years since it was founded has quickly risen to become one of the top such research labs in the world.

Led by Ibrahim "Abe" Baggili, Ph.D., Elder Family Endowed Chair, assistant dean, and associate professor of computer science, the group, comprised of students and faculty, has been published extensively in such publications and conferences as the Journal of Digital of Investigation, the Digital Forensic Research Workshop and the International Conference of Availability, Reliability, and Security (ARES). The research lab also hosted the National Conference on Digital Forensics.

The lab was the first to create an open-source tool drone, the DJI Drone, which is already being used by outside entities, according to Baggili. The Artifact Genome Project, launched by the group over the summer, is a centralized hub meant to connect forensics specialists around the globe so they can share digital information and learn from one another.

"It’s a huge initiative that collects digital artifacts and helps connect investigators," said Baggili, who earlier established the first cyber forensics research lab in the United Arab Emirates and was also the first to graduate with a doctorate in cyber forensics from Purdue Polyutentic, one of the largest and highest rated technology schools in the United States. "It’s important that we start sharing and collecting so that investigators can start learning from each other."

"Our lab is really something to be proud of. We are operating and producing in the area of cyber forensics beyond our institution because we really value what we do, and we love what we do." Ibrahim Baggili, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Associate Professor

Research Across Disciplines

The faculty’s healthcare research has been published in dozens of journals, including Science, Nature and JAMA, and is cited more often than even the most distinguished Quinnipiac medical school faculty.

"We are very unusual among regional institutions in that we have so many junior faculty who are very advanced in their fields and very accomplished and well known," says McGee. "Normally your junior faculty who are five or eight years out of their Ph.D. program would just be beginning their careers. The folks here are also teaching innovative classes and actively collaborating with a dozen faculty. That’s an interesting differentiator."

McGee’s research in bioethics has been cited by peer scholars nearly 3,000 times, according to Google Scholar.

"I spent the first 10 years of my career working as a professor in the Ivy League," he said. "The experience had many rewards, but, because of the school’s size, there were few opportunities to collaborate with faculty and colleagues outside of the medical school. At the University of New Haven, I work with faculty across campus all the time, and the thing I hear most often is ‘that’s cool, let’s do it!’ As a result, I am always engaged in research with my students and colleagues."

Melissa Whitson, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, agrees that her time at the University has presented many chances for her to team up with colleagues and students across disciplines.

Whitson, who teaches and completed post-doctoral work at Yale University’s School of Medicine, was recently invited to collaborate on the NASA Innovative Mars Exploration Education and Technology Project by a colleague in the University’s Tagliatela College of Engineering.

The project involves conducting evaluations at a camp that fosters STEM education among disadvantaged middle school and high school students. Whitson and her colleagues are conducting evaluations over the next three years to assess how successful the program is.

"It’s exciting and a good example of interdisciplinary research that we do at the University of New Haven," she said. "We have different skills, and, when you put them together, it makes for more complete research projects."

Over the past five years, the University’s grant-to-sponsor-project income has gone from less than $1 million to more than $15 million, according to Provost May.

"We do a lot of both competitively awarded grant projects as well as sponsored projects with government agencies," he said. "And we do some unusual projects."

One such project is being led by Dr. Charles Morgan, III, associate professor of national security studies and a psychiatrist who researches post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological issues around combat and torture. Morgan, who has been cited by other scholars more than 10,400 times, according to Google Scholar, joined the University in 2014 from Yale University’s School of Medicine,

"The opportunity to join the University of New Haven was too enticing to pass up," he said.

A Forward-Facing Institution

In the 1960s, the University of New Haven had one residence hall with 100 students. This year, the school welcomed nearly 3,000 students to its residential halls and its largest incoming class ever.

There’s no doubt the past six decades have transformed a small community college into an institution with formidable credentials and faculty who not only research but apply their work in agencies throughout Connecticut and bring it into the classroom.

Students benefit from many opportunities to work alongside their mentors, not only in their areas of study but across disciplines, gaining skills and knowledge that are crucial to succeed in today’s world.

"We are still able to maintain our long commitment to helping individuals succeed, regardless of where they are in their careers," May said. "Our long-term strength is access and opportunity. Our emerging strengths are innovation and entrepreneurship. We’ve been able to blend those successfully together."

McGee, who was this year was elected chair of the University’s Faculty Senate, describes the University as a rocket ship that has just ignited its second stage.

"My friends and colleagues in universities around us all say the same thing: ‘Wow, you guys are moving fast!’"