Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences Help Make the World A Safer Place

Lauren Mulinski ’25 and Alison Perry ’24, ‘26 M.S. turned a yearlong research project into an award-winning achievement recognized on an international stage.

Their research on the detectability of homemade napalm by accelerant-detection canines earned them the “Best Overall Research Poster” award at the International Association of Arson Investigators’ (IAAI) recent International Training Conference in Atlantic City.

Attending the International Association of Arson Investigators’ International Training Conference (ITC) in Atlantic City was an unforgettable experience. Having the chance to present our own research made it even more meaningful. At ITC, I had the honor of working alongside my research partner Lauren Mulinski, to share our project, “Determining the Detectability of ‘Homemade Napalm’ by Accelerant Canines,” with many of the foremost fire investigation experts in the world.

It was a momentous day when Patryk Jaroszkiewicz '16, '20 M.S. received the Silver Medal of Merit from General Marek Boroń, the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish National Police in a ceremony steeped in tradition.

“It was an incredibly moving moment, a day that I will never ever forget,” said Jaroszkiewicz, an Ph.D. Fellow in the University’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences who is pursuing his Ph.D. in criminal justice.

For the last decade he has helped to run the Lee College’s training program for the highest-ranking commanding officers and other members of the Polish National Police who annually come to the University for 10 days of training, focusing on leadership, management, and evaluation, a program that ultimately impacts 100,000 members of the Polish national police force.

Throughout his career, Jaroszkiewicz has built relationships with chiefs and officers in municipal police departments around the state as well as with the state police and agents in the FBI’s New Haven field office and many become part of the training program. They give presentations discussing strategies and community policing approaches, and sharing information about technology, equipment, and police vehicles.

Through 24 years as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and as former Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning, Lawlor championed civil rights causes on behalf of LGBTQ+ community, fighting for civil unions and gay marriage. He took on leadership roles in criminal-justice reform efforts, including establishing rights for crime victims, juvenile justice, bail, and drug policy reforms as well as initiatives that addressed racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

At the University, he teaches a new generation of students who plan to work in fields such as policing, national security, and forensics, discussing with them the importance of thinking widely, considering other perspectives, and being themselves.

For his lifetime of work on behalf of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, Prof. Lawlor was honored by Lambda Legal at its annual Connecticut Cares event, one of the organization’s largest fundraisers that was attended by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, legislators, judges, and local luminaries.