West Haven, Conn., April 28, 2010— Internationally-renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry C. Lee will deliver the commencement address to the class of 2010 and receive an honorary doctorate of laws degree during the University of New Haven (UNH) Spring Commencement at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 16, 2010. Also receiving honorary degrees during the ceremony will be John A. Frey, chairman of the board at H.M. P. Industries (formerly Hershey Metal Products), who will be awarded an honorary doctorate of engineering, and Howard Lee, founder and vice chairman of the World Journal, the largest Chinese-language newspaper in North America, who will receive an honorary doctorate of business administration.
The Henry C. Lee Endowed Professor of Forensic Science and founder of the Forensic Science Program at the University of New Haven, Henry Lee is an acknowledged visionary in his field, advancing the study of forensics at the university exponentially over the past 30 years from a small classroom equipped with a single fingerprint kit to a internationally-recognized multi-disciplined academic department with state-of-the-art technology. Beginning in 2011, UNH forensic science students will be able to take advantage of the cutting-edge expertise in the new Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science building, which is currently under construction.
Henry Lee has assisted in the investigations of more than 8,000 cases, including the O.J. Simpson trail, the suicide of former White House attorney Vince Foster, the review of the John F. Kennedy assassination, the death of JonBenet Ramsey, the Chandra Levy investigation and the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. He joined the Connecticut State Police more than 30 years ago and served as the state’s first criminalist. He was the driving force behind the creation and the tremendous growth of the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Squad and Forensic Science Laboratory – recognized as one of the finest facilities in the country. He served as the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety from 1998 to 2000, during which time he brought the Connecticut Department of Public Safety to the forefront of technology with the development of a new radio system and the Sex Offender Registry Database. He has served as a forensic expert for all 50 states and 42 countries, consulted with more than 600 law enforcement agencies around the world, and testified more than 1,000 times in court.
Henry Lee’s academic credentials include an undergraduate degree in police science from Central Police College in Taiwan, a bachelor’s of science degree in forensic science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in biochemistry from New York University. He is the recipient of 20 honorary degrees, and, in 1996, he was awarded the Medal of Justice from the Justice Foundation. He has authored or co-authored 40 books and hundreds of articles in professional journals, taught at more than a dozen universities, law schools and medical schools, and lectured throughout the world.
Frey graduated from New Haven College – which would eventually become the University of New Haven – in 1944, with an associate’s degree in engineering science. His education was interrupted by World War II, when he served in the Army stationed in Europe. In 1951, he earned a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and went to work with his uncle, Paul Hershey, at Hershey Metal Products in Ansonia, today known as H.M. P. Industries, a manufacturer of precision machined products. Frey rose through the ranks at Hershey Metal Products, devoting his entire career to the company and attaining the office of president. He is currently chairman of the board at H.M. P. Industries, and the company retains family ties. To this day, he remains dedicated to the development of the Lower Naugatuck Valley region of Connecticut.
As an active member of the UNH community, Frey has assisted his alma mater in several leadership positions. An emeritus member of the UNH Board of Governors, he also served as president of the UNH Alumni Association from 1974 to1976, and participated in the Friends of the Library and Fund for Engineering Campaigns. He has been a member of the Ellis Maxcy Heritage Society, was presented with the UNH President’s Award in 1996, and was inducted into the University of New Haven Order of the Golden Chargers in 2009. With his wife, Mildred, Frey established the Hershey-Frey Endowed Scholarship Fund in 1989, which has provided many students from the Lower Naugatuck Valley region with the opportunity to pursue their dreams of an education at the University of New Haven.
Prior to becoming vice chairman of the World Journal in 2009, Howard Lee led the World Journal’s innovation and expansion for 25 years as its president. Founded in 1976, the World Journal is published daily in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto and Vancouver, and has offices and correspondents throughout North America. The media outlet has been recognized by several United States presidents and Canadian prime ministers for its key role in helping immigrants assimilate. Under Lee’s leadership, the World Journal has raised and distributed more than $6 million in disaster relief funding for organizations in the United States and abroad, and is also a strong supporter of education, culture and healthcare.
Over the years, both Howard Lee and the World Journal have received numerous awards and acknowledgements for outstanding service to the community. Lee is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and has been recognized by numerous organizations including the American Red Cross, the Henry C. Lee Forensics Institute at the University of New Haven, the Minority Business Development Agency of the U. S. Department of Commerce and New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. He is on the Board of Trustees of The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens. In 2009, Howard received the Distinguished Trustee Award from the United Hospital Fund. He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan, and master’s degree in mass communications from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan.
A leader in experiential education, the University of New Haven is experiencing a historic and nationally recognized surge in enrollment. Founded in 1920, the University provides its students with a unique combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. UNH is a private university with an 80-acre main campus. The University has an enrollment of more than 5,200; approximately 1,700 graduate students and more than 3,500 undergraduates, 70 percent of whom reside in University housing. The University offers more than 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate degrees through its five colleges, in fields such as sports management, nutrition, forensic science, music and sound recording, engineering, computer science and criminal justice. University College at UNH develops programs and courses to meet the emerging educational and training needs of educators, businesses and public and social agencies, focusing on academic excellence, convenience and flexibility. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.
