A variety of faculty and students across the University of New Haven have an interest
in combating Trafficking in Persons and using forensic science and related technologies
to fight this epidemic. Below is a sampling of the people who conduct research and
do work in this area of expertise and who will serve as resources for the Center for
Forensic Investigation of Trafficking in Persons. We will continue to add to this
listing over time.
Faculty Involvement
Mario Thomas Gaboury, J.D., Ph.D.
Mario Thomas Gaboury, J.D., Ph.D. is Dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the
University of New Haven. He is formerly Deputy Director, Office for Victims of Crime,
U.S. Department of Justice. Dr. Gaboury joined the full-time faculty of criminal justice
at the University of New Haven in 1996 and is a tenured Professor of Criminal Justice.
He previously served as Associate Dean of the college and also served as Chair of
the Department of Criminal Justice. He held the Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation
Endowed Professorship From 2007-2009.
He currently serves as a member of the Connecticut Victims’ Rights Enforcement Advisory
Commission. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Joint Center on Violence
and Victim Studies and also serves on the Connecticut Human Trafficking Council. He
served twice on the Advisory Board to the CT Office of the Victim Advocate. He is
formerly Chair of the CT Bar Association’s Victims Committee and Vice-Chair of the
American Bar Association’s Crime Victim Committee.
Dr. Gaboury was the founding President of the American Society of Victimology. His
current research focuses on Victimology, victims’ rights, global human trafficking,
victim impact education, restorative justice, and community policing. His scholarly
articles have appeared in the following journals: Victims and Offenders; Forensic Nursing, Offender Rehabilitation; Comprehensive Psychiatry; Traumatic Stress; International Perspectives on Victimology and, Child and Youth Services. He is co-author of Crime Victim Right and Remedies (2010, 2nd Edition).
Timothy Palmbach, J.D.
Professor Palmbach is also a Fellow and Instructor of the Henry Lee Institute of Forensic
Science. He served 22 years with Connecticut Department of Public Safety, retiring
as a Major in charge of the Division of Scientific Services. His research interests
involve the applications and development of new technologies for crime scene analysis.
He is actively engaged in criminal cases throughout the United States as an expert
witness in the area of crime scene reconstruction.
Palmbach has developed methodologies to integrate the use of Forensic DNA analysis
in the fight against human trafficking. His work includes several international projects,
including work with foreign governments and NGO groups with training, assessment and
planning, assistance with investigative efforts; countries include Costa Rica, Nepal,
Poland, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Djibouti. Domestically, Palmbach has worked with a
Pennsylvania-based police agency to integrate advanced analytic strategies and forensic
analysis to assist in their investigative efforts against human trafficking. He is
also a member of interdisciplinary team in New Haven, CT, to develop best practices
and provide training in areas involving trafficking in persons.
Full biography page >>
David W. Webb, Ph.D.
David W. Webb is a faculty member at the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice
and Forensic Sciences and became the Director of the Center for Advanced Policing in September 2014. He was formerly the Associate Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Management
Institute of Texas (LEMIT). He holds a B.A. in political science and is a graduate
of Bramshill Police Command College in England. David completed his Ph.D. at Sam Houston
State University, and holds a Management Diploma from the National Examination Board
(UK).
David relocated to the United States after spending over 30 years in policing in the
United Kingdom, the last twelve years of which were at the rank Chief Superintendent
of Police. As Director of Training he ran the Devon and Cornwall Police College, before
moving to London as a Senior Police Advisor to the Home Office Police Department Office
of Science and Technology. David has worked extensively with overseas police departments
in Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as with many in the United States. He is an experienced
administrator and is the recipient of a government research award for innovation in
policing.
His policing interests include decision-making, human trafficking, political violence
and organizational issues. His latest book, "Competence and Policing – a Research
Study" was published in July 2008. He has a long publication list, including a number
of journal articles on human trafficking. These date back over the past 15 years.
He has undertaken research in the field, and has reviewed underperforming Human Trafficking
Task Force operations at workshops held in Houston, Texas. He is the co-author of
the on-line Human Trafficking course for Texas Law Enforcement officers (commissioned
by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education).
Full biography page >>
Student Involvement
Coalition to Combat Trafficking in Persons
The group's goal is to promote awareness, education and raise funds to directly support
efforts to combat the issue of trafficking in persons.
In addition to regular meetings for undergraduate and graduate students involved with
the group, CCTIP helped sponsor an expert panel on human trafficking, and sponsored
events related to the commemoration and memorial of the Armenian Genocide, domestic
violence on college campuses, and a "Knitting for Freedom" event to make items for
survivors of human trafficking.
Learn more on the CCTIP Facebook page >>