World-Renowned Forensic Scientist Urges Class of 2025 to Embrace Power of Positive Thinking

World-renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry C. Lee remembers a fall day nearly 50 years ago, not long after he and his family had moved from New York to Connecticut for him to join the University of New Haven faculty.

He was teaching an intro level criminal justice class when his assistant ran into the room to tell him his young daughter made an urgent call.

“I ran to the office and picked up the phone, and she told me that robbers came to our yard and stole the pile of leaves we just raked over the weekend,” Dr. Lee said to laughter. “I told her not to worry about the leaves, just make sure the doors are locked and take care of your younger brother.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Lee asked his teaching assistant to cover the class. “I rushed back home to find that a group of my students were continuing to rake the leaves and clean the yard. I asked them, ‘What are you doing?’ They said, ‘Dr. Lee, you did so much for us, this is the least we can do to thank you.’ I was so moved by the gesture. This is how great our students are. We were like a family taking care of each other.”

Dr. Lee shared this anecdote as part of his Commencement address during the University’s undergraduate Commencement, the culminating event of a two-day celebration of the Class of 2025.

“Your future is in your hands,” Dr. Lee told the more than 1,100 graduates. “A college degree cannot guarantee you a career. It is only a ticket to enter the train station. Which train you want to get on, which direction you go, is up to you. What stop you want to get off at is also up to you.

“To be successful you must learn the power of knowledge,” he said. “You must have knowledge in your chosen field. Be the best, and be an expert in that field. You must also understand the importance of positive thinking. There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome if you persist and believe.

“Once you have success, you should also share your success story with others. By sharing your knowledge, your strength, and your passion with others, you help and mentor them to create their own success,” continued Dr. Lee. “The more you help others, the more you are also successful. This is the Charger spirit, and our world will be a much better place if we all help each other to succeed together.”

As part of the ceremony, Dr. Lee’s wife, Xiaping Jiang Lee, a distinguished author, screenwriter, and educator, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

“Passionately devoted to cultural exchange and educational advocacy, you have impacted the futures of countless students as an educator,” the citation read. “Most admirable has been your work as an ambassador for the University of New Haven in Taiwan and China and leading fundraising efforts to support students.”

Angela Mercaldi ’25, a mechanical engineering major and member of the Chargers Women’s Track and Field team, was selected through a competitive process to address her classmates.

“I ask you to recall a moment in your life when you felt everyone else was moving forward, experiencing success, while you felt stuck, like you were sinking in quicksand, unable to catch up,” she said. “But what if, from another eye, someone looked at you and saw your accomplishments, through your struggles, and thought to themselves, ‘That person is truly a champion.’

"As you can see, everything in life is relative but so often driven by our own comparisons,” Mercaldi continued. “The world we are stepping into as the Class of 2025 is a leap we take together, as a promise to uphold one another, because no matter whether you placed 1st or 100th, you’ve crossed the finish line — and for that I celebrate you.”

President Frederiksen, presiding over his second Commencement celebration since becoming the University’s seventh president last March, told the Class of 2025 that Commencement Day marked the threshold to their next chapter.

“My hope is that the University of New Haven and your time here will stand as an enduring reminder of your readiness to take on the world,” he said. “There will undoubtedly be times of trouble but here are a few suggestions to take with you on your journey: actions speak louder than words; being ready and getting ready are two different things; every interaction matters; relish every challenge; don’t sleep on perseverance and resilience; and, finally, always do the right thing even when no one is looking.

“Being a Charger means being a can doer and this is a time for can doers. Being a Charger means being an innovator, and this is a time of innovation. Being a Charger means being resilient and persevering, and this is a time of resilience and perseverance. Being a Charger means sharing a commitment to the community and the human good, and this is a time for community and the human good.” Jens Frederiksen

President Frederiksen told the Class of 2025 they will always have a home at the University of New Haven.

“As we super charge the future of the University with local feel and global reach, we will be watching with bated breath as you take on the world and leave a lasting imprint on a better tomorrow in your respective fields and beyond,” he said. “You are problem solvers, question askers, and entrepreneurial spirits – the true embodiment of the elite global workforce of the future.

“I encourage you to reflect the University’s values of respect for others and a spirit of openness and embedded generosity that welcomes and encourages different opinions, perspectives, and criticisms,” he said. “You are all Chargers and just imagine the impact you will have on the future.”

Connecticut U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal ’00 Hon., reflected on his latest of many visits to campus, saying, “I have spent enough time here over the years that I think I have learned here as much as anywhere else.

“The University of New Haven is really a very, very special place,” he continued. “It is a great success story in American education.”

Senator Blumenthal encouraged the Class of 2025 to thank those who helped them reach Commencement Day and urged them to give back to help others.

“As I look at you, what I see is America,” he said. “The diversity of this class is really astonishing. That diversity is the strength of our nation, our state, and our economy. This class reflects the richness of America.

“America needs you,” he said. “Connecticut needs you.”

President Frederiksen had one more surprise for the Class of 2025 just as they prepared to cross the stage.

“To help kick off my favorite part of Commencement, I would like to welcome a special guest,” he said. “I know many of you think I have a lot of side quests. Perhaps one I have become known for is my relationship with the viral pet celebrity, with more than 18 million social media followers, Doug the Pug. Doug has become an honorary Charger, and we celebrate him today as an honorary member of our Class of 2025, presenting him with an honorary bachelor’s degree in “furensic science.”

"There was something magical in the air at the commencement ceremony – a deep, beautiful sense of hope,” Doug’s mom Leslie Mosier, a talented social media strategist and a dear friend of Dr. Frederiksen and his family told People magazine of Doug’s special moment.

“Hope for the future, hope born from the pride of first-generation graduates and the hard-earned moments that brought everyone to that stage,” she continued. “I hope Doug can serve as a reminder that anything is possible and no dream is too big, even if it sounds a little silly or far-fetched at first.”