Faculty

• 
• Christopher Chukwuedo
• Teaching Instructor
• Community Engagement Coordinator
• Office: Lucy Stone Hall, A361
• Campus: Livingston Campus
• Faculty Office Hours:

  Th 11:00am - 12:00pm

• Phone: 848-445-4265
• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 Christopher Chukwuedo is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Prior to enrolling in the PhD program, Christopher gained valuable experience as a program coordinator at the Roy Moss emergency shelter for at-risk and abused children in San Antonio, TX. He also worked as a program coordinator for Jefferson County in Louisville, KY, where he contributed to the state of Kentucky's foster care system. In this role, Christopher collaborated closely with family court judges to ensure suitable placements for children within the foster care system.

Presently, Chukwuedo's research interests encompass Philosophical Criminology, Qualitative Research Methods, and Juvenile Justice, showcasing his dedication to addressing crucial issues in the criminal justice field. Christopher's academic journey began at the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice & Philosophy. Subsequently, he pursued a Master's degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Louisville.

Overall, Christopher Chukwuedo's background and academic pursuits demonstrate his commitment to making a positive impact in the realm of criminal justice, particularly in areas concerning juvenile justice and philosophical criminology.

• 
• Kevin Dahaghi
• Assistant Professor of Sociology
• Faculty Office Hours:

  By Appointment Only

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kevin Dahaghi is an Affiliated Professor in Criminal Justice, as well as Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University. His research focuses on the dynamics between social contexts and organizations in the policy process, with an emphasis on punishment and criminal legal policies. His current work examines the origins and development of policies that shape differential exposure to the criminal legal system. His work has been published in Social Problems and Stanford Law Review. He received a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021 and a B.A. in Sociology and Journalism from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2014. 

Criminal Justice courses taught:
Introduction to Criminal Justice
Crime & Public Policy

Teaching activities:
Provost’s Teaching Fellow
Classroom Inclusivity Badge (Level 1)
Teaching & Generative AI Badge (Level 1)
Intro to Learning Analytics Badge (Level 1)

Service work:
Program in Criminal Justice Awards Committee Chair
Fulbright Campus Advisor
Scarlet Service Internship Programs Reviewer
School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships Committee Member (2024-2026)

• 
• Mark Desire
• Assistant Teaching Professor of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science Advisor
• Areas of Specialization: Forensic Science
• Office: Lucy Stone Hall, Room A353
• Campus: Livingston Campus
• Faculty Office Hours:

  M 4:30pm - 5:30pm

  T 4:30pm - 5:30pm

  W 4:30pm - 5:30pm

  Th 4:30pm - 5:30pm

• Phone: 848-445-4276
• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Education: J.D. New York Law School, M.S. Allegheny, B.A. Rutgers University

Mark Desire is both an Instructor in the Program in Criminal Justice, and an Assistant Director with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. He works in New York City’s DNA crime lab, the largest of its kind in North America. Throughout his 28 years with NYC, he has investigated thousands of criminal and missing persons cases. He is the manager of the World Trade Center DNA Identification Team, a unit dedicated to advancing the science and helping return loved ones to their families.

Desire holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in molecular biology, and his juris doctor from New York Law School. Mark has been recruited by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and several foreign countries to assist in locating the missing and designing protocol to further this ability.

Mark also serves on the Missing Migrant Identification Task Force at our nation’s border. Using his experience and knowledge, Mark created New York City’s Missing Persons Day. This is a multiagency event to bring together family and friends of missing persons for the purposes of collecting information to bring them home.

Mark has appeared on television and documentaries hundreds of times with features on Netflix, HBO, 60 Minutes and Time Magazine. For years, he has been sharing his journey as a motivational speaker.

• 
• Brian M. Donnelly
• Lecturer
• Office: Lucy Stone Hall, Room A347
• Campus: Livingston Campus
• Faculty Office Hours:

  F 10:00am - 11:00am

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Brian Donnelly earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He became a member of the New Jersey Bar in 1997. Donnelly worked as a police officer for 27 years, and recently retired as a Captain for a police department in Union County. His tenure as a police officer and as a detective has included work with homicide, sex crimes, and narcotics for which he has received numerous valor awards and commendations. Donnelly is also currently Of Counsel with several law firms.

In addition to his course teaching with the Program in Criminal Justice, Donnelly has taught criminal justice and business law courses at Raritan Valley Community College for 23 years where he received the Faculty Success Champion Award several times. He has also taught at County College of Morris and Centenary College. For several years he was the lead instructor for the Port Authority Police Academy in the areas of Use of Force and Constitutional Law; moreover, while teaching at the Port Authority Police Academy, Donnelly wrote several policies in both areas.

Donnelly is most interested in constitutional law as it pertains to police-citizen encounters with a focus on 4th amendment arrest, search and seizure, and 5th amendment police interviews and interrogations. He enjoys blending his legal background with his police experience to give students a better understanding of criminal justice. Furthermore, Donnelly has a strong interest in the study of Police Use of Force and its various policies and case studies.