Professor Helfgott joined the Seattle University faculty in 1993 and throughout her academic career, she has consistently demonstrated a clear commitment to the mission of the Seattle University as exemplified in her many teaching, scholarship, and service accomplishments. Her colleagues describe her as a genuine teacher-scholar-advocate whose prolific record includes peer-reviewed research in top scholarly journals, education research, a long record of applied research (including 35 research grants), and policy and advocacy scholarship. Her books include:
She is also the editor of the encyclopedia of Criminal Psychology, Volumes 1-4.
Highlights of her funded policy and advocacy research include principal investigator on several grants. She currently serves on the Seattle Mayor’s Advisory Panel on Sexual Assault and System Reform; the Seattle Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Committee, and contributes to public discourse on crime and justice through op-eds and media interviews and. Professor Helfgott has made tremendous strides in educating students and advancing the field of criminal justice, bringing her work to the public, and enhancing the reputation of Seattle University.
Professor Kaiser has been a member of Seattle U's Biology Department for 11 years. He uses biochemistry and molecular biology approaches to study structure-function relationships of proteins. His research interests include both basic science and protein engineering projects. His current projects explore how bacteria fight off viral infections using clusters of genes known as "defense systems." His colleagues explain that this line of research is hugely significant in its applications to biotechnology and health. Professor Kaiser’s research has been supported by external grants from the Murdock Trust and the NIH, including a current 3-year NIH AREA grant. Professor Kaiser has published 10 peer-reviewed journal articles since joining Seattle U, including a 2023 article in Nucleic Acids Research designated for Breakthrough status. Colleagues further describe him as a true teacher-scholar. Mentoring undergraduate students is a priority in his research program. He has developed 8 course-base labs based on his research projects and has mentored 37 students on their independent projects. His research papers include nine students as co-authors.