I3@USD-Fall 2025

An Electrifying Career Michael Morse, PhD Retires Fall 2025 earned a bachelor’s degree and a

F or nearly four decades, role of an electrical engineering professor at the University of San Diego, driving meaningful change through innovation and advocacy. “My first love is, and always has been, teaching,” Morse reflects, describing his time with students as the greatest honor of his life. But step beyond the podium and you’ll discover a man whose career is as electrifying as his subject matter: a pioneering researcher, courtroom expert, licensed attorney, adventurer and advocate for ethical engineering. His academic journey began at Tulane University, where he By Michelle Sztupkay Michael Morse, PhD, has been transcending the traditional

students to “always be ethical and responsible and to understand that poor choices have real human costs.” Inspired by a Tulane professor’s expert witness work, Morse began consulting on electrical injury cases at age 27. He saw this as an opportunity to apply his engineering knowledge to promote “better engineering practices on a larger scale and do good for society.” Morse’s educational philosophy is rooted in real-world relevance. His research on electricity’s effects on the human body led him to identify and name Diffuse Electrical Injury — a previously unrecognized condition where victims suffer debilitating symptoms from minor electrical

master’s degree, each in biomedical engineering, followed by a PhD from Clemson University. After early roles in industry and at Auburn University, Morse joined USD in 1990, as one of the founding faculty members of the new electrical engineering program. He added a law degree from USD to his credentials in 1999. Morse’s teaching portfolio is broad, encompassing biomedical engineering, forensic engineering, engineering law and courses at the intersection of humans and technology. Through his work, he emphasizes the legal and moral ramifications of engineering decisions and encourages

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