The University announced Tuesday the appointment of Gloria Graham as associate vice president for safety and security. She will begin work May 7.
According to a press release, the position was created at the recommendation of Margolis Healy, the consulting firm the University contracted to assess the safety and security infrastructure following the deadly Unite the Right rally last August.
Graham will serve as the primary administrator in managing and planning law enforcement, security, safety and emergency preparedness efforts for the University. The position seeks to “consolidate [sic] safety and security functions into one division” and will “improve coordination, communication, oversight and budgeting,” the release states.
“I’m excited to join this world-class institution and lead the safety and security portfolio with an emphasis on inclusion and transparency,” Graham said in the release.
According to the release, Graham’s responsibilities will consist of “the management of the University’s Academic Division and Medical Center emergency preparedness and business continuity plans, as well as operational oversight of the University Police Department, the Security Systems and Services Unit, the Office of Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the public safety-related aspects of the Office of Environmental Health & Safety.”
Graham is currently the vice president for safety and security and deputy chief of police at Northwestern University, where she helped develop a new Department of Safety and Security. Graham has also served as assistant vice president and assistant chief of police at the University of Chicago, chief of police at the University of Tennessee, assistant chief of police at Duke University and public safety captain at the University of Southern California.
“[Graham is a] leader committed to organizational excellence, team building and accountability,” Patrick D. Hogan, the University’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in the release. “Her breadth of experience and expertise in law enforcement at several prominent universities will be of tremendous value as the University integrates its safety and security resources.”