Vice President and Chief Financial Adviser Mike Green announced on Tuesday, May 12,  that Edgar Rodriguez has been selected to be the interim associate vice president for Public Safety and chief of police, starting May 25. 

Suzy Tannenbaum, chief of Public Safety, was able to evaluate Rodriguez and play a part in his hiring process. As chief of Public Safety, Tannenbaum will be working alongside Rodriguez with both the Corvallis Campus Police Department and the ever-growing Oregon State University public safety team. 

“It will be important for the new interim AVP to get involved in many ways at Oregon State University, so he can be a part of our community and understand our culture,” Tannenbaum said.   “All of us at [the Department of Public Safety] are looking forward to working with him, as we proceed through this process of standing up our own police department and merging our police and public safety duties.”

Paul Odenthal, senior associate vice president for Administration, led the selection process, working with diverse interview panels of students, staff and OSU faculty. Odenthal said Rodriguez will work hard to foster an environment of communication, engagement and positive working relationships at OSU and the greater Corvallis community alike. 

Following OSU’s announcement to establish its first Corvallis Campus Police Department last month, Rodriguez’s experience in the leadership, direction and administration of the Quinnipiac University Department of Public Safety was attractive to those playing a part in his hiring process.

“Edgar’s 32 years of experience and deep knowledge of campus-based engagement, public safety and community policing, law enforcement leadership and emergency management stood out and resonated with each group,” Odenthal said. 

Tannenbaum and Odenthal said they are confident that Rodriguez will be a large part of building the culture of the Corvallis Campus Police Department aligned to OSU’s values and principles. 

During phase one COVID-19 reopening process, Rodriguez and the Department of Public Safety will be vital for keeping students and community members safe. As Odenthal said, public safety is always the top priority at OSU and remains essential in this difficult time. 

“How we provide that safety has to evolve and be flexible to the conditions and circumstances that we face so that we can meet the needs and expectations of the university community,” Odenthal said. “Even today, as we face the impacts of COVID-19, our Department of Public Safety is standing watch and continues to assure our campus is safe.”

Tannenbaum said DPS will be working with university partners in order to reopen OSU’s Corvallis campus in the safest way possible.  

“DPS will continue to be here for all of our students, staff and community as we move through this historical time.”

The Beaver Nation and the greater Corvallis area are now preparing to welcome Rodriguez into its community and embrace the DPS and the in-house police force’s goals and plans on promoting public safety. 

“I look forward to Edgar’s arrival to campus this month and know that he is eager to engage our community and be a part of the Beaver Nation,” Odenthal said. 

Rodriguez did not respond to requests for a statement by the time of publication.