Pacific Lutheran University announcement.
PLU’s Division of Student Life announced that José Curiel Morelos will serve as the next director of Campus Safety. Curiel Morelos currently serves in the same role at Lewis & Clark College and previously served as the assistant director for Linfield University’s Public Safety Department.
“José will bring 18 years of security and community building experience, including 10 on college campuses, to his new role at PLU,” said PLU Vice President for Student Life Joanna Royce-Davis. “He has an established track record of partnering with students, staff and faculty members; building collaborative relationships with off-campus partners and neighbors; and leading a campus safety department that emphasizes care for the community.”
An unarmed and unsworn department, PLU’s Department of Campus Safety provides 24/7/365 service and essential resources to campus and the neighborhood with a committed team of 15 professional staff members and 35–40 student staff members. As director, Curiel Morelos will provide accountable and transparent leadership to the department and will help ensure the PLU community continues to enjoy a safe campus environment for learning, living and working.
Curiel Morelos will serve on the Student Life divisional leadership team, as a key advisor to the PLU community on campus safety issues and security operations, and as a liaison to off-campus partners critical to security and emergency planning. He also plans to partner with students, staff, and faculty members across campus to cultivate and sustain an anti-racist, welcoming, safe and inclusive approach to campus safety.
“There are important conversations to be had about the role, function, and contributions of campus safety, and José is a leader who understands the urgency of these considerations and embraces dialogue, listening and collective engagement,” said Royce Davis.
Curiel Morelos graduated from Western Oregon University where he majored in criminal justice and minored in Spanish. He has also completed numerous safety and emergency management certifications and trainings from organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. He will begin his service at PLU next month.
