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1 |
Question:
How did you get involved in higher education public safety?
Tom Rambo: I grew up in a law enforcement family. My father is a retired Philadelphia police captain. I wanted to branch out and do it on my own so I went to an agency where I didn't have any ties.
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2 |
Q:
What would you describe as your biggest accomplishment to date at Susquehanna?
TR: I don’t like to live off of accomplishments. In the field of public safety, you’re only as good as your last inspection, you’re only as good as your last incident that you investigated. What I am very happy with are the relationships on a personal level that I’ve built with faculty, staff and
students. |
3 |
Q:
What impact can your department have on the community – beyond the campus?
TR: The chief of the borough police has been a great resource. We provide mutual aid to one another, and that assists in the greater community. We are able to ensure that we're effective and efficient on campus so that we're not unnecessarily pulling resources out of the community .
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4 |
Q:
Have you found a local source for cheesesteaks?
TR: There are things that you take for granted until you don't have them. Although a cheesesteak is really nothing more than a heart attack on a bun, it is something that is hard to match. Buying some steak and a roll at a supermarket and trying to do it yourself is just not the same as going to Delassandro's in Philadelphia.
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5 |
Q:
What's it like sharing the same last name with a pop culture icon?
TR: There's a question I often get. You have to have a sense of humor about it. When people say to me, “That's an unusual name,” I say “Tom isn't that unusual…”
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Bonus Questions: |
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Q: What attracted you to Susquehanna?
TR: I was interested in working at an institution that is very supportive of its employees—Susquehanna is. The administration is very supportive of the mission of the university and the advancement of students. It's a great place where I am able to satisfy my professional goals and needs and also raise my family in an environment that is productive, and safe, and provides a wealth of other opportunities. |
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Q:
What have you found to be the biggest similarity between the University of Pennsylvania and Susquehanna?
TR: We have great resources – our students – that come to the university. And they come in the same ways at both institutions. They are independent, but not quite there. They are on their own for the first time, and they experience great things, but at the same time, they also could make some mistakes. We're here to protect the students and create an academic environment that is conducive to learning; that's the same whether we're in the city of Philadelphia or here in Selinsgrove.
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Q:
What are your main responsibilities as director of public safety?
TR: When it comes to the department of public safety, many people think it is the locking down of buildings, and that is certainly part of it. There's also there's also the investigation of incidents, matters of fire safety, and the managing of special events. We do a lot of work with risk management and facilities related to OSHA requirements and laboratory safety, and although some of those functions have not historically come out of public safety, they are areas that we pay attention to and assist risk management and facilities on daily operations. I also serve as a liaison with community crime prevention programs, the borough police and fire departments, and with the attorney general's antiterrorism advisory council, of which I am a member for this region. The Department of Public Safety is also involved with student education programs in the areas of crime prevention, safety in residence halls, alcohol education, sexual assault education and self-defense classes. |
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Q:
How's your commute compare to when you lived in Philadelphia?
TR: In Philadelphia, it took me well over an hour to travel the 12 miles from home to work. Now, being less than a mile from campus, it takes me four minutes to get to work. If there's heavy traffic, it takes me six minutes. |
Campus Briefs
MUSIC AND ART CENTER NAMED FOR CUNNINGHAMS
In recognition of their many contributions to Susquehanna University, the board of directors at its May 2005 meeting named the Center for Music and Art in recognition of President Emeritus Joel Cunningham, and his wife, Trudy.
The Cunningham Center for Music and Art, completed in 2002, was built out of the aging Heilman Hall. Funded by the Degenstein Foundation of Sunbury, Pa., in honor of Cunningham and Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Cyril Stretansky, the new construction allowed for the music and art programs to be combined under one roof. During the building's opening celebration in February 2003, a portrait of Cunningham was installed in the main lobby in recognition of his appreciation of the arts and commitment to bringing additional cultural opportunities to Susquehanna students and residents of the region.
Cunningham was elected Susquehanna's 13th president in 1985 and served until 2000. His administration was marked by steady growth in the academic quality of the institution and the students it serves, increased enrollments, and strong financial health. During that time, Susquehanna's endowment grew from $4 million to $90 million. Cunningham is president and vice chancellor of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn.
Susquehanna University has expanded its "Write Option" admissions policy, allowing all first-year applicants to submit writing samples rather than standardized test scores. Until 2004, Susquehanna had limited the "Write Option" to applicants in the top 20 percent of their high school class. All applicants may now choose this alternative. The two graded writing samples should demonstrate a student's ability to communicate complex ideas, theories, and opinions, and to write effective, well-supported arguments. Samples that demonstrate a student's ability to apply knowledge gained in the classroom are preferred.
GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENTS SHINE IN “REAL SHOW”
Susquehanna University's graphic design students led the 30th Annual Art Director's Club of Metropolitan Washington Real Show, one of the premiere undergraduate graphic design contests in the country. During the national competition in April, Susquehanna students walked away with six awards, including the Best of Show prize.
Judged by nationally-renowned designers, the students' work competed against more than 200 entries received from 14 universities and art schools. Their competition included work from students studying in graphic design programs at Penn State, American, George Washington and James Madison universities, as well as the Art Institute and Corcoran School of Art. Despite being the smallest institution to compete at Real Show, with a graphic design program that is only two years old, Susquehanna received more awards than any other competing school.
The major combines studies in areas such as typography, visual communication, and computer applications with art history and studio art courses including drawing and photography. Graphic design students have access to a state-of-the-art computer lab, including 20 work stations and large-format color printers housed in the Cunningham Center for Music and Art.
