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Michael Hill Named New Director of Public Safety

Michael Hill Named
New Director of Public Safety

by Nancy Nicely
3/21/2012

Michael Hill
Michael Hill

Swarthmore College Vice President of Facilities Stu Hain announced today that Michael Hill will join the Swarthmore community as its new director of public safety on April 9, 2012.

Hill comes to Swarthmore from Bryn Mawr College, where he has served since 1988, beginning as a patrol officer and moving through the ranks to his current position as Bi-College Director of Public Safety Operations. Hain cited Hill's commitment to teaching and service, noting his development of a strong in-service training program for Bryn Mawr Public Safety officers. Recent programs have included crisis management, mediation, problem solving, diversity training and use of technology. In collaboration with Montgomery County Victim Services, he provided training for students and officers in domestic violence hotline services. For his work in victim support, Hill received the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County 2011 Matty Muir Award.

While at Bryn Mawr, Hill also created community training programs including "safe teas" -- workshops that focused on identity theft, alcohol education, sexual assault, and fire safety. In collaboration with the Athletics Wellness Program, he designed, implemented, and taught the RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) Program.

"In addition to campus safety, Mike's passions are teaching and community service," Hain says. "His victim support work, workshops, and the creation of a student Committee on Public Safety have fostered strong, trusting relationships between officers and students."

"One of the things I was most impressed with was Mike's clear commitment to working closely and collaboratively with the entire community - students, faculty, and staff," adds Dean of Students Liz Braun, a member of the search committee. "I'm thrilled that he will be bringing his expertise, his energy, and his vision to Swarthmore."

While serving at Bryn Mawr, Hill earned a B.A. in social science at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also served 20 years in the United States Army Reserve.

"Both my professional and military service have fostered a deep appreciation for learning, teaching, and service to others," says Hill, who spent most of 2011 in Iraq at a base north of Baghdad. "I am deeply committed to the values at the core of a liberal arts education - the education of the whole student, intellectually, emotionally, and ethically."

For five years, Hill has served on the executive committee of the Campus Security Directors Association of the Delaware Valley. He is also a member of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the Northeast Colleges and Universities Security Association.

Hill grew up in Delaware County and knows the Swarthmore campus well. He is a strong proponent of exercise, enjoys running, and is an avid photographer.

Hill is married to Alisa Giardinelli, the College's director of web and media communications, and they have a two-year-old daughter, Veronica.