I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Nader Oweis to the position of UC Santa Cruz Chief of Police. Chief Oweis's appointment, which follows a nationwide recruitment, takes effect August 8.
Oweis built a distinguished record of service as a police lieutenant at the University of California, Davis, where he worked for the past 16 years. At UCSC, he will lead University Police, Parking Enforcement, Campus Dispatch, and our Kiosk Programs — overseeing all matters related to campus law enforcement. In that capacity, he will work with our regional law enforcement partners with respect to public safety, emergency management, and crime prevention.
Oweis received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Managerial Economics from UC Davis and a Master of Science degree in Higher Education from Drexel University. He has been acknowledged for his service in law enforcement with the UC Davis Calvin E. Handy Leadership Award, the UC Police Department Distinguished Service Medal of Bravery, and the FBI Director's Certificate. He has also served as an Arab, Muslim, and Sikh intercultural competency instructor.
At this time, I also want to acknowledge the work of Ava Snyder, who has served as Interim Chief during the past year. Having assumed leadership responsibilities for the UCSC Police Department following the retirement of former Chief Mickey Aluffi, Snyder has led the University Police Department through several challenging events during her ten-month tenure.
In short, the safety and security of the campus were in good hands during Interim Chief Snyder's tenure. We are grateful for her willingness to lead the organization through this leadership transition and for her continued service as Captain.
Please join me in welcoming Nader Oweis to UC Santa Cruz — and to his new post as Chief of Police.
