UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Charles "Charlie" Noffsinger, chief of the Department of Public Safety at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, has been named assistant vice president for University Police and Public Safety at Penn State, effective May 9.
Noffsinger, who held various law enforcement positions at the University of Michigan for nearly 25 years before joining the University of Hawaii in 2013, will oversee all facets of Penn State’s police and public safety operations.
“Charles is a veteran leader who has played a key role in developing and maintaining a safe and secure campus environment at not one, but two, major public flagship universities,” said David Gray, senior vice president for Finance and Business at Penn State. “We are extremely pleased to add an individual with such vast experience and practical, cutting-edge public safety knowledge to our leadership team. His proven ability to build positive relationships in a multi-campus environment and with stakeholders both inside and outside of the universities he has served will be a major asset to Penn State’s public safety efforts going forward.”
Noffsinger’s duties in his new role will include administering the University’s public safety programs, providing direction for University Police, ensuring that emergency management procedures are current and tested regularly, serving as incident commander during emergency response situations, and overseeing the central dispatch operation.
“Being selected to lead this comprehensive police and public safety organization is an exciting opportunity,” Noffsinger said. “The tremendous pride in being part of the rich heritage of the University was clearly evident and made my decision to accept this opportunity much easier. I look forward to building deep ties to the University and the broader community."
Noffsinger will report directly to Gray and manage approximately 150 employees and an annual operating budget of $6.8 million.
"Police and public safety units play a significant support role in the overall mission of any university,” said Noffsinger. “One of my goals is to help ensure the units on all of the Commonwealth campuses continue to be an integral part of the campus community and maintain their commitment to excellence."
Noffsinger began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a security officer at Michigan and was a founding police officer in the University of Michigan Police Department. He also held the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant and captain before ultimately serving the department as a deputy chief from 2009 to 2012. Noffsinger possesses extensive experience in field operations, emergency management planning, threat assessment, large-scale and special event operations, staff training and development, strategic planning, and regulatory reporting and compliance.
Noffsinger holds a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University and a master of liberal studies degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, as well as the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.