Joe Nemic, Director of Campus Safety

Creator

Mac Thompson, Ursinus College

Preview

Creation Date

Spring 2025

Description

Digital photograph of Joe Nemic, Director of Campus Safety at Ursinus College. A printed version of this photograph was temporarily installed on the exterior of Olin Hall on campus as part of the Spring 2025 COSA celebration.

Panel Text

Joe Nemic is Ursinus College’s Director of Campus Safety. He is a retired Phoenixville police officer who served for 33 years. Joe grew up with two sisters and graduated from Spring-Ford High School. After high school, he trained to become a police officer and was promoted to corporal after earning his associate degree from Montgomery County Community College. Later, Joe attended Saint Joseph's University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Around that time, he was promoted to sergeant.

Throughout his career in law enforcement, Joe developed an outstanding professional reputation. His character and integrity allowed him to build numerous relationships within his department and the community. Joe emerged as a leader in both his professional role and his community, gaining recognition that led to his selection for a prestigious leadership development program with the FBI Academy at its headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. After graduating from the academy, Joe pursued and earned a master's degree in public safety from the University of Virginia. This degree eventually opened the door for him to work at Ursinus College. Joe had achieved the role of supervisor of all detectives. Joe’s final position was lieutenant before retiring from Phoenixville’s police department.

Joe has accomplished many wonderful things, becoming a husband and father being among the most important achievements. He and his wife, Rebecca, have two children: a son, Jack, and a daughter, Kate. Joe described his job at Ursinus as a “full circle moment,” explaining that about 20 years ago, he told his wife, “Ursinus would be the perfect job to transition into retirement from law enforcement.” He had this recurring thought over the years, and it eventually became an opportunity. Joe has always lived in the area, and his wife is an Ursinus alumna.

Joe’s family is a very important part of his life. He finds joy in traveling with his family, often as they follow Kate’s basketball games, which have provided many opportunities for family trips. He also enjoys spending time at the shore with his family.

Joe is deeply committed to building connections between police officers and the community. At Ursinus, he has made it his mission to help students engage with campus safety and local law enforcement. Joe explained, “I wanted us to be visible, approachable, accessible, and a resource for everyone on campus that went beyond public safety.” He has encouraged campus safety officers to interact more directly with students by walking around campus rather than relying on vehicles. Additionally, Joe has introduced small events featuring local police officers to foster positive relationships between students and law enforcement. In just a few short months, Joe has already made a significant impact on Ursinus College.

Rights

Copyright of the underlying work is held by the artist. The digital image presented here is for educational purposes only and is not for commercial use.