Update (10/31/2024): Police Department Oversight Committee Election Results

The election of a faculty representative to serve on the U-M Police Department Oversight Committee has now been completed. Pursuant to a vote of the Ann Arbor campus Faculty Senate members, the following faculty colleague has been elected with a final tabulation of 59% of the votes:

Kathleen Kruse, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Nyman Unit, Medical School.

Biographical Statement: Dr. Kathleen Kruse is a Clinical Assistant Professor with specialized expertise in forensic psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Her clinical interests focus on system-involved youth, including those in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, as well as the diversion of mental health and substance use disorders from jails and the justice system. Additionally, Dr. Kruse is dedicated to health justice, criminal justice reform, and providing trauma-informed care for PTSD and trauma. Dr. Kruse completed her medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School. She furthered her training with a residency in General Psychiatry and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. She also completed a fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland. Through her work, Dr. Kruse aims to address and reform the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system, ensuring that individuals receive appropriate care and support. Her contributions in these areas have been vital for advancing trauma-informed care practices and advocating for systemic change.

Candidate Statement: I serve as the Medical Director of the inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry unit at Mott Children’s Hospital where I work with our DPSS team in managing behavioral complexity including aggression and agitation. I am also a forensic psychiatrist and have worked with police in a number of settings, including jails, state psychiatric hospitals, courthouses (for court-ordered evaluations), and jail diversion/mental health treatment centers. It is important to respect our security and police officers but also balance that with maintaining the highest standards in their interactions with the community. Given my experiences, I would provide important contributions to the PDOC. 

The official tabulation of the votes is available here.

Candidate Slate

SACUA has approved the slate of candidates below, which consists of all the nominated, eligible, and interested candidates for the position. A call for nominations was emailed to the Ann Arbor members of the Faculty Senate on September 25th, with notice that the nomination period would end on October 11th.

• Ajjai Alva, Maisel Research Professor of Translational/Clinical Oncology and Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, Medical School
• Nick Camp, Assistant Professor of Organizational Studies, Assistant Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Faculty Associate, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research
• Erica Campagnaro, Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Medical School
• Michael Robert Hickok, Lecturer I in History, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
• Victor Hong, Clinical Associate Professor, Medical Director of Psychiatry Emergency Services (PES), Associate Director of Adult Psychiatry Hospital Services
• Nancy Khalil, Assistant Professor of American Culture, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
• Kathleen Kruse, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Nyman Unit, Medical School
• Pamela Smock, Professor of Sociology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Research Professor, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
• David Tindle, Clinical Associate Professor of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry
• Golfo Tzilos Wernette, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Medical School

Candidate Statements and Biographies

A packet including candidates statements and biographies for all the candidates can be reviewed here: