Scott Beckner, assistant vice president and director of the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, will retire in December.

Though Beckner was originally set to retire in June 2020, he agreed to delay his retirement until the end of the fall 2020 semester due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Lucy Wiederholt, who has served as the associate director and chief of police since 2010, and Mark Bullock, who has served as police captain since 2015, will fill Beckner’s position as co-directors of the UI Department of Public Safety on an interim basis until a search is conducted to fill the position permanently. Their role as dual interims will begin Dec. 1, and Beckner will assist them with the transition before he retires on Dec. 31, 2020.

“I look forward to working with Chief Wiederholt and Capt. Bullock during the transition, and am confident the department will continue to run smoothly under their leadership,” says Rod Lehnertz, senior vice president of finance and operations.

The university plans to conduct a national search for Beckner’s replacement during the spring 2021 semester.