麻豆传媒

The lifeblood of the University of New Haven are the faculty and staff members who dedicate their lives to helping our students reach their goals. Periodically, we鈥檒l introduce you to a member of the staff so you can learn more about them 鈥� beyond their day-to-day work.

Next up is Jeff Hunt, academic operations manager for the University鈥檚 Center for Learning Resources (CLR), who is enjoying all that fall in New England has to offer and who is looking forward to the winter weather.

Renee Chmiel: What do you like best about living in Connecticut, so far?
Jeff Hunt: The best part about living in Connecticut so far is the change in seasons. My wife and I just moved up from North Carolina, and though the winters were mild, the tradeoff was that everything was mild. So far, I am enjoying autumn immensely, and the summer was a very good change of pace. Also, we鈥檙e looking forward to snow!

Before North Carolina, I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I got my M.A. in English literature at the , and I taught studio writing courses. Before that, I lived in Seoul, South Korea, where I helped run an international school, and I absolutely loved it. I鈥檝e been to 19 countries and I hope to return to Asia someday. Going further into the past, I鈥檓 from Oregon, and did my undergraduate degree in California, so I have West Coast roots.

RC: What is your favorite book?
JH: My favorite novel is Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. The writing style is a lipogramatic, which means it's an example of 鈥渃onstrained writing,鈥� or 鈥渨ord play.鈥� As the novel progresses, letters of the alphabet 鈥渄isappear鈥� in the story, so the chapters stop using A鈥檚 or B鈥檚 or E鈥檚 as it goes on. It鈥檚 wild. The story is a bit of a fairy tale, so it both appeals to the fact that I have a young child, as well as my background in English literature with how unique the narrative becomes. The word choice becomes interesting, but it鈥檚 still easy to understand.

RC: What is your favorite thing about fall?
JH: The colors here are terrific. I grew up in Oregon, around plenty of trees, but many were pines and firs, so they didn鈥檛 change color. I also prefer wearing things like jeans and hoodies when I鈥檓 at home, so that鈥檚 another good reason to like the current season here.

RC: Tell us about your dog.
JH: My wife and I got Linus, our pug, two years ago. As a puppy, we were extra careful to always make him sleep in his crate, but after a while something changed (or we got weak), and now he can鈥檛 sleep anywhere but in beds. We have a six-month old son, and, so far, the two of them are best buddies. We often joke that the dog is telling our son the ins and outs of how to manipulate my wife and me, such as, 鈥淎s long as you cry long enough, they won鈥檛 make you sleep in the crib,鈥� or that Linus is passing on tips on how to get extra snacks.

RC: Do you have any funny or unusual skills or talents?
JH: I rarely get a chance to show it off, but I am amazingly good at foosball. I lived for summer camp growing up, but only because the summer camps I went to had foosball tables. I asked my parents for one every birthday growing up, but never got one 鈥� perhaps someday in adulthood I鈥檒l get a foosball table.

Perhaps more practically, I like to write fiction, and I have gotten a number of short stories published. My wife and I have run a fair number of marathons in the past, but I鈥檝e become a bit sedentary (and sleep deprived) since our son was born. Growing up, my family was very competitive when it came to 鈥淛eopardy!,鈥� and, generally, I鈥檓 not bad in beating others to shouting answers at the TV, though I recognize that it鈥檚 probably annoying.

RC: If you didn鈥檛 work in higher education, what other career path do you think you would have pursued?
JH: If I wasn鈥檛 in higher education, I鈥檇 probably have a career related to travel. My first job out of college was working abroad. I thought I鈥檇 be in South Korea for one year, and I ended up staying more than five. I鈥檝e seen most of Asia, as well as a handful of other countries and 47 states. I鈥檓 not sure what I鈥檇 do related to seeing new places. Perhaps I鈥檇 be a travel agent, travel blogger, or airline pilot? I don鈥檛 mind hotels and making flights and coordinating departure times and car pickups.

RC: What do you like best about working at the University of New Haven?
JH: The best part of working at the University of New Haven is the fact that it is small. The school is about the same size as where I went as an undergraduate (), and I鈥檝e always enjoyed that type of work setting. I think that the school has a personal touch that is invaluable, and even as a member of the staff, I don鈥檛 at all feel 鈥渓ike a number鈥� when working with people in the provost鈥檚 office or when speaking with HR or when trying to figure out parking.

The professors I鈥檝e met so far have been kind and inviting. Everyone seems really focused on the type of work I do every day 鈥� student support. This is a university with so many resources to assist students. I help manage the Center for Learning Resources, where we have tutors, and I head up the Learning Assistant Program. We work closely with the Writing Lab, the Math Lab, the Career Development Center, the Center for Teaching Excellence, Counseling and Psychological Services, the list could go on. All of these places are doing distinct, important work, and you don鈥檛 find that at all universities.