The Charger Blog

Academic Operations Manager Excited to be Part of the Charger Community

Meet Jeff Hunt, M.A., academic operations manager for the Center for Learning Resources, who has lived in South Korea and on the West Coast of the United States, and he is now excited to call Connecticut home.

November 17, 2022

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications


Jeff Hunt, his wife Leah, their son Artie, and dog Linus at the beach.
Jeff Hunt, his wife Leah, their son Artie, and dog Linus at the beach.

The lifeblood of the University of New 51矯通 are the faculty and staff members who dedicate their lives to helping our students reach their goals. Periodically, well introduce you to a member of the staff so you can learn more about them beyond their day-to-day work.

Next up is Jeff Hunt, academic operations manager for the Universitys 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.

Jeff Hunt and his son Artie celebrate Halloween.
Jeff Hunt and his son Artie celebrate Halloween.

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, were 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. Ive been to 19 countries and I hope to return to Asia someday. Going further into the past, Im from Oregon, and did my undergraduate degree in California, so I have West Coast roots.

Jeff Hunts son Artie and dog Linus are best buddies.
Jeff Hunts son Artie and dog Linus are best buddies.

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 constrained writing, or word play. As the novel progresses, letters of the alphabet disappear in the story, so the chapters stop using As or Bs or Es as it goes on. Its 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 its 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 didnt change color. I also prefer wearing things like jeans and hoodies when Im at home, so thats 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 cant 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, As long as you cry long enough, they wont make you sleep in the crib, or that Linus is passing on tips on how to get extra snacks.

Jeff Hunt visiting a tulip farm.
Jeff Hunt visiting a tulip farm.

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 perhaps someday in adulthood Ill 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 Ive become a bit sedentary (and sleep deprived) since our son was born. Growing up, my family was very competitive when it came to Jeopardy!, and, generally, Im not bad in beating others to shouting answers at the TV, though I recognize that its probably annoying.

Jeff Hunt and his family in 51矯通e.
Jeff Hunt and his family in 51矯通e.

RC: If you didnt work in higher education, what other career path do you think you would have pursued?
JH: If I wasnt in higher education, Id probably have a career related to travel. My first job out of college was working abroad. I thought Id be in South Korea for one year, and I ended up staying more than five. Ive seen most of Asia, as well as a handful of other countries and 47 states. Im not sure what Id do related to seeing new places. Perhaps Id be a travel agent, travel blogger, or airline pilot? I dont 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 51矯通?
JH: The best part of working at the University of New 51矯通 is the fact that it is small. The school is about the same size as where I went as an undergraduate (), and Ive 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 dont at all feel like a number when working with people in the provosts office or when speaking with HR or when trying to figure out parking.

Jeff Hunt holding his son Artie when he was a week old.
Jeff Hunt holding his son Artie when he was a week old.

The professors Ive met so far have been kind and inviting. Everyone seems really focused on the type of work I do every day 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 dont find that at all universities.

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