Photo by Kevin Hinchey,
UNH Human Resources

In 1993, The University of New Hampshire placed an employment opportunity ad in the Chronicle of Higher Education for an Assistant Manager of Housing Facilities and Operations. Stephen Luber answered that ad and the rest, as they say, is history. "William Conk pulled me up from my North Carolina roots for a New England adventure that hasn't ended yet," Stephen says.

Earning a Bachelor's Degree in Zoology and a Master's Degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University and after employment stops in Indiana and North Carolina, Stephen came to work at UNH. "I'm a mid-west boy with mid-west roots," he states. "Living in Illinois, I got the opportunity to watch Stan Musial and Roger Maris play for the Cardinals. My father was a detective for the state of Illinois, so I was brought up under the strong arm of the law. I still get back to that area two or three times a year."

Some of the responsibilities of Stephen's position are overseeing the day to day operations of upkeep in the 29 residence halls (housekeeping and facilities); preparing residence hall rooms for academic occupancy (over 5,500 students) and summer conference guest visits (45 different groups each summer); and coordinating the repair of furnishings and the procurement of hall furniture. "The student employees (over 50) are like a hardware store on wheels," Stephen explains. "They take care of everything that requires attention in the residence halls."

You can often see Stephen riding his bicycle around campus. "There's no better way to get around campus on a non-rainy day," he says. "It's faster than driving and cheaper than getting a ticket." While appreciating the "great caliber and standards of the staff at UNH", Stephen says "UNH has been very good to me, and I'd like to think that I've been good to UNH."

When asked who or what at UNH has had a positive impact on him, Stephen answers "The Department of Residential Life here at UNH. Having been a live-in Hall Director myself for over 10 years prior to my arrival in Durham, the standards, ethics and benchmarks adhered to by this office area has had an impressionable impact on me. The work performed by the live-in Hall Directors and the Resident Assistant here at UNH is a cornerstone of direct proportion making a good school year into a 'great' school year because of their efforts."

As a Dover resident, Stephen has been an active member in the Seacoast Ski Club (a four season activity group) since his arrival on the Seacoast. "I figured what better way to learn the New England area than to join that type of group" he says. "I asked around during my first week in NH and I tapped into that group. I've been a member ever since. We explore and enjoy the beauty that the entire northeast has to offer from sea to land via biking, hiking, or kayaking. I enjoy participating in local road running events in order to make room for pizza, ice cream and peanut butter cups. I also volunteer time and support to civic and non for profit organizations in the area, and I enjoy gardening and landscaping projects in the yard."