Dear UNH Community,
I hope you’re enjoying a great summer. I’m thrilled to be here in the beautiful Granite State, settling in to Durham and joining you as a proud UNH Wildcat. It’s a tremendous honor to be UNH’s 20th president, and I look forward to meeting many of you soon. Since my announcement in April, my youngest daughter was married, my wife and I did a lot of packing and I worked on finishing a book I’m writing about higher education for business leaders. I’ve also been trying to learn how to pronounce “Berlin,” “Plaistow” and “Contoocook” and other New Hampshire places.
Over the summer, I will be exploring our campuses and connecting with students, faculty and staff to listen to your perspectives on this great university and the warm, welcoming and diverse UNH community I have heard so much about. Interim Provost Wayne Jones and I will be meeting with deans, faculty and staff from each college this summer. I will also travel across New Hampshire to meet with alumni, businesses and community leaders as well as visiting some of UNH’s outreach and engagement programs. I have a lot to learn, and I look forward to it.
If you are on the Durham campus on Wednesday, July 11, please stop by Murkland Courtyard from 3 to 4 p.m. for some ice cream and say hello.
My wife Jan and I are new to the Granite State. So, if you have suggestions on places to eat, visit or pedal (I love cycling), please send me an email at James.Dean@unh.edu. Jan and I are eager to get to know New Hampshire and our community.
Finally, you can connect with me on Twitter at @UNHPrez.
It’s a great day to be a Wildcat!
Warm regards,
Jim
James W. Dean Jr.
President
