President Hunter reflects on time at UMaine in BDN interview
The Bangor Daily News interviewed outgoing University of Maine President Susan J. Hunter in an article on her time at the university and what’s in store for her next. Hunter spent 30 years working at UMaine, beginning as a part-time instructor in zoology and moving to a tenure-track position four years later. She continued up the ranks to become department chair, then associate provost and undergraduate dean, then provost, and finally vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2013 before becoming president, according to the BDN. In 2014, Hunter became UMaine’s first woman president and the 20th to hold the position overall. The role will be taken over by incoming President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, the former chief operating officer of the National Science Foundation. “The job just isn’t done behind that desk,” said Hunter, who could often be seen all over campus and beyond. “You have to get out and explore the state. Go up Mount Katahdin, drive Down East, go to Fort Kent, go to Rangeley, get to know the people. This is a relationship job.” Hunter’s time in office was marked by a number of accomplishments, including increasing out-of-state enrollment and consolidating the fundraising system. After retiring officially by July 1, Hunter will lead the reaccreditation team at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, an unpaid professional volunteer position, and rekindle her love for activities like kayaking and golf. But she will miss the campus, and does not think it will be the last time she will set foot here. “This isn’t easy,” Hunter told the BDN. “It’s just the right time.”