Other articles by Eric Swedlund:

Pecan exec dies in plane crash Manager of Green Valley pecan farm killed in plane crash Police chief eyes new policy on entrant reports Desert yields body of smuggler Marijuana smuggler killed by bandits south of Tucson, authorities say Monsoon's not over yet, thunderstorm shows Mexican man is suspect in S. Side killing Man arrested in death of his girlfriend in OV Boy, 11, locked in 'reeking' room; 2 held Tucson boy, 11, locked in 'reeking' room, detectives say

Administrative & Professional
JEWISH FEDERATION
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sales and Marketing
sales Computer
Flowing Wells Schools
Computer Technician General
Copperstate OB/GYN
Operator Administrative & Professional
KNIGHT PIESOLD
PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT Driver/Transportation
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AVIVA, Inc
Executive Director

Keith Humphrey started his career in student affairs right out of graduate school, with a job at the University of Arizona he thought would drive him away from large schools for good.

"I thought I'd check out this large university for two years and prove to myself that large universities are bad for students. But I was completely wrong and got stuck in Tucson, in a good way," he said.

Growing up in Stamford, Conn. — a 30-minute train ride from midtown Manhattan — Humphrey was interested in volunteer work and being active in his community, factors that pushed him into student affairs.

After earning a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary and a master's from James Madison University, he got a job as a UA hall director in 1998, arriving on a sweltering July day and wondering if he'd made a mistake.

Humphrey, 33, has since earned his UA doctorate in higher education and is now assistant dean of students and director of the UA's Parents and Family Association. A quick Q&A:

"Each university definitely has its own student culture. U of A students are by far more diverse than at other universities I've been at. They're more interested in learning new and different things."

"I would definitely tell students from out of state to bring a winter jacket, even though everybody tells them not to. I would tell them to really invest in the community and the culture, outside of the university. Out-of-state students who are most successful really make Tucson their home while they're going to school.

"I definitely relate really well to the people from the East Coast, more than the students from California, but the out-of-state students tend to have a lot of the same concerns."

"Some of my favorite memories are skipping high school on Wednesdays to go see half-priced Broadway shows. Also a lot of the volunteer work I did with friends, and community theater in high school. Traffic jams ironically were fun, because you had time for good conversations with friends and family."

"A winter out there, hands down. The cold just gets inside your bones and you can't really escape it. The Tucson summer, while it's hot, is still really beautiful with the monsoon."

"I really like to rake leaves, so I vacuum a lot because it's the closest thing I can find here. I miss … actually shoveling snow, that type of yard work. I miss it, but I don't want to go back. I miss going to Broadway shows, for sure. And I miss my family."