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Paddling is one of Ann and Randy Hart's favorite pastimes. Within a few days of their arrival in Durham, they had their Old Town canoe out on the Oyster River. Photo by Kindra Clineff

They charted a roundabout course so they could visit their daughters on the way, driving 5,000 miles in 12 days on a cross-country odyssey that brought them to New Hampshire in mid-July. Surprisingly, the two fourth-generation Westerners immediately felt very much at home. The mountains here are lower than the Rockies, but still rugged. And New Hampshire has a tradition of independence and self-reliance that reminds Hart of her own family's pioneer background. "That sense of personal responsibility that is so strong in New Hampshire is also part of the West," she observes.

While they are now 2,000 miles from the canyon lands where they grew up, the Harts have brought something of the West with them to the president's house in Durham. Here the colors of the desert are everywhere apparent. The ochre of the walls in the hall sets off a 1930s Navajo rug hanging beside the stairs. An Acoma pot, decorated in black and russet, rests on a table that once belonged to Randy's grandfather, a district attorney in Idaho. A still-life painting by Santa Fe artist R.A. Day, depicting a woven basket, a Native American pot and a cluster of chile peppers, hangs on the dining room's garnet walls, while a print of the Great Salt Lake marshes is over the fireplace in the parlor.

President Hart with daughters Kimberly and Liza and grandson Zane in the top photo and with daughters Emily and Allyson and granddaughter Elise in the bottom photo. Photo by Kindra Clineff

Hart's home office is painted a deep midnight blue, with two walls of white floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Among the books lining the shelves are academic works on education and leadership, the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, volumes of natural history by Terry Tempest Williams, and the mysteries that both of the Harts love to read for relaxation--stories by Tony Hillerman, Walter Moseley and P.D. James.

The distinctive sense of style that has transformed the president's house is also evident in Hart's office in Thompson Hall. She knows what she likes, and she is not afraid of color. When she first saw the office, which had not been painted since 1989, the walls were a neutral off-white. Before she moved in, she had them redone in a deep cranberry red, with linen-white wainscoting and trim. The tall Palladian windows in the conference area, which used to fade into the background, now nearly pop off the walls, and the view of green leaves and blue sky seems startlingly bright.

"Universities are built around the intellectual resource, energy and creativity of their faculty members," says Hart. pictured in her office with David Watters, professor of English. Photo by Kindra Clineff

The warmth and color of the redecorated office is a fair reflection of the new president's personality. UNH trustee Steve Taylor '62, who served on the presidential search committee, described her as "the type of person who lights up a room." A fairly tall woman who favors chic pant suits and bold jewelry--often Southwestern turquoise or other stones in silver settings--she is warm, relaxed and outgoing.

Sitting at a simple cherry table in her office, Hart speaks about her plans for UNH with animation and humor, using her hands for emphasis. Her first task, she says, is "to spend a great deal of effort getting to know people and what they care about most deeply. That's true of the university community and the broader local and state communities. In order for me to be able to lead the University of New Hampshire, I have to earn their trust. I'll look for long-term goals in partnership with those communities. ... I want them to know that I consider the presidency of UNH to be a sacred trust. I take that very seriously."

Celia, on of three cats the Harts inherited from their daughters, relaxes in the sunshine in her new quarters. Photo by Kindra Clineff

But Hart has already done enough research to know that the university has some immediate problems and needs that have to be addressed. She outlined these for members of the state legislature's Higher Education Study Committee during a meeting in Concord in July (see "The President's Priorities" ). "Before becoming president, I knew that UNH and the colleges that are part of the university system constitute the economic engine of the state and are the key to future economic development and research," she told the legislators. "I remain convinced that this is the case, and I know, working together, we will advance to new levels of prosperity."

In general, Hart says, UNH is on a positive course and has been for some years. "This university is one of the gems of American higher education. ... I have a sense that everyone is very proud of the achievements of the last few years. They're looking for someone who can strongly assess what's next in order to build on those achievements and not lose any ground."

Hart is clearly confident that she is that person. Her move to UNH has put her on a new map, with a new set of mountains to climb, both literally and figuratively. She sees the course she wants to follow, and she knows it goes up. No doubt there will be some obstacles further on and some unexpected turns--there always are--but that's what makes the pilgrimage an adventure.~

Maggie Paine is the editor of the University of New Hampshire Magazine.

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