Looking no further than its own backyard, Saint Louis University found its newest vice provost for student development-Kathy Humphrey.

After a national search, Humphrey, who had been serving as interim vice provost since September, was deemed the best candidate for the job.

“I’m very excited about what our possibilities are,” said Humphrey.

Responsible for the Career Services Center, the Department of Residence Life, Judicial Affairs, Student Life, Counseling & Health Services, Campus Recreation, and the Community Outreach Center, Humphrey, with the directors of these departments, has created a list of 10 goals.

The goals range from community service and leadership to commuter issues and multicultural affairs.

“We’ll be better, provide more outlets for students and get rid of the myth that there is nothing to do on campus,” Humphrey boasted.

She encouraged the directors to continuously ask themselves, “Are we providing students with experiences that cause students to reflect and then to act?”

Humphrey emphasized that such reflection need not be heavy but can be fun.

“We should encourage students to always move forward in the direction they want to grow in,” Humphrey added.

As chair of the Committee to Study Non-Academic Student Facilities, Humphrey has worked to gather data on a possible new student union, additional community space in residence halls and the creation of lounges in academic buildings.

“Now we’re beginning to formulate the final report,” Humphrey said. The report is due by the end of this semester.

In her spare time, Humphrey serves as a consultant across the nation, speaking to colleges and government agencies on issues of student development and leadership.

A mother of 8-year-old twin boys, Humphrey values her family life and marriage of 15 years.

“There is a piece of me that thinks I need a day off, but another piece of me says that’s boring, and it just doesn’t appeal to me,” Humphrey said.

Student Government Association President Jay Perry acknowledges the “boost of energy” Humphrey will bring to the position of vice provost.

Perry thinks Humphrey can be the bridge between students and the adminstration.

“The bridge, I believe, is already there. Now we simply need to cross it together by working together,” Perry said.