Robert Barker/University Photography

Skorton talks with Ithaca Journal managing editor Bruce Estes after a question-and-answer session with the Journal's editorial board on Wednesday. Copyright © Cornell University

On Monday morning, July 10, David Skorton's office was nearly bare: clean white walls, empty bookshelves, subdued olive and beige furniture and the light smell of fresh paint. Just a few personal touches had crept in -- giant sub-woofer speakers for listening to music after hours, a bouquet of flowers from friends in Iowa and a stash of Fig Newmans for his desk drawer.

By Friday the office -- like Skorton's presidency -- was developing its personality.

Skorton's first five days as Cornell's 12th president were a carefully choreographed whirlwind of meetings, tours, introductions, media interviews and photo ops. But choreography aside, Skorton quickly found his own groove.

It began on Monday with a request. Before his first scheduled meeting, Skorton asked a staff member for a comprehensive report on campus diversity and how it has changed over time. He plans a thorough look at the issue, and emphasized in meetings throughout the week the importance of a diverse campus community.

Then, it was a week of answering questions, from how he sees his role in international diplomacy to whether he will play his sax at ABC Café's open mic night. Through the jumble of topics, he returned often to a few key themes of his administration.

"The number one reason we're here is for the students," he said. He plans to continue former President Hunter Rawlings' legacy of emphasis on undergraduate education. "The totality of the student experience can always be better."

He also will move forward with former President Jeffrey Lehman's call to increase Cornell's global presence and use higher education as a diplomatic tool. To the three strategic initiatives Lehman named -- Life in the Age of the Genome, Wisdom in the Age of Digital Information and Sustainability in the Age of Development -- Skorton says he will add a strengthened emphasis on the arts, social sciences and humanities.

His leadership style will be open and approachable, he said, but decisive when necessary. And, he emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with community members.

"The community gains a lot from the university, and the university gains a lot from the nature and character of the community," he said. "We are all part of this community."

It was, above all, a lighthearted week. There was the assortment of Cornell ties Skorton bought on his first day, leading to four ensuing days of tie jokes and the unfortunate introduction of a feather boa. There were chats about music and dogs, and how many friends Skorton has on Facebook. (He has 4,362 at the University of Iowa; 249 at Cornell, at last count.) "My son at Stanford has said, 'They're not really your friends, Dad, it's just because you're president,'" he said.

There were the casual interludes to meet the people who work around Day Hall. "Hi, I'm David Skorton, sorry to interrupt you, just wanted to say hi!" he said, peeking his head into tiny cubicles. "We're neighbors. I'm just upstairs."

On Saturday, he'll be up early for an appearance at the Ithaca Asian American Association's Dragon Boat Festival on the Cayuga Inlet.

If it sounds exhausting, daunting or challenging, Skorton agrees: His new job is all those things. But he'll take it -- with gratitude.

"It's a great job. I gotta tell you, this is the best job imaginable, being president of a university," he said.

And just outside his office door, Ann Huntzinger, his assistant (who came to Cornell with Rawlings from the University of Iowa), is one of many to sum up Skorton's first week with a simple sentiment. "It's good to have him here."