With the search for a permanent vice president of student affairs at a standstill after the summer quarter, Director of University Communications Ed Klotzbier will fill the vacant role as interim VP until January. Klotzbier, a former Northeastern undergraduate student and resident assistant, has always had a hands-on roll with students, but his move from his office on Columbus Avenue to the center of campus will bring him closer to their day-to-day lives. “I’m going to learn a lot about the other side of the university,” Klotzbier said. With his new position, he will be working closely with the administration and the student groups, as well as continuing to head up the university relations office. “I don’t know when I get up in the morning and come to work what I’m going to be working on,” he said. “Each day brings new challenges, and I hope I’m up to this challenge.” Klotzbier began his career at Northeastern when he transferred here from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., in the fall of 1984. He went on to become an RA in Stetson East and by 1986 he was working as a co-op student on Governor Michael Dukakis’ re-election campaign. Upon his graduation in 1987, he was offered a job by Dukakis’ campaign, and continued to work with the governor through his run for president. While working, he attended night classes at the New England School of Law, and after the campaign ended, spent 10 years at Palmer ‘ Dodge LLP, the outside counsel that deals with Northeastern’s affairs. After his years there, he served as vice president and deputy director of the Boston corporate affairs department of Mellon Financial Corporation. Then, Northeastern called, and in the spring of 2001, Klotzbier came to head up the university communications department and act as the chief spokesperson for the university. When the question of who would fill in as vice president of student affairs came up, Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Philomena Mantella knew that Klotzbier would be the perfect person for the job. “I started to think about people that were very student-centered,” Mantella said. “I think of [Klotzbier] as a very strong strategist. He’s kind of a vocal spokesperson.” While the search to fill the permanent position will continue, it is still unknown whether Klotzbier will be considered a candidate. “We want to see that it is going well in the fall for him, going well in the fall for us, going well in the fall for students,” Mantella said. In the meantime, while Klotzbier adjusts to his new position, the university communications staff will fill in for his absence. “It brings a bit more work to my shoulders and to the shoulders of my colleagues here,” said Assistant Director of University Communications Christine Phelan, “but I think we’ll rise up to this, I think it will be good.” Klotzbier, wearing a Northeastern tie, said that he was excited to be a part of move-in weekend because he was able to see a whole other part of campus. “This is the whole game right now,” he said. “It’s everything.”