Frances Lucas-Tauchar, the new president of Millsaps College, plans to keep her running shoes handy at the office and go on daily power walks around the Jackson campus.

It's more than an academic exercise. Lucas-Tauchar told a Millsaps audience Friday she intends to meet with students, faculty and staff and be a good listener during her 4 p.m. jaunts. The power walks were part of her daily routine as an administrator at Emory University in Atlanta the past eight years. She's simply transferring her open-door leadership style to Millsaps when she goes to work July 1.

"Walking meetings are a great way to see the campus and students," Lucas-Tauchar told an audience at the school's Academic Complex.

"I'd love to go on a power walk with her," said Eric Griffin, an assistant professor of English. "Her collaborative leadership style will be an interesting change. It will be a fruitful one."

The first woman to lead Millsaps since its creation in 1890, Lucas-Tauchar on Friday made her first major speech on the Jackson campus to a forum in honor of National Women's History Month.

"This is a magnificent pearl of a college," Lucas-Tauchar said. "It's always been a leader in Mississippi and the South in social justice . . . the history is very, very rich."

In her remarks that were often laced with humor, Lucas-Tauchar tracked the progress of women from the beginning of time to the 21st century. "In the year 2000, there are so many changes," she said. For women, "the world is opening up. The opportunity is there." Added Lucas-Tauchar: "We've come a long way, but there is still an awful lot of work to do to nurture the women in our lives."

A senior vice president for student life at Emory and a former administrator at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, Lucas-Tauchar will succeed retiring 22-year President George Harmon. Besides being the new Millsaps leader, Lucas-Tauchar will be juggling responsibilities as a wife and mother of two young children.

Fielding questions from the audience, she said the job of balancing home and personal life with a busy career isn't easy for women today. "It's tough, it's tough. I won't kid with you," Lucas-Tauchar said. "It is very difficult being an executive, a parent, wife, daughter and church-goer."

A Jackson native, Lucas-Tauchar is the daughter of retired University of Southern Mississippi President Aubrey Lucas. New consitutents welcoming her believe the Mississippi State University graduate will succeed at Millsaps.

"She's a very good communicator," said biology professor Sarah Armstrong. "She will keep the constituents of the college talking to each other."

"It's a new change. This shows how far women have come from 30 years ago," said Millsaps freshman Lekesha Perry, 19, of Lamar. "I hope the way President Harmon runs it will continue. He's left a great history."

With Lucas-Tauchar's arrival starting this summer, "it's very exciting that she is making history," said freshman Hannah Page, 16, of Jackson. "I'd like to see her make advancements in the diversity on campus. The president can do a lot for it."

Freshman Jared Mott, 18, of Vicksburg said he would like to see Millsaps continue to improve its facilities, including dormitories, under her leadership. Armstrong said she would like to see a performing arts center built at Millsaps. That's one of the goals that Lucas-Tauchar supports as part of future efforts to help the United Methodist Church-affiliated school raise more money.

Harmon's still got work to do before his retirement in late June. He's wrapping up the school's record $80 million fund drive. On April 29, Harmon will also lead ceremonies to dedicate the school's new $17.3 million College Life Complex. That evening, Millsaps supporters will sponsor a dinner in his honor.