Tenured professor of mathematics Theo Hunt, 65, confirmed today that he is actually just a dad who got separated from his campus tour group 12 years ago. Professor Hunt, who is a finalist for the prestigious Frederic Esser Nemmers Prize in Mathematics, spoke to reporters to explain his unique background.

“I was on a tour of campus with my daughter, who was a prospective student at Northwestern in 2005,” Hunt said. “I must’ve spent too long looking up at University Hall because before I knew it, my tour group was nowhere to be found. Not knowing what else to do, I wandered into Lunt Hall, found an empty office, and just set up shop. The rest took care of itself.”

Though originally an insurance salesman with no prior background in advanced math, Hunt has earned the respect of his colleagues with his groundbreaking research and enthusiastic teaching.

“No one in the math department was really sure what to do about him at first, but he quickly became a part of the team,” Professor John Alongi said. “And the undergrads just love him. His classes are always filled with enthusiastic, motivated students”

One of these students was Samantha Hunt, Theo’s daughter, who enrolled at Northwestern in the fall of 2005 and graduated in 2009.

“The only reason I majored in math here was to try to convince my dad to come home,” she said. “It obviously didn’t work, and when he somehow got tenure in 2008, I kind of gave up hope.”

At press time, new reports alleged that University President Morton Schapiro, men’s basketball coach Chris Collins, and nearly every NU police officer also got their positions after getting lost on a campus tour.