Name: Bryan Carr
Position at UWGB: Associate Professor
Summary of what you do: I teach courses in Communication and Information Science and advise our Mass Media, Sports Communication, and Game Studies majors. I’m part of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty and am also faculty advisor for Black Student Union and the Phoenix Phorecast. I also host and produce the podcast “Serious Fun” for the Phoenix Studios podcast network.
How long have you been employed: I started in the Fall 2013 semester, so I am in the midst of my sixth academic year.
Brief history of employment with UWGB: I was hired as an Assistant Professor in 2013 and promoted to Associate Professor last year.
Three words that describe you: Patient, thoughtful, curious*
Personal interests: I enjoy hanging out with my wife and cat. I like to write and draw when I get the chance. I consume a lot (probably too much) of popular culture, in particular comics, movies, and video games. Conveniently, I also research those things. I do some audio and video production. I bought a harmonica, and I do intend to learn how to play it at some point. I follow government and politics pretty closely.
Random facts/interests: My wife and I got married on campus in a conference room!
Any favorite line from a movie? “There’s good in the world, and it’s worth fighting for.” – Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings
Are you messy or organized? I have striven to attain a state of controlled, functional clutter.
Best vacation you’ve been to? My wife and I went to Hawaii on our honeymoon. It was fantastic. We reluctantly returned. We want to go back!
Describe what you were like at age 10. I would say somewhat precocious. I read a lot of books and watched a lot of TV that was well beyond my age range, and I was that annoying kid that would correct the teacher’s spelling. My media tastes have remained remarkably consistent, though, as anyone who has visited my office could probably guess.
Do you have a favorite newspaper, blog? I like the Washington Post as far as national newspapers go. And I’ve spent a lot of time reading Politico, Talking Points Memo, and other blogs lately.
Do you have an office nickname? What is it? If I do, it’s probably better I don’t know. I’d take “Ace”. “Ace” is pretty cool. Or “T-Bone”.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you? I always hoped Liev Schreiber but students have told me I look like Zach Galifianakis in the past and that’s probably more likely. If he’s willing, we could work on a script.
If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be? I’ve always admired Matt Groening and Charles Schulz a lot. But I think Warren Zevon would have some pretty amazing stories, too.
If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pizza can have every food group on it. That’s just good strategy for this situation, isn’t it?
If you were an animal what would you be? The obvious answer is some kind of bird so I could fly, but the more I think about it, the more my cat seems to have it pretty together. It seems like a sweet gig.
If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it? “I Can’t Believe They Actually Published It: The Bryan Carr Story”
What advice would you give to recent new hires? Take advantage of the unique opportunities offered here! There’s a lot of great collaborative possibility and tons of friendly and helpful people on campus.
What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I really like working with students and seeing the creative and interesting ways they solve problems.
What did you want to be when growing up? There was a point in second grade or so I was dead-set on paleontology. Jurassic Park had just come out, and I think we all wanted to do that. I also thought I’d be a writer or a cartoonist as I got older. Then I thought I’d be working full-time in broadcasting or at least become a media mogul. There’s still time for all of these, I suppose, but I’m very happy being a professor here at UWGB. It’s the perfect job for me.
What is your favorite sport? I appreciate pretty much all of them, but baseball is my favorite. It’s the perfect game in many ways – a swirling vortex of chaos, physics, and pure luck to which we try to apply strategic thinking.
What places have you lived in? I’ve lived in multiple places in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, then I spent a few years in Norman, Oklahoma getting my Ph.D. And then I moved here!
What tv show/movie are you ashamed to admit you love? I’ve been a pro wrestling fan for quite a long time and while I don’t watch as much of it as I used to, I still keep up with the various shows and promotions. I’m not quite sure I’m ashamed of it, though, as I’ve made some great friends, met some cool people and done some neat things as a result of that fandom.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Green Bay? I love visiting some of the unique shops, restaurants and places around here. NEW Zoo and the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary are neat, and I love the Safe Haven Cat Café downtown. And it’s always fun to visit Door County when it gets warmer.