Rory Lynch and his father both standing near the statueOriginally from Littleton, CO, Rory spent the last decadeĀ working in higher education at the University of Southern CaliforniaĀ (USC) and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). Last springĀ he graduated with hisĀ Masters in Communication Management from USC Annenberg. Rory applies his organizational skillset in leadership roles such as fantasy football commissioner, D&D dungeon master, and PokĆ©mon professor.Ā He joined CEAS in June 2022 and will be managing the Engineering Success HubĀ scheduled to openĀ this fall semester.

What have been some meaningful ways in which you have felt welcomed to CEAS?
Iā€™ve received a very warm welcome to CEAS. The gift bag with trinkets and a handwritten note was greatly appreciated, and Iā€™ve been impressed with the quality of onboarding at the university and college level.

Describe one of your favorite traditions.
One of my college buddies owns a film studio / production space, so every six months or we all bring our Xbox 360s and TVs for a Halo 3 LAN party. Itā€™s the ultimate realization of the hopes and dreams from our 14-year-old selves.

What is an ordinary moment in your life that brings you joy?
Walking is severely underrated and fun to do! Iā€™m also a big fan of ice skating at the Rec Center as a former hockey player.

What do you most like to do to unwind?
Listen to Brian Eno ambient albums ā€“ for those curious, ā€œMusic for Airportsā€ is the best place to start.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Dr. Pepper. Given the startling volume consumed Iā€™ve forced myself to switch to the diet flavor, but itā€™s obviously not the sameā€¦

Which TV show do you never miss?
NFL RedZone. My living room has open ā€œoffice hoursā€ every Sunday for those who wish to witness the miracle that is seven hours of commercial free football.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
ā€œBe smarter than the device you are working with.ā€ - Dad