This week’s Campus Celebrity is arguably one of the best professors at University of San Diego! Bradley Bond’s sense of humor lights up his every lecture and his genuine care for his students’ lives makes him stand out from other professors. We got the chance to learn a little bit more about Bond this week – enjoy!
Photo by Bradley Bond
Her Campus (HC): Where is your hometown?
Bond (B): I am originally from Staunton, Illinois. It is a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri.
HC: Where did you go to college, and what did you major in?
B: I attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois where I majored in communication. I earned my M.A. and Ph.D. from the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois.
HC: What made you decide to become a professor?
B: I went to graduate school because I really enjoyed researching how people create, deliver, and are affected by messages. It wasn’t until I started teaching a public speaking class as a graduate student that I realized how rewarding teaching could be for me. My desire to conduct research and enjoyment of teaching made it a rather easy decision to get a Ph.D. and go into academics.
HC: What brought you to USD?
B: When I was in the last year of my postdoctoral fellowship at Georgetown University I saw that USD was hiring. I didn’t know that much about USD so I started to do my homework. The more that I researched the school, the campus climate, and the student body, the more I was reminded of my own undergraduate experience. There are a lot of parallels between Bradley and USD. I realized the job was a perfect fit because USD would afford me the opportunity to challenge and influence students in many of the same ways that I was challenged and influenced by my professors when I was an undergraduate student.
Photo of Bond with Dr. Moran and a student at the International Communication Association
conference in Puerto Rico this year: by Bradley Bond
HC: What is your favorite part about teaching at USD?
B: My absolute favorite part about teaching at USD is the eagerness that students bring to the classroom. Our students are genuinely open to criticism and willing to accept challenges. I love that; it makes teaching much more fruitful. The view from campus comes in at a distant second; how can the ocean views from classrooms in the KIPJ during sunset not be among one’s favorite aspects of USD?
HC: What is your favorite course to teach?
B: I teach ‘Children & Media.’ The class investigates the role of media exposure in child development. I love this class. All students have been children at one time and most want to be parents, so you see an inherent investment in the content. Students are also required to volunteer at an after-school program where they interact with children, and I really enjoy getting our USD students involved in the community.
HC: Where is your favorite spot in San Diego?
B: Balboa Park. I love its history, its splendor, and the people watching.
HC: Are you working on any research or projects right now?
B: Yes! In fact, I am balancing too many projects at once. I am very excited about a survey study that we’ve recently completed that will examine how gay and lesbian adolescents develop relationships with media characters and the role those media characters play in identity development. I’m also wrapping up a study that will look at how images of same-sex couples in advertising influences audiences’ perceptions of the products being advertised.
Photo of Bond and his partner in wine country: by Bradley Bond
HC: What are your hobbies?
B: I like to spend time at the beach with Bocce, my Yorkshire terrier. He’s a huge fan of fetch and there is no better place for fetch than the beach. I also really enjoy California’s wine country. There is so much to learn about winemaking that I don’t know; I find it all very fascinating.
HC: What is your favorite book?
B: One of my favorite books is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I first read it as a preteen and I remember thinking that the characters had so much life. To this day, I think that the characters in that book jump off the page.
HC: Favorite film?
B: I love Back to the Future and I tend to tell people that it is my favorite movie, but my real favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. However, it is a chick-flick from the 1980s so I tend to keep my adoration for the film to myself. Though I guess I just blew my cover.
Photo of Bond with his dog Bocce: by Bradley Bond
HC: What is one thing you cannot live without?
B: Wi-Fi
HC: Biggest pet peeve?
B: I get very irritated when someone does not answer my call even though they just texted me. I always want to yell into the voicemail, “You just texted! I know you’re available!”
HC: What advice would you give to someone who is currently in college?
B: I always tell my students, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do twice.” Obviously, the intent of the message is, “Try anything once!” College is such a wonderful time to learn and, maybe even more importantly, to develop an appreciation for learning. Learning in the classroom is important, but learning through your lived experience is important too. Go skydiving. Study abroad. Volunteer in a low-income community. Get out, see the world, and learn from it.
Photo of Bond with students at USD’s 2014 Graduation: by Bradley Bond
HC: What do you want your students to know about you (that they do not already)?
B: I spend a lot of time thinking about how campus could be improved to make minority students feel more comfortable, safe, and accepted. I think my students generally know I care about ALL of them, but they don’t know just how much concern I have for the well-being of our students who do not identify as White, Christian, heterosexual males.
Thank you Bond for taking the time to speak with us and for being this week’s Campus Celebrity! Beyond that, thank you for being such an amazing professor and a joy to be around! If you haven’t already taken a class with Bond, you really should.