Name: Brian Fanning (also accepted: @brifanning)
Current Occupation(s):
- Associate Director, Enterprise Information Services (basically the “big databases and applications development” unit within Information Technology)
- Social/Digital Media advisor and advocate
- Advisor, WPUNJ Commuter Club
- Proud dad
Hometown: North Jersey (Bloomingdale, specifically) born and raised. On the playground is where I spent most of my days.
Current Location: College Hall (also rumored: The Matrix)
Activities on Campus (when you were an undergraduate): Hah! Usually staying up entirely too late with my friends. I also played competitive intramural soccer with a team that went three full years without a loss. On activities that were actually a productive use of my time, I was very involved with a job in Recreation Services. I started out officiating soccer and progressively gained more responsibility (more on that later).
Fun Fact: I was practically born on this campus.
Favorite Quote: Integrity is one thing no one can take away from you. To lose it, you make the choice to give it away. (Alternate: Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a god, you say “YES!”)
Whether you’ve seen him in College Hall or he’s solved your midterm BlackBoard crisis, Brian Fanning is a household name on the WPUNJ campus.
HC: What college did you attend? What was your plan or course of study?
BF: I attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick. I’ll say ‘my plan’ was to figure out exactly what it was I wanted to do with my life, so I sampled a wide range of disciplines with the hope that I’d find something that clicked with me. I bounced around a variety of majors including but not limited to: Marine Studies, Exercise Science/Physical Therapy, Computer Science, Biology, Criminal Justice, and Sports Management. Ultimately, I ended up landing on Psychology, which resonated with me because I really enjoy understanding people and their actions. And I still finished my degree in four years.
HC: Tell us about your experiences and achievements throughout your college years.
BF: Rutgers was a different environment from William Paterson just based on the sheer size of the institution and its environment. There were so many opportunities to get involved, and it was almost overwhelming. To be honest, my college experience was more focused on life experiences, as opposed to the classroom experiences – especially since I didn’t really know what field I wanted to go into. I really grew a lot as an individual during my time there.
On my achievements, I worked my way up within the Recreation Services division to a point where I was the senior-most student employee (of more than 75 students) and in charge of managing most of the intramural leagues offered. The experience really helped me to develop many skills that would be critical in my career. Also, during the four years I was in college, the Internet went from dialing into AOL on a modem (and get blazing 1200 baud speeds) to having actual wired access within our dorm rooms. Going to college during that timeframe definitely helped grow my interest in hacking around with technology.
HC: What do you love most about working at WPUNJ?
BF: I love that there’s an actual honorable cause behind the work that we do here. Knowing that we’re contributing to the goal of public education is a great feeling to have. I can understand why many people seek out paths that focus on wealth or fame, but that’s never been a motivation for me.
Going back to the psychology major, I enjoy building relationships and understanding people’s motivations. Right now, the point that I’m at in my career allows me to both be mentored and act as a mentor. I really enjoy that.
HC: What is the most critical piece of advice you can give to students attending college now?
BF: Really make an effort to seek out, listen to, and get to know as many people as you can. People older than you. And younger than you. And different from you. Soak in all of the perspectives and advice that you can get. But don’t let anyone other else decide your path for you.
HC: If you were to give your younger-self a piece of advice, what would it be?
BF: See as much of the world as you can while life is still simple. Other than that, don’t change a thing.
HC: What do you hope to accomplish within the next year?
BF: I just completed my Master’s degree (in Professional Communication) in May after two intense years of working full time and taking night classes. This year is all about spending more time with my wife and two young daughters.
HC: How does working on a college campus affect your everyday lifestyle?
BF: I’m not sure that it does very much. Our IT office is located off of main campus, so we’re not in the center of all the activity. If anything, I’d say that I’m much more committed to my work (than I might be in a corporate job) since the end result is education instead of company profits.
HC: If you were given the opportunity to change anything about William Paterson, what would it be?
BF: I want a Jamba Juice on campus. Spread the word – #WPneedsJamba. Or a monorail – because who doesn’t want a monorail. I’d even voice the recording myself. “Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas.”