Have you met Matt McCreary, Internal Communications Specialist and the new managing editor of The Quad? Spend the next few minutes getting to know him a little better.
Where is your favourite place on campus?
I really like the green spaces along Saskatchewan Drive — North of Bio Sci, CCIS and Earth Sciences.
Books: paper or audio?
Both. As a kid, my parents used to play books on tape during long car rides. So now, when I drive to visit family and friends in Calgary and Fernie, I like to listen to audio books. Driving back to Edmonton over the winter break, I started bingeing the Harry Potter series. I still love those stories.
What is the one thing you can’t live without?
Coffee.
What do you like about The Quad?
I really like that, when the subject matter allows us to, we can take a lighter approach to the stories that we tell — like the Clueless-themed guide to library services that appeared last week.
I also like the versatility of our regular features, like “This Month in Photos.” They’re a nice way to recognize the things that don’t necessarily need a 600 word story treatment to convey what’s happened.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
I love to cook and watched a lot of Anthony Bourdain when I was an undergrad, so maybe him. Or, I’m a big fan of Anaïs Mitchell and her music. I watched all of her performances at Folk Fest and really wanted to see her Tony award winning musical, HadestownHadestown.
Are there any higher education publications that give you food for thought?
I enjoy reading Alex Usher’s One Thought to Start Your DayOne Thought to Start Your Day blog and, down the road, would like to incorporate something along those lines for The Quad.
What’s your favourite meal of the day?
I like them all; but I’m partial to elevensies — I’m really a hobbit.
What does “uplifting the whole people” mean to you?
It’s a really broad concept with a big view to how to change society — but I think it applies on a smaller scale too. On that level, it’s a commitment to make a difference in the people and the situations that are close to you. I think uplifting the whole people also means encouraging those in your circle to live with an eye toward uplifting everyone around them.
What do you hope The Quad will look like moving forward?
I’m still relatively new to the helm, so I don’t have any immediate plans for major changes. I’ll be taking some time over the summer to investigate a few new ideas. I’m not going to revolutionize anything per se. Hopefully you’ll see a few of my ideas implemented by September.
About Matt McCreary
Matt is the Internal Communications Specialist with University Relations. He’s a familiar face to “Have You Met” interviewees, having conducted a large number of the interviews for this popular story series. Serving as the managing editor of this blog, he finds and produces the stories that take root here on The Quad. He also helps to celebrate the U of A community by providing communications support for various units and institutional initiatives like the Community Connections Awards. Matt graduated from the Faculty of Arts with a BA in English, is an alumnus of Golden Bears Volleyball, and is now pursuing a masters in Communication and Technology. And he really could be a hobbit… at least in terms of his appetite.
Outgoing Editor’s Note: This interview was a group effort. Some of the answers have been edited for clarity and length.