Staff : Ric Burrous

Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Contact
rburrous @ iupui.edu
317-274-5454

Office
Administration Building (AO)
355 N. Lansing Street, Suite 136
Indianapolis, IN 46202

IUPUI Magazine Managing Editor
Online Writer/Editor

I may hold the title of "News and Photo Editor," but the reality of day-to-day life in the world of IUPUI Communications and Marketing, I could just as easily be called the office's "jack of all trades."

My primary duties include: writing, photography and supervision of IUPUI Magazine, the campus' alumni publication; writing much of the content for IUPUI's campus-wide web sites; coordinating campus photo shoots and helping manage IUPUI's online photo gallery; and overseeing the "Amazing Students" and "Outstanding Faculty" honor pages.

But that's merely the start of my day at times. I could just as easily be called upon to hook a faculty member up with a newspaper or radio/TV reporter; steer a visitor to the proper campus office to fulfill an immediate need; or work with IU's system-wide Life Sciences working group.

Having such diverse tasks can be challenging, but then again, I've been at IUPUI since 1991 - roughly 70,000 graduates ago - so it's all in a day's work. Those years have taught me two very valuable lessons: one, I've learned way too much about this campus; and two, I still don't know as much as I'd like!

Favorite project

Helping to create the IUPUI Pride, Spirit and Tradition web site was a gas. It was fascinating to explore the nooks and crannies of IUPUI's rich - though too often overlooked - heritage. And trying to build a structure to the site the made sense for Web-savvy surfers and still paid homage to our shared history was both challenging and fulfilling.

Hobbies/pastimes

I love visiting major league baseball stadiums. For the past five years, Troy Brown and I have been explored stadiums across the country, checking out the hot (Phoenix, Arlington), the high (Denver) and the humid (Houston). But none of the eight stadiums we've visited can top the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. It's baseball to the core. I also love mystery & spy novels from such authors as Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, John Sandford, J.A. Jance, Vince Flynn and Donald Westlake.

All-time favorite movie(s)

Top choice: "Body Heat," with Kathleen Turner's smoky voice, Bill Hurt's seedy mustache, one of the great movie soundtracks of all time.

Championship contenders: "Die Hard" ... great hero (Bruce Willis) and the best villains in memory (Alan Rickman and Alexander Godunov); "Charade" ... Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, great Henry Mancini music and some of the best repartee you'll ever hear (Audrey - "I already know a lot of people, and until one of them dies, I couldn't possibly meet anyone else"; Cary - "Well, if anyone goes on the critical list, let me know."); and "To Catch a Thief" - Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis (as Grace's mother), the Monaco scenery, and more great repartee (Jessie, about her daughter - "I'm sorry I sent her to that finishing school. I think they finished her").

Other films of note: "Field of Dreams" and "Bull Durham" (baseball division); "Don't Look Now" (scary movie division); "The Pink Panther" (comedy division); "Silent Partner" (a low-budget battle of wits); and "Farewell, My Lovely" (a perfect film noir).

Top TV choice(s)

I love cheesy cop shows and unusual shows like "Lost," plus sci-fi shows like "Battlestar Galactica" (new version) and "Stargate: SG-1." But in my heart, I love quirky little shows that tend to fade fast, like "Due South" (still the best "fish-out-of-water" series ever) and "The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr."