Q&A: Courtney Rivard

Before I attended the Faculty Innovation Workshop, I wouldn’t have classified myself as an innovator or entrepreneur in any way. I think that some people believe you have to have a pie-in-the-sky idea where you’re working nights in your garage. But sometimes, innovation is fixing a problem that’s interesting. Or it’s taking an opportunity that is presented to you and pushing it a little bit. To me, that’s what innovation is… thinking differently and pushing a bit. Not necessarily having a giant idea that’s going to revolutionize humankind. Also, a lot of faculty and researchers at UNC may not even know about all the opportunities that the University provides to help us think differently. Innovate Carolina has all these resources that, before I took the workshop, I wasn’t aware of.

Creating the Greenlaw Gameroom is one of the riskiest moves I’ve made. It really put me outside my comfort zone in terms of teaching and research. While I had always been interested in gaming, I’d never thought about making it a focal point of my work. And when I moved into the director role of the Digital Literacy and Communications Lab, students came in with ideas about gaming and the humanities. Gaming felt new and different. With the help of the Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grant via the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE), the risk paid off.

Once you start talking to others and envision possibilities, you find more opportunities to connect with people from different disciplines who have new ideas. It’s been an amazing opportunity to take that risk and try to reach out and find people who are also interested in thinking a little bit differently. We’re pushing the boundaries of what it means to teach in the humanities.

I don’t know if I’d call it a superpower, but I do feel I’m a very organized person, and I pride myself on following through on what I’ve agreed to do. Organizational work is fun for me… putting things in the right place, making things happen is something that I get excited about. I also like to be a cheerleader – cheering on people’s strengths and bringing them together to a connective point. And that’s what the gaming initiative is all about. It’s a chance to connect people together.

The thing most challenging thing for me has been setting boundaries – and I don’t know if I’ve learned that yet. I’m still in the process of learning. Between balancing administrative work, teaching and mentoring students in the lab, and service work to the University, it’s hard to figure out where and how to manage all that time. The amazing thing about working at a place like Carolina is that there are so many opportunities and possibilities. Learning how to decide which opportunities to take on and when it becomes too much is the challenge. So that's an ongoing lesson for me… to try to figure out how to set boundaries and see what’s possible in the timeframe you’re given.

The most painful thing is trying to tackle one idea at a time. Game studies and gaming pedagogy is an area that has so much potential growth, especially in the humanities. So, my students and I often feel like we’re tugged in a million different directions at once. There are so many exciting possibilities, but you eventually realize that you can only do so much at once. What we decided to focus on was making the space of the Greenlaw Gameroom inviting for all and creating a community that can grow there. Based on the community’s needs, we’ll decide which other directions to eventually go in. That’s how we’re trying to tackle the limitless possibility.

I love to be involved in the community. I live in Durham and find joy outside of work in sports with my kids and being outside as much as possible. I play in a women’s tennis league, which is a really great way to meet other women who are also interested in being involved in the community. I feel lucky to be here in this area.

I would definitely recommend that as many people as possible attend the Chancellor's Faculty Innovation Workshop from Innovate Carolina. The workshop connected me with other talented and inspiring people throughout all facets of the University. It allows really smart people to come together to think deeply about your idea – and all the possibilities and obstacles – in a brainstorming space that’s created through design thinking. That’s a rare opportunity. It was just a remarkable experience. I was also surprised by the continuing support that Innovate Carolina provides after the workshop, and how it’s a hub of connection. In many ways, they create a fire in you to continue what you’ve started. That spark helps me to stay motivated and continue dedicating time to my idea.