Joseph Brudlos

What 3-5 adjectives best describe you?
Creative, Helpful, Problem-Solver

Briefly describe your job… what do you really do at EL?
My job as Art Director is to take the baseline pedological material and wrap a fun and engaging world around it. This involves coming up with themes and characters, illustration, animation, soundtrack creation and voice over work. As EL has gotten bigger my duties have increased to managing a team of talented artists as well!

What do you like about working at EL?
I feel like the work we do at EL is important and makes a difference in the lives of kids, but my favorite thing is that everyone I work with is super talented and fun to work with. It’s great to work in a company where you are part of an effective team.

What's the most seriously fun thing you've ever done?
Asking what’s the most fun thing you’ve done is sort of like asking what your favorite color is – it’s easier to answer when you are a kid, but as you get older it’s not so simple. I guess making movies with my high school friends. Or being a cellist, so many amazing times have come from that.

What big STEM accomplishment do you think we’ll see happen in the next 100 years, and why are you excited about it?
When I look at what has happened with AI in the last decade and how quickly it is evolving, I get excited for the possibilities… and a little terrified as well. I don’t think that AI is going to turn on us, but it will definitely be able to replace most jobs existing today, even creative jobs like mine! But I think the benefits will be enormous – It’s ability to quickly do millions of iterations on problems and come up with solutions that not only would take a lifetime for a human to solve but solutions we would never even think of is going to change everything. 

Artificial intelligence… friend or foe?
Friend in the long run, it will be an adjustment and it’s coming quickly

Chemistry or Biology?
I like where they intersect

Algebra or Geometry?
Algebra?

Learn a language or learn how to code?
Code

Deep space or deep sea?
Deep Space

Bill Nye or Neil DeGrasse Tyson?
Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Einstein or Newton?
I think they are a continuum and best taken as a whole along with others like Feynman and Hawking.

Star Wars or Star Trek?
I’ve been let down by both – The Expanse.

Keyboard or Paper + Pencil?
Paper and Pencil

Playlists or Podcasts?
It depends on my mood and what I’m doing – Playlists If I really have to think – Podcasts If I only kind of have to think – Audiobooks If I can give it my full attention.

In the classroom… Front row or back row?
Second seat back from the front on the window side.