Getting to Know Brian Troyer, vice president for enrollment management

Getting to Know Brian Troyer, vice president for enrollment management

Brian Troyer was named vice president for enrollment management on July 8 after previously serving in the acting role. He took time to talk with Marquette Today about the influence his grandparents have had on him, how his time as a college tour guide prepared him for life, and his scenic road back to Marquette, a university he's called home since 2016.

Hometown: Bowling Green, Kentucky (with a nine-year stint in Cheshire, Connecticut, before middle school)

Tell us about your family: My wife, Claire, and I have been married 17 years, and we have three kids, Charlie, 13; Henry, 11; and Abigail, 7; and a dog, Mia.

What are your favorite hobbies and interests?

You can find me most weekends coaching U7 and U12 soccer and/or cheering on a swim meet or dance recital. We love watching sports - particularly the Golden Eagles - playing driveway pickleball, board games, chess, camping and taking road trips. I'm also a big fan of puzzles and word games and happily serve as our family's head chef for Saturday morning pancakes.

What are your favorite movies?

"The Shawshank Redemption" remains a personal favorite. Also, I'm a lifelong soccer fan, so "Sunderland 'Til I Die" and "Welcome to Wrexham" are two soccer documentary series I recommend to soccer and non-soccer fans alike.

Brian with his four grandparents.

Who are/is your hero(es)?

My four grandparents were a big part of my life growing up; I credit them for showing what lives of humility, unconditional love, care for others, and deep faith amidst all of life's ups and downs can look like. I'm grateful my wife and kids spent meaningful time with each of them. My grandfather on my dad's side just celebrated his 92nd birthday!

Any favorite quotes/mottos?

"A person can do a great deal of good in this world if they don't care who gets the credit for it." This quote (or a version of it) is often attributed to Harry Truman, but I did some digging, and it seems worth mentioning that it was actually a 19th century Jesuit priest, Father William Strickland, who first wrote something along those lines. Philippians 4:13 has also been a personal favorite for a long time (shout-out to my mom and dad for emphasizing this one to me as far back as I can remember).

What are you currently reading?

Transcripts, for my dissertation. Kidding, but not really. I recently finished (and am a huge fan of) "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns and am partway through O'Malley's "The First Jesuits." And full disclosure, those two are audiobooks. It's reading and coding transcripts in my free time.

Any favorite vacation spots?

Is "off the grid" an acceptable answer? Honestly, my favorite vacations have been places where we were completely unplugged (save for some favorite playlists). Recently, we've taken a few trips to several National Parks (Glacier, Badlands and the Smoky Mountains were incredible) that got us off the grid - or close to it. We've also found some beautiful places to unplug here in Wisconsin. Finally, I've been to 48 states and am excited to cross Nos. 49 and 50 off pretty soon.

What was your biggest career learning experience?

I can think of no two better jobs that prepared me for… just about anything… than being a resident adviser and tour guide for three years as an undergraduate in college. Special shout-out to our student employees here at Marquette in Admissions and Residence Life - they are doing incredible work in the lives of current and future Marquette students! I consider myself a lifelong learner, so in every job I've had (from house sitting at a goat farm to working at Auntie Anne's Pretzels to helping identify and build new enrollment markets in one of my first professional jobs), I've appreciated opportunities to be challenged to problem solve, work collaboratively and adapt to a broad range of circumstances - all while trying to find plenty of opportunities for joy, laughter and camaraderie along the way.

Brian and his wife Claire dressed up for their annual Derby Party.

Any fun facts people should know about you?

I'm a two-time foosball intramural champion, and my family tells me I make the best popcorn in the world (in a cast iron kettle over a campfire). True to our Kentucky roots, my family hosts a Derby Party every May. Also, while I'm not a Marquette alum… yet - I'm working on my doctorate here in Educational Policy and Leadership - many people may not know that Marquette was my top choice for college when I was a high school senior. While I made the choice to enroll elsewhere (and yes, I cheer for my alma mater as long as they aren't playing Marquette), I've long felt a connection to Marquette and to Milwaukee. When I met my wife (we were tour guides together in college), I learned that Marquette was at the top of her list as well, so I like to think that we just took the scenic route to get to this special place.

What most excites you about being at Marquette?

It's the mission-centered, life-changing work happening here every day. Our mission calls us to "serve God by serving our students and contributing to the advancement of knowledge," and in my eight-plus years here, I've always been inspired seeing our faculty, staff, students and alumni consistently delivering on that mission. We are Marquette!

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