Brian received his PhD in Sociology from the University at Albany, SUNY. Brian’s research adopts a cultural sociology framework to examine the roles of media, technology, and popular culture in civil society. In particular, Brian is interested in how different groups use entertainment media such as video games to promote social solidarity and explore sociopolitical issues. Brian also applies insights from these research areas to help develop innovative game-based learning software and other applications. Brian's work has been published in American Journal of Cultural Sociology, Games and Culture, Sociology Compass, and Computers in Human Behavior.