Grady Fellowship Profile: Eric Baker

A smiling man is surrounded by five Sesame Street Muppet characters. Next to the photo, text reads: Alumni Award Honoree and Fellowship Inductee Eric Baker ABJ 90, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia.

Grady Fellowship Profile: Eric Baker

March 20, 2025

Congratulations to Eric Baker (ABJ ‘90) for being named the recipient of the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. Baker will also be inducted into the Grady College Fellowship at Grady Salutes on April 25, 2025. 

Red graphic titled Eric Baker showing his background: Telecomm Arts Major, 1990. Current role: Senior Creative Director at Universal Creative. Former jobs listed at Nickelodeon, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Universal Studios.

Baker began his career as a prop fabricator at Nickelodeon, working on shows like Clarissa Explains it All and Gullah Gullah Island. He spent his career in TV and film production working to bring the show to life, leading him to his career in theme park design.

After 20 years of experience in TV and film production, Baker now serves as the senior creative director on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic™ for Universal Creative. Baker has worked on numerous theme park worlds, including Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade™, The Wizard World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley™ and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. He has earned numerous Themed Entertainment Association Awards (THEA) for his work. To learn more about Baker, check out the documentary (and book) called One Day at Disney.

Baker graduated from Grady College in 1990 with a degree in telecomm arts, which has grown into the entertainment and media studies program.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Baker.

Grady College: How did your time at Grady College shape where you are today?

Eric Baker: My time at Grady introduced me to many lifelong friends who had similar dreams and aspirations to myself.  Through these friendships we were able to help each other with our careers and grow professionally because of our time together at Grady and UGA.

GC: What advice do you have for today’s Grady College students?

EB: If someone asks you if you can do something and you don’t know how to do it, always tell them you DO know how to do it then figure it out.  I have made a career out of this and it’s worked out pretty great. 

A group of people smiles and poses for a photo in front of a building labeled Gringotts Bank at what appears to be a theme park attraction. The scene is bright and lively with other visitors in the background.
Baker with New Media Institute students on their tour of Universal Studios in 2024 (Photo/NMI).

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

EB: Do not worry about choosing to go to your first Jimmy Buffett concert instead of studying for your Journalism 101 final exam. Yes you will make a “D” by one point and have to retake the class but it is well worth it plus you make an “A” your second time around and your GPA really needed that as much as you needed the Buffett concert.

GC: What does this recognition mean to you?

EB: It is the culmination of over 30 years of striving to be at the top, working endless hours on film sets, theme park attractions, and sharing my dreams and skills with the world.  It is a humbling award that I would have never ever imagined I was even considered for such a prestigious honor.

GC: What motivates you?

EB: Being challenged motivates me.  Do not ever tell me that something can’t be done creatively or because of budget. I will find a way to do it and make it something to be proud of. 

GC: What are the most important skills communicators should master?

EB: Being honest and kind with everyone you encounter is one of the greatest skills one can have.  Put down your electronic devices, talk with the people you work with, enjoy the creative environment you work in, and the people who share your life with you.

A man stands beside a tall, unfinished lion sculpture made of stacked layers of material in a workshop. A wooden board with reference images and a ladder are in the background.
Baker reviewing the construction of the Gryffin Satatue that stands in the entrance to Hogwarts Castle at the Wizarding World if Harry Potter Hogsmead™  in Orlando (Photo/Eric Baker).

GC: What skills and/or values and/or circumstances do you attribute to your success?

EB: Always striving to be the best and always figuring out how to complete a task even if I have no idea how to do it.  Don’t be afraid of endless hours of work.  Make yourself invaluable to the people around you. Be persistent and never give up.  

The 2025 Fellowship Inductees will be recognized along with the 2025 Alumni Award recipients during the annual Grady Salutes event. This year’s Grady Salutes will be a luncheon on Friday, April 25. Details about sponsorship information and reservations can be found on our Grady Salutes registration page.

Editor: Madden Callahan, emc50486@uga.edu

A young man applies makeup to another man in a suit and tie. A quote from Eric Baker encourages figuring things out as you go. The image is branded with the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.