đź“° NEWS right now
In April 2024, I was a Juror for the 2024 Games For Change Festival (International). The Games For Change Festival is an annual event that brings together game developers, educators, researchers, and social innovators to explore the power of digital games and immersive media in creating positive social impact. (Watch last year's 2023 G4C Festival)
In March 2024, the UCF Undergraduate Game Design program was ranked #5 in the world by The Princeton Review. I am proud to have led the team that organized our application to the Princeton Review.
In January of 2024, my team and I at Ensemble Interactive began production on Wellness Hero, a video game for social impact that simulates depression, teaches coping skills, destigmatizes mental health challenges, and spreads awareness. Targeting a Summer 2024 release on iOS and Android.
In December of 2023, I organized a Scrum Master Certification Bootcamp, to teach the Scrum framework and principles as well as facilitation, servant leadership, and iterative design for effective Agile project management. The bootcamp was targeted at aspiring project managers and producers in the tech and games industy.
In October of 2023, my research team and I were awarded a $150,000 grant. The Unity Workforce Grant will expand our curriculum and community programs to specialize in AR/VR/MR devleopment.
In Septemeber 2023, I was appointed Industry Liaison for UCF Games and tasked with creating relationships with local and national companies in the games and tech industry to provide mentorship, internship, and paths after graduation for our Ditial Media students.
In Septemeber 2023, I began my 2nd year as Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the UCF Games and Interactive Media program.
In Summer 2023, I was a Juror for the 2023 Games For Change Festival (International). The Games For Change Festival is an annual event that brings together game developers, educators, researchers, and social innovators to explore the power of digital games and immersive media in creating positive social impact.
This Spring 2023, the UCF Undergraduate Game Design program was ranked #6 in the world by The Princeton Review. I am proud to have led the team that organized our application to the Princeton Review.
In April 2023, I was proud to present the 2023 UCF Undergraduate Games Showcase celebrating Game Design Workshop capstone projects. Congratulations to all of our teams!
2022
In December, I organized a Code Skill Up! Bootcamp, to teach programming for games to beginners and intermediate coders. It was open to all UCF Digital Media students and alumni.
In Novemeber, I was a Faculty Mentor to the Games For Change CCIJ (Cross Cultural Impact Jam). I represented UCF at an inter-collegiate Cross Cultural Impact Game Jam and Workshop. I spent 1 week as a Faculty mentor to all student teams. Five universities were represented from around the world. 10 of our own UCF students participated in 7 game projects and won 4 awards. Sponsored by Unity and Games for Change.
In Septemeber, I was appointed as Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the UCF Games and Interactive Media program.
In August, I was promoted to a new position as a permanent Lecturer of Games and Interactive Media at the Nicholson School at the
University of Central Florida.
Over the Summer, I was a Conference Presenter at the EA Get In The Game, a coding camp for Orlando area high school girls and non-binary students to prepare them for STEAM majors as they apply for undergraduate education. “Preparing for an Undergraduate Game Design Degree Program”
In July, I researched, and submitted expert analysis as an expert witness for a public interest court case involving accessbility in games and virtual reality.
In June, I began work as a Metaverse Producer and Director of Story at LunaOne, a virtual world, digital society, gaming experience, and cinematic universe.
In May, I completed my third semester as a full time Visiting Lecturer of Games and Interactive Media at the Nicholson School at the University of Central Florida. I am pleased to present our 7 Game Design Workshop game titles on Steam and
itch.io
This Spring, the UCF Undergraduate Game Design program was ranked #14 in the world for Top Games Program by The Princeton Review. I am proud to have led the team that organized our application to the Princeton Review.
In February, I presented on VR Experience Design at the Modern Audience Conference at Leeds-Beckett University with Dr. Anna Zaluczkowska (Presentation).
2021
In December, I completed my second semester as a full time Visiting Lecturer of Games and Interactive Media at the Nicholson School at the University of Central Florida. My students released games on Steam and
itch.io
In August, I moved to Orlando, Florida to continue teaching at UCF, but now in person, vaccinated, and masked đź‘Ź.
In May, I completed my first semester as a full time Visiting Lecturer of Games and Interactive Media at the Nicholson School at the University of Central Florida. This marks 1 year of nonstop online Zoom teaching. Exhale.
In April, I was selected for the Jury of the 2021 Games For Change Festival which will feature dozens of video games designed to redefine Learning, Social Issues, Civics, Health, and Wellness. (2021 Winners, 2020 Winners)
In January, I graciously accepted a new full time position as Visiting Lecturer at the Nicholson School of Communications in the esteemed Games and Interactive Media program at University of Central Florida. I'm grateful to all the students, colleagues, and mentors I've collaborated with at Ithaca College since 2018.
In January, I was honored to be featured in an article in Brooklyn College Magazine about my work as an alumni mentor to current students from my grad program at Brooklyn College's Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema.
2020
In December 2020, I taught a three day seminar on Designing Video Games for Social Impact for Playcrafting which is based in NYC but we had a truly global audience.
In October, I was a panelist and media analyst for livestream coverage of the 2020 Presidential & Vice Presidential Debates. Presidential Debate Coverage was sponsored by Ithaca College’s Department of Communication Studies, Project Look Sharp, and the Park Center for Independent Media. (Article)
In September, I presented at the AI Tech Summit 2020 from Global Startup Ecosystem. My presentation was called "AI Assist for the Independent Artist."
In the Summer, I was selected to teach a summer "Deep Dive" course I have created titled "Designing Video Games for Social Impact" for Ithaca College's School of Extended Studies.
In June, in response to the global pandemic, I was hired as an Instructional Design Consultant to Ithaca College's Summer Institute to help create "Flexible by Design", a summer program for faculty to receive instructional design training adapt their courses to online learning while maintaining access, equity, and rigor.
In Spring, I served on the Jury of the Silents Roar! Film Festival 2020 hosted by Wharton Studio Museum.
In May, I completed my second year as a full time Assistant Professor of Film, Television, and Emerging Media at Ithaca College in the Park School of Communications.
2019
In February 2019, I was selected as a fellow for the Institute on Antiracism and Equity, an interdisciplinary learning community of faculty leaders creating a space in which to hold difficult dialogues on race, design antiracism and equity learning experiences, and bring these to our departments and schools.
In Summer, I served on the Jury for the Hip Hop Film Festival 2019, Act Up! Screenwriter’s Showcase at Harlem Film House.
In Spring, I was selected as a Finalist for the Sundance Episodic Lab for my original drama series pilot "Man of the People".
In May, I completed my first year as an Assistant Professor of Film, Television, and Emerging Media at Ithaca College in the Park School of Communications.
In Spring, I was selected for the Center for Faculty Excellence Fellowship, a cross-disciplinary faculty learning community focused on enhancing inclusive teaching and learning in the classroom.
In Spring 2019, I served on the Jury of the Silents Roar! Film Festival 2019 hosted by Wharton Studio Museum at Ithaca College.
2019...
🎯 GOALS right now
- RELEASE Wellness Hero a mobile video game that WELLNESS HERO is a video game for social impact that simulates depression, teaches coping skills, destigmatizes mental health challenges, and spreads awareness.
- PUBLISH Stoker & Wilde Novella Book 1 as part of the introduction of the Cyril-verse story world and transmedia project. The manuscript is complete!
- SEEKING Producer roles on independent Games Projects with Social Impact themes.
🎨 CULTURE right now
Gaming - Polytopia, Warcraft Rumble, Vader Immortal VR, Artist Simulator, The Red Lantern, Fantasian, MiniMotorways
Podcasts - The Powers That Be, Pivot, Day X, The Trojan Horse Affair, Bustle Daily Pick, The Dropout S02
TV - Monarch, Midnight Mass, Haunting of Bly Manor, Picard S03, Last of Us, Succession S04, 1923, Foundation S02, 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, The North Water
Film - Saltburn, Anatomy of a Fall, Aftersun, Nope, Red Rocket, Titane, The Harder They Fall
Music - Caroline Polachek, Joy Oladokun, The Pogues, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Hosier
Reading - Mirrorshades (1989) by Various, Heat 2 by Michael Mann, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu, Post Corona by Scott Galloway, The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
All Past Culture Picks HERE 🎨
âś… PRODUCTIVITY right now
Apps - Apple Notes (Evernote is dead to me), Pocket Casts, Habitify, Ten Percent Happier, True Bill, ReadWise, SaneBox, Insight Timer, Lose It!, BeFocused Pro, Fantastical, Todoist, Exist.io, NoteShelf, Headspace
AI - ChatGPT 4, Midjourney
Services - Hydrant, Daily Harvest
Products - Google Home, drift Car Scents, FitBit Charge 5, Ember Mug 14oz, Full Focus Planner, Nutribullet Blender, MPOW 059BT Headphones