Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Graduate, Communication and Media

Other Affiliations: Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School

Doctoral Candidate, HASS Fellow

The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) at Rensselaer

Thesis Title: Meaningful clicks, significant bricks: Perceptions of creative agency in physical and virtual play

About

My research explores perceptions of creativity and agency emerging through the performance of virtual activity. It also examines ways to measure and assess opportunities for informal learning and imaginative, contributive, and self-directed play in videogame and Internet environments. 

Other research interests include finding ways to integrate tangible, or material artifacts in digital spaces to enrich technology environments for young people overall. To this end, I co-designed an experimental video game that uses physical objects to instigate virtual play. The game, "Animal Wrangler," won third place at the Vicarious Visions Fifth Annual Game Festival and Symposium at RPI in April 2009.  See link below for demo. 

http://www.llc.rpi.edu/pl/news-archive-627/?objectID=876&category=2009&item=05

My professional background is in business, health, and educational film and video media production.  In addition to pursuing a doctoral degree at RPI, I also hold a Master of Science degree in Film, Television, and Radio from the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University. 

In 2009 I received a certificate in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) from RPI, and in 2011 I completed an internship in game design at 1st Playable Productions, LLC, in Troy,New York, where I worked with the design team on Moxie Girlz, a Nintendo game for the DS. http://www.1stplayable.com/games.asp

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