Workshops & Lectures

In addition to developing games, giving back to my student community through education is important to me. I have led workshops on game development and production, presented class lectures about the mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics of games and hosted a series of seminars in Spring 2019 about the history and design of horror games! As a graduate student researcher interested in user experience and game design, I have lectured on ways in which contemporary video games approach gender and racial inclusion--find my guest lectures below!

Intro to Production Fall 2018

Intro to Game Production Workshop

A 60 minute workshop I conducted to explain the basic duties of a game producer to students in UC Irvine's Video Game Development Club (VGDC). I explain the significance of having a producer on a game development team as well as introduce students to organizational software such as Trello, Slack and JIRA.

Scoping & Resources

Workshop

A 60 minute workshop where I (along with another VGDC productions officer) describe what "scope" means when it comes to designing video games. We list examples of games that are considered "in scope" given the quarterly constraints faced by students. We also provide students with a medley of useful resources both within and outside the club.

How Trello Works

How to use Trello

Workshop

A 60 minute interactive workshop I designed to educate VGDC club members on how to use the web-based project management software, Trello. The first 30 minutes of the workshop were used to familiarize students with Trello's user interface as well as display the various tools (i.e. setting deadlines, creating checklists, crossing out tasks) it has to offer. The last 30 minutes of the workshop were dedicated to checking in on student-led game development projects.

ICS 60: Games in Society MDA Lecture

Hosted a lecture for ICS 60: Games in Society regarding the importance of mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics (MDA) when designing video games. Used Silent Hill 2 as an example of a game that gracefully implements MDA. Offered insightful information about writing ICS 60's midterm essay, using my past paper from Spring 2016, which received the highest score in class.

The History & Design of Horror Games Seminars

UTeach allows undergraduate students to teach their own unique seminars during spring quarter. In Spring 2019, I had the opportunity to teach about the history and design of horror games! Major topics I covered included: the origins of horror games—from their conception in the early 1980s to how they are perceived in the gaming community today, important game titles that have solidified the horror game genre in the gaming world, the significance of atmosphere and sound design for horror games, as well as defining horror game subgenres and examples of games that exemplified those subgenres. Find all my lecture slides here!

UROP 2019 Symposium

Above are the slides I used to present my preliminary findings regarding the relationship between character gender and players' in-game behavior. The presentation took 15 minutes, followed by a 10 minute Q&A session. Further research will look into avatar gender and its relationship with time spent in character customization interfaces.

SLSA 2019 Conference

Presented alongside my advisor, Tess Tanenbaum, about the pleasures of participatory virtual theater. Demonstrated to a group of 30 scholars and professors that theater plays a significant role for queer kids of color to express themselves in safe environments and argued for the importance of robust virtual theater applications for kids who lack performing arts programs in their high schools. Find our abstract here!

CHI 2020 Conference

Presented a paper I co-authored with Tess Tanenbaum and Jeffrey Bryan regarding the need for more expressive non-verbal communication channels in social VR applications at the CHI 2020 conference in Honolulu in April 2020. Find our abstract here!

The History of Game Technologies
Spring 2021 Guest Lecture

I had the wonderful opportunity to host a pre-recorded online lecture for Professor Jack Murray at the University of Central Florida. I presented a lecture showcasing the history of horror media and game technologies, emphasizing the evolution of horror by the decades, noting trends, themes, and stereotypes accompanying each era. Find my slides here!

ICS 62: Game Technologies and Interactive Media
Spring 2021 Guest Lecture

I hosted a lecture highlighting the role of racial and gendered representation in video games for ICS 62: Game Technologies and Interactive Media at UC Irvine. I encouraged students via online activities to think about the significance of inclusive character design practices. Find my slides here!

Workshops & Lectures

Intro to Game Production Workshop

Scoping & Resources

Workshop

How to use Trello

Workshop

ICS 60: Games in Society MDA Lecture

The History & Design of Horror Games Seminars

UROP 2019 Symposium

SLSA 2019 Conference

CHI 2020 Conference

The History of Game Technologies Spring 2021 Guest Lecture

ICS 62: Game Technologies and Interactive Media Spring 2021 Guest Lecture

The History of Game Technologies
Spring 2021 Guest Lecture

ICS 62: Game Technologies and Interactive Media
Spring 2021 Guest Lecture