Positions

Harrisburg University of Science & Technology

Assistant Professor of Interactive Media (July 2022 - present). I teach and research with the faculty of the Interactive Media program, focusing on game design, research methods, and purposeful games.

Explorations in Media Ecology

Editorial Assistant (Sept. 2019 - Dec. 2022). I assisted the Editor-in-Chief and the Managing Editor in collecting, routing, and editing academic work for the official journal of the Media Ecology Association. I managed file transfers, proofread for style and content, and maintained collegial communication with all contributors to the journal. 

Drexel University Communication Culture and Media Program

PhD student (Sept. 2017 - June 2022). I served as a Lead Instructor, Teaching Assistant, and Research Assistant while completing coursework, exams, and dissertation.

Communication, Culture and Media Association of Doctoral Students

Former VP of Communication (17-18), former Treasurer (18-19), former President (19-20), former VP of Alumni Affairs (20-21). CCMADS helps doctoral students communicate, collaborate, and advocate with faculty and each other.

Publications

Materiality of Keepsake Games: Theorizing a newly named game form. With Wes Willison, MDiv. Proceedings of the GENeration Analog Tabletop Games and Education Conference. February 2023

Facebook Live is not "liked:" Construction of Liveness and the Reception of Video Livestreaming. With Dr. Asta Zelenkauskaite. New Media and Society. February 2022.

Within these pages… With Dr. Alex Jenkins. Invited editorial for the special 20th anniversary edition of Explorations in Media Ecology. Explorations in Media Ecology. Published in Vol. 20 Issue 1. December 2021.

Book Review: “The Qualified Self” by Lee Humphreys. For “Explorations in Media Ecology.” Published in Vol. 19 Issue 1. March 2020.

Pilots, Squad Leaders, Commanders, and Filmmakers: Player Positionality and Fan Rewriting in the Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game. Published in the Journal of Analog Game Studies, Vol V, Issue 1. March 2018.

Can Friendship be Stronger Than War? Mechanics of Trauma in The Grizzled. Published in the Journal of Analog Game Studies, Vol IV, Issue 1. January 2017.

The First Nations of Catan: Practices in Critical Modification. Published in the Journal of Analog Game Studies, Vol. II, Issue 7. November, 2015.

Panels Chaired

Prestige Gaming: Social Capital Around and Away From the Table. Panel co-chair with Dr. Greg Niedt. Zones of Connection conference. May 2021.

Fandom and Gaming Salon. Panel co-chair with Jonathon Lundy. Presented “X-Wing Miniatures Game: Analog Gaming, Fan Practice, Materialized Media.” October 2020.

Presentations

Games, Digital and Otherwise: A Tetradic Analysis of Game Forms. With Dr. Alex Jenkins. Presentation at the Convention of the Media Ecology Association. June 2020.

Sex, Love, and Board Games: Player Positionalities and Queer Potentials in Three Contemporary Tabletop Games. Presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Popular Culture Association conference in Pittsburgh, PA. November 2019.

DOOMed to a Culture of Violence? With Dr. Ernest Hakanen, Dr. Alex Jenkins, and Sreyashi Mukherjee. Presentation at the International Communication Association conference in Washington, D.C. May 2019.

Playing Through the Great War: A ‘Values At Play’ Comparison of ‘Valiant Hearts’ and ‘The Grizzled.’ With Dr. Alex Jenkins. Presentation at the Popular and American Culture Association conference in Washington, D.C. April 2019

‘Pandemic Legacy: Season One’: Alpha Consumers’ Reactions to Innovative Consumability. Presentation at Drexel University Communication Culture and Media Association of Doctoral Students’ conference. May 2018. 

Critical Modifications: Subversive Tactics for Modding Board Games. Presentation at Let’s Play PA, Harrisburg, PA. Feb. 2017. View slides here.

Invited Talks

Game Studies as Media Studies. Guest lecture in Dr. Candace Roberts’ “Intro to Media” course at St. John’s University. Nov. 2020.

Communication At Play: What It’s Like To Study Games. Guest lecture in Dr. Alex Jenkins’ “Dragon Scholars: Communication” course, designed to introduce newly-admitted students to college-level coursework in the Communication Studies department. Slides available here.

What Is A Game? An Introduction to Game Studies. Guest lecture in Dr. Bob Rehak’s Video Game Theory and History class at Swarthmore College. Sept. 2019. Slides available here.

Critical Games: Board Games for Fun and Social Change. Invited talk as a part of Drexel University Graduate College “Scholars Share” series. Sept. 2018.

Is It A Game? Game Design Fundamentals. Guest lecture in Dr. Bob Rehak’s Video Game Theory and History class at Swarthmore College. Designed and ran a simple game to introduce students to basic game design concepts. Led discussion and debrief of game. Sept. 2016.

Courses Taught

(as lead instructor)

Game Studies for Game Designers, Spring 2023

• Survey course introducing students to the breadth of methods, disciplines, and approaches contained within Game Studies. Students apply theories by undertaking actual game analysis of one or two “focus games” throughout the term.

Introduction to Game Design, Spring 2023

• Theory and practice course preparing students to design games. Covers theoretical approaches to creativity and game design, and introduces students to basic digital game design tools (e.g. Twine, Bitsy).

Purposeful Games: Contexts & Concepts, Fall 2022

• Survey course covering games for health, education, politics, etc. Includes overview of serious games, theories of media effects, and game design applications.

Games User Research, Fall 2022

• Research methods course focused on digital game design. Covers practical playtesting advice, research ethics training, introductory social science theories, and industry trends and best practices.

Theories & Models of Communication, Fall 2020 (remote synchronous).

• Core theory course for Communication Studies undergraduates. Covers history, theories, and applications of Communication Studies from Aristotle to present.

Business Communication, Fall 2018, Summer 2019, Fall 2021 (remote asynchronous). 

• Writing intensive course with a workplace focus. Students learn basics of grammar and composition while creating workplace documents (letters, memos, blogs, reports, etc.).

Technical Communication, Summer 2020 (remote synchronous), Summer 2021 (remote asynchronous), Fall 2021 (remote asynchronous).

• Writing intensive course with a technical focus. Students learn technical writing skills while creating instructions, proposals, reports, etc.

Techniques of Speaking, Fall 2019,  Winter 2019, Spring 2020 (remote synchronous), Fall 2020 (remote synchronous). 

• Introductory public speaking course. Students learn speech and rhetoric, workshopping and presenting multiple speeches throughout the course.

Professional Presentations, Fall 2018 (remote asynchronous), Summer 2019.

• Advanced public speaking in a workplace context. Students build on extant public speaking skills to deliver pitches, proposals, and informational presentations with and without a variety of visual aids. 

Courses Co-Taught

(as teaching assistant)

Models of Justice, Winter 2020.

• Special topics seminar introducing conceptual approaches to justice and moral philosophy. Taught inside Philadelphia’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility with both incarcerated and non-incarcerated students. 

Video Games as Communication, Spring 2019.

• Special topics seminar treating video games within a Communication and Media Studies context.