Current Courses
Spring 2025
-
GAMES 3670-001
Texturing for 3D -
GAMES 3675-001
Texturing for 3D II -
GAMES 6110-001
Game Studio -
GAMES 6670-001
Texturing for 3D
Fall 2024
Professional Organizations
- UDEN, Utah Digital Entertainment Network. 06/01/2016 - present. Position : Member.
- HEVGA, Higher Education Video Game Alliance. 06/01/2016 - present. Position : Voting Member.
- IDGA, International Game Developers Association. 06/01/2016 - present. Position : Member.
- Gapp Lab, Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab. 08/12/2013 - present. Position : PI & CO-PI.
- Polycount . 09/2012 - present. Position : Member.
Teaching Philosophy
Create a learning environment that stimulates student’s imaginations and helps them reach creative solutions to challenging problems. My approach incorporates lectures, demonstrations and one-on-one instruction adapted to the particular needs of the class with a focus on interdisciplinary projects that parallel industry pipelines.
I have taught many different types of students, including high school students, undergraduates, graduates, and other professionals at small independent game companies. From experience, I have found that students are the most prepared for success after graduation when immersed in a curriculum that gives them an opportunity to work in multiple interdisciplinary groups. These groups blend the boundaries between art, technology, design, and production. Students become experts in their respected fields with firsthand knowledge of the effects their decisions have on the creative process. This makes them better teammates, colleagues, and professionals by understanding complex production pipelines used in interactive media from multiple perspectives.
New students are taught in algorithmic systems that allow them to learn new tools quickly by seeing the immediate results of their actions. As students develop they are given more freedom and chances to explore creative solutions, knowing that failure is an acceptable outcome. This process leads to deeper thinking and more innovative products. By having a project driven work environment students learn by doing, resulting in tangible assets they can show and real experience they can articulate.
I love game art, but even more I love teaching others how to create beautiful games. For me, there is nothing more fulfilling then helping someone else learn the tools necessary to create something out of their imagination. Seeing students learn, grow, and applying their knowledge to create something others can experience is why I continue to develop and teach courses in Games.