The Games Institute acknowledges that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.
Welcome to the Games Institute
The Games Institute (GI) is an interdisciplinary research centre at the University of Waterloo, advancing the study of interactive and immersive technologies and experiences.
News Bites
Stay up-to-date with the latest GI activities. Our News Bites report on recent conferences, keynote addresses, and recent research activities of our members.
Research Spotlights
For more in-depth breakdowns of ongoing research projects, check out our Research Spotlights for full write ups of events and up close and personal testimonies with our researchers and members.
News
- Sep. 19, 2023ADE Committee Speaker Series Continues with 8 Fall Events
Drs. Gerald Voorhees and Daniel Harley, in association with the Anti-Racism, Decolonization, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ADE) Committee at the Games Institute, are continuing their SSHRC-funded ADE for Game Communities: Workshop and Speaker Series with an additional 8 events this term. The Speaker Series is creating opportunities for meaningful equitable change in games academia and industry that requires active and inclusive community-building.
- Sep. 11, 2023Esports Scholarships Continued
- Aug. 11, 2023HCI Games Group Members Awards Announcements
Congratulations to Drs. Sebastian Cmentowski and Reza Hadi Mogavi, two post-doctoral fellows from the HCI Games Group, led by Dr. Lennart Nacke (Stratford), for being awarded the Provost’s Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars and the Lupina Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship respectively! Mogavi joins the group as the second postdoctoral fellow to receive the Lupina award in the group after Dr. Eugene Kukshinov won the award in 2022.
Events
Blog
- Dec. 5, 2022PhD Student Sid Heeg speaks at GI about refuting misinformation around farming on social media
On October 19th, 2022, PhD student Sid Heeg (School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development) presented “Reap What You Sow: Refuting Misinformation about Farming and Farm Practices.” The talk was an overview of Heeg’s dissertation research focusing on the misinformation that circulates on social media about farmers and farming, including the effects and harms this misinformation has on the farmers themselves.
- Dec. 5, 2022GI Members take part in Dibaajimowin exhibition at Waterloo Region Museum
On September 27th, the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum unveiled a new exhibit to the public—”Dibaajimowin | Stories From this Land.” The exhibit was assembled by Anishinaabe curator Emma Rain Smith, an MA student from Waterloo. The exhibit highlights Indigenous contributions to the region’s history with an emphasis on Urban Indigeneity. GI members Dr. Aynur Kadir (University of British Columbia) and PhD student Sid Heeg (Environment, Enterprise, and Development) took part in the design, curation, and research associated with the exhibition. The entire project is the result of the collaborative work between researchers, activists, and community members from the region, including the University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University.
- Oct. 25, 2022"A Discussion on Games and Health” Highlights the Effectiveness of Interactive Technologies
On July 5th, Drs. Lili Liu (School of Public Health Sciences), John Muñoz (Systems Design Engineering), and Michael Barnett-Cowan (Kinesiology and Health Sciences) were brought together to share their knowledge and expertise on how games and interactive technologies are being used in the healthcare industry. The panel was hosted and moderated by the Games Institute’s Research Communications Officer Dr. Emma Vossen.
Meet our people
Ben Thompson
Professor, Optometry and Vision Science
Ben Thompson's background is in visual neuroscience and his research interests relate to the development and plasticity of human visual brain areas.