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
GI Faculty Member Dr. Igor Grossmann Awarded $1.5 Million Grant for His Interdisciplinary Project
Games Institute (GI) faculty member Dr. Igor Grossmann (Psychology), in collaboration with his team at Wisdom and Culture Lab, successfully secured a $1.5 million grant for their “Wisdom across cultures beyond traditional decision-making paradigms” project.
AMD Representatives Visit the Games Institute
The Games Institute (GI) welcomed representatives from AMD, a global leader in advanced computing technologies. The delegation toured the GI facility, exploring GI labs and learning about ongoing research that are currently taking place at the GI.
GI Faculty Members Launch New Podcast Series
This past summer, Drs. Pejman Babaei (Ontario Tech University) and Jennifer Whiston (Sociology and Legal Studies) launched the Changing Gamedev Life, a podcast dedicated to showcasing stories and experiences of people working within the games industry.
Blog
PhD 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.
GI 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.
"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.