On March 7, 2023, the Games Institute welcomed a delegation of researchers from Saxion University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands. The researchers, guests of the Dean of Health Dr. Lili Liu, presented health research that intersects with games and immersive and interactive technologies.
On January 24th, the Office of Research hosted “The AI Tsunami – Where will it take us?”, a panel discussion on the future and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Jobsite Brewing Co. in Stratford, Ontario. Dr. Will Zhao (Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business) and Evan Jones (GI Advisory Board Member) were among those speaking on the panel.
GI member and PhD candidate, Toben Racicot (English Language and Literature) braved the weather on January 25, 2023, to present a lecture on making loot in role-playing games (RPGs) more accessible and enjoyable. This was a part of the “Projects and Research by English Students” (PRES) lecture series run outside of the UW English Languages and Literature Department.
The Haptic Experience (HX) Lab is seeking a post-doctoral scholar to assist with a variety of projects involving haptics, physical interactive technology, and human-computer interaction. There is a great deal of flexibility in the topic, as the post-doc will be able to manage existing projects while having the opportunity to further their own research agenda. There will be ample opportunity for student mentorship, grant writing, and lab management experience in addition to core research activities.
Congratulations to Drs. Lili Liu (Dean of the Faculty of Health) and Ben Thompson (Optometry and Vision Science) who were awarded the Graham Seed Fund, launched by the Health Initiatives team at UW!
On January 19th, 2023, Dr. Adan Jerreat-Poole (Communication Arts) was a speaker at the 6-part “DS Bytes: A Lunchtime Speaker Series” where they discussed Glitch Feminism, disability, and technology.
The University of Waterloo Games Institute has secured $25,000 of funding per year over two years from the Ontario government to provide scholarships to students pursuing careers in the gaming and esports industries. The successful application was an interdisciplinary collaborative effort between the Games Institute (GI) and the faculties of Arts, Health, Math, Engineering, and Science.
On November 22nd, GI membersDrs. Jennifer Whitson (Sociology and Legal Studies), Kristina Llewellyn (Social Development Studies), and Steve Wilcox (University of Wilfrid Laurier) discussed the intersection between education and games.
In partnership with the GI, AGE-WELL hosted a hybrid networking event for researchers, industry professionals, and advocates in public health and aging on November 18th. The event was managed by Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Hector Perez (School of Public Health Sciences) and PhD students Adebusola Adekoya (School of Public Health Sciences) and Isabella Rosa Chawrun (School of Public Health Sciences)
On November 4th, Drs. Lai-Tze Fan and Jon Saklofske led a game jam workshop where participants explored how game environments and tools can encourage players and developers to pursue broader social, cultural, and interpersonal understandings.