Faculty Members and Postdoctoral Fellows

Eugene Kukshinov

Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Eugene is a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Lennart E. Nacke. He focuses on media psychology research, including areas of presence and immersion studies, media psychology issues (such as media identity, and representation), and analysis of Russian hegemonic discourses. You should talk to Eugene if you want help with the conceptualization/categorization or design parts of your research projects or of you like ping pong, tabletop/video games, sports, and movies. Learn more about Eugene - eugenekukshinov.com.

Geneva Smith

Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Geneva is a postdoctoral fellow in the HCI Games Group and TouchLab. She received her Ph.D. in Software Engineering from McMaster in 2023, where she worked in the G-ScalE Lab in the Department of Computing and Software developing methods for acknowledging and limiting subjectivity in CME development to improve their reusability, maintainability, and verifiability. The core goal of her research, funded through the Provost's Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars, is to examine the relationship between the programmed system, user interaction, and a user's perception of Interactive Digital Narratives (IDNs) to guide IDN development processes and tools for satisfying pro-social learning experiences. 

Reza Hadi Mogavi

Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Sebastian Cmentowski

Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Sebastian is a postdoctoral fellow in the HCI Games Group. His research, funded through the Provost's Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars, centers on using XR exergames to trigger behavioral change and fight sedentary lifestyles. Stay up to date with Sebastian's work by following him on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Omar is a researcher in the fields of machine intelligence, automatic control systems, robotics, machine vision, and autonomous systems. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, where my research spans machine learning-enhanced vision systems, adaptive control design, industry automation, and teleoperation of remote robotic applications.

Learn more about Omar on his UW profile.

Experimental Digital Media

AC completed their Masters in Experimental Digital Media in 2020, and as UW Alumni continues to be a part of the Games Institute community to give game design advice and participate in events such as Coffee & Games. They currently work full-time as a board game designer for Wiggles 3D and Cloudfall Studios. Some published games include Captain's Gambit; The Golden Ticket Game; Ozark; Um, Actually; and One-Hit Heroes.

Urban Planning and Urban Design

Anna is the Esports Coordinator at Athletics and Recreation - leading gaming initiatives across campus as well as collaborating with the Region of Waterloo. Holding a Bachelors in Environmental Studies, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo in Urban Planning with a specialization in Urban Design. Aside from collegiate esports, she has professional experience working as a Franchise Operations Assistant at Toronto Ultra and Toronto Defiant. Anna was selected as one of three general managers to participate in LCS Game Changers 2023 where to built, promoted, and lead her team to win the inaugural championship in the Riot Games Arena. She is interested in growing the collegiate esports scene in Canada and continue to strive for a safe and include gaming space for all to participate in.

English-Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communications

Emma is a graduate of the undergraduate Honours Co-op English-Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communications program at the University of Waterloo, with a special interest in Canadian Literature and Media. Her passion is in helping others communicate themselves with fluency and creativity, and encouraging confidence in their ideas.

Esports and Gaming Coordinator, Recreation and Business

Greg leads the University of Waterloo’s Esports portfolio, with specific focus on student engagement and development. He is the co-director of the University of Waterloo Interdisciplinary Network for Esports, a group which concentrates on the creation and growth of research, teaching and learning, and student engagement as it relates to esports. Greg acts as a council member on Esports Canada Postsecondary and an advisor to the Waterloo Region Esports Commission, both of which aim to enhance esports impact in Canada and in the Region of Waterloo. Greg’s background is in program development, implementation, and evaluation. He has extensive experience in community building, and grassroots programming. Greg has led the growth of the esports portfolio to include cooperative education opportunities, work integrated learning, student leadership opportunities, varsity program development, public grants, private sponsorship, and community partners.

Systems Design Engineering

Mohamed is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Oliver Schneider (Haptics Experience Lab), to design and build a platform to house and share haptic creations, called Haptiverse. The Haptiverse is for designers, musicians, game developers and anyone tinkering in haptic experiences and research as the main users. When he is not working, he enjoys coaching cycling, photography (in film) and sometimes acting, which helps him to recharge and satisfy his insatiable sweet tooth.

Contacts

LinkedIn

Instagram: @foudamo

High school student working with Dr. Randy Harris

Maarifa is passionate and creative student with a strong interest in technology, coding, and problem-solving. Proficient in programming languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript, she enjoys making personal projects that include creating websites using JavaScript React and a AI in Python. Key areas of her interest include but are not limited to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and web development.

Maarifa has an eagerness to innovate, hence she is driven toward seeking all opportunities where she can apply her technical skills meaningfully.