FDG

Mark Nelson is Assistant Professor of Computer Science at American University in Washington, DC. His research focuses on AI & games, including technical work on automated gameplay and analysis, design-support work using AI to empower designers, and conceptual work on formal models of games' mechanical and meaning-making elements. He is also co-author of the textbook Procedural Content Generation in Games (2016).

Staffan Björk is a full professor at the department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers and Gothenburg University. He has a PhD in Informatics from Gothenburg University and conducts research within the areas of gameplay design, pervasive games, and interaction design. A common theme in his research is to develop a design language for gameplay design. A primary result of this work is the gameplay design patterns concept and the book "Patterns in Game Design" co-written with Jussi Holopainen and published by Charles River Media. Together with Petri Lankoski he was editor for the book "Game Research Methods: An Overview". He has been active in promoting game research as a research discipline, being one of the founders of the Digital Games Research Association.

Dr. Gordon Calleja is Associate Professor at the Institute of Digital Games at the University of Malta and visiting Associate Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen's Center for Computer Games Research, which he headed for four years before moving to Malta. Gordon has a background in Game Studies, Literary Theory and Media Studies. His current research focuses on digital games and addresses three broad areas: game ontology, narrative in game environments and player experience. The latter is the focus of his recently released book by MIT Press: "In-Game : From Immersion to Incorporation" which investigates what makes digital games engaging to players and a re-examination of the concept of immersion. Supplementing his written work, Gordon also designs boardgames and digital games.

Dr. Daniel Vella is a lecturer at the Institute of Digital Games at the University of Malta, where he teaches classes in digital game studies, player experience and narrative in games. His research has focused on the development of theories of ludic and virtual subjectivity, on phenomenological and existential approaches to virtual world experience, on aesthetic theory and games, and on space and architecture in games. His work has been published in journals such as Game Studies, Countertext, the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research and Techne': Research in Philosophy and Technology. He is the co-author of the monograph Virtual Existentialism (Palgrave, forthcoming 2020). He is also active as a writer and narrative designer for games, most recently working on the board game Posthuman Saga (Mighty Boards, 2019).

Dr. Jichen Zhu is an Associate Professor of Digital Media at Drexel University, with a joint courtesy appointment in Computer Science. Her research interest lies at the intersection of human-computer interaction, interaction/game design, and artificial intelligence (AI). Her focus is designing and developing novel human-AI interaction, especially in the forms of adaptive interactive applications for learning and health. She has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed research publications. Her research has been funded by National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health.

Magy Seif El-Nasr is an associate Professor in the Colleges of Computer and Information Sciences and Arts, Media and Design, where she directs the PLAIT (Playable Innovative Technologies) Lab. Dr. Seif El-Nasr earned her Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University in Computer Science. Her research focuses on the intersection between artificial intelligence, human computer interaction, and scientific driven game design and development. She has developed computational tools and models of emotions and believable characters. She also focuses on developing methods for evaluating and adapting interactive media and game experiences. She led several federal funded projects on game user behavior analytics, evaluation methodology of interactive experiences (narrative and media), and measurements of engagement. She worked collaboratively with industry partners, including IgnitePlay, Electronic Arts, and Bardel Entertainment. She recently published two co-edited books: Game Analytics: Maximizing the value of player data and Nonverbal Communication in Virtual Worlds.

Dr. Jethro Shell is a senior lecturer in Games and Artificial Intelligence at De Monfort University, UK. He leads the BSc. Games Programming course that produces students that are focussed on the technological aspects of video game production. His research focus is on the development of games across multiple areas including virtual, augmented and mixed accessibility, artificial intelligence and programmatical development additionally with a specific interest in accessible games.

Stefano Gualeni is a philosopher who designs digital games and a game designer who is passionate about philosophy. He is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Digital Games (University of Malta) where he works in the intersections between continental philosophy and the design of virtual worlds. In summer, Stefano is a Visiting Professor at the Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) in Laguna Beach, California.

José P. Zagal is a Professor with the University of Utah’s Entertainment Arts & Engineering program. He is the author of Ludoliteracy: Defining, Understanding, and Supporting Games Education (ETC Press, 2010) and editor of both The Videogame Ethics Reader (Cognella, 2012) and, with Dr. Sebastian Deterding, Role-Playing Game Studies (Routledge, 2018). His most recent book, Game Design Snacks (ETC Press, 2019) is an edited collection of nuggets of game design wisdom covering various areas in game design with examples from commercially released videogames. José currently serves as Editor-In-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Transactions of the Digital Games Research Association. In 2016 José was honored as a Distinguished Scholar by the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) for his contributions to the field of games research.