You Can’t Win if You Don’t Play: eGaming in 2022 and Beyond

Tuesday May 10, 2022 | 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Burwell Career Achievement Center

“Every age has its storytelling form, and video gaming is a huge part of our culture. You can ignore or embrace video games and imbue them with the best artistic quality. People are enthralled with video games in the same way as other people love the cinema or theatre.”
Andy Serkis, The Guardian

 

eGaming, or ‘gaming’ as it’s popularly known, is one of the fastest growing fields in the world and only gaining in popularity. Although difficult to narrow down to one definition, eGaming encompasses video gaming, online gaming, computer gaming, Esports, multiplayer games, and beyond. Opportunities abound to be a part of this multi-billion dollar global industry – From degree programs and courses in computer science, marketing, the arts, engineering, and entrepreneurship to opportunities in publishing, streaming, legal rights, events, gaming, merchandise, Esports team ownership and agency, and more, there has never been a more opportune time to explore this exciting domain!

    person playing computer video games

    Register below for the upcoming symposium

    The University of Denver wishes to explore how our institution can think innovatively about opportunities within eGaming to engage in this industry in unique and meaningful ways. With that in mind, we look forward to hosting a discussion on what the University of Denver’s unique contribution to the eGaming domain can be and should be. Can eGaming map onto the University’s public good mission? 

    Join us for a Community + Values eGaming Symposium May 10, 2022 to hear faculty, industry experts, gamers, designers and developers address the current state of gaming, alternative models of understanding and exploring gaming, and what next steps DU can and should take to provide new and exciting opportunities – curricular and co-curricular – to be part of the gaming world.

    This Community + Values Symposium was planned in partnership with: 

    video game playing

    Join us in learning more about eGaming!

    • Lunch & Learn! – An Interactive Kickoff Lunch | 12:00 – 12:45 pm
    • Session 1: The Current State of eGaming: Trends, Insights & Impacts | A Panel Conversation | 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
    • Session 2: Differentiation at DU: eGaming Now & in the Future | A Moderated Roundtable & Q&A | 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
    • eGaming & the Experts: A Gaming Networking Event | 3:45 pm – 4:30 pm

    All events will be held at the Burwell Career Achievement Center

    Register Now!

    Lunch & Learn! – An Interactive Kickoff Lunch

    12:00 - 12:45 pm

    Join fellow DU community members and eGaming industry experts for food and conversation while trying out eGaming systems and learning more about the field through experiential opportunities! Play video games, classic arcade games, computer games, and more in a fun, stress-free environment. Learn from industry experts, developers, and gamers about different styles of games and what makes gaming exciting!

    Session 1: The Current State of eGaming: Trends, Insights & Impacts | A Panel Conversation

    1:00 - 2:15 pm, Moderated by Provost Mary Clark

    The Pew Research Center reports that “nearly half of U.S. adults say they play video games on a computer, TV, game console or portable device like a cellphone – and the eGaming industry is only expanding. And with this growth comes questions on the benefits of eGaming along with concerns about the current state of play and alternative models of understanding gaming. This panel conversation will explore these questions and more as they dig into the question: if eGaming can map onto the University’s public good mission, what must we understand about this industry?

    • Learn more about the panelists

      Panelists listed alphabetically:

      panelist headshot

      Rafael Fajardo
      Associate Professor, Emergent Digital Practices

      College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Denver

      Rafael Fajardo (he/him) is an artist, designer, researcher, and educator. Born in Colombia, he migrated with his parents to the United States in 1968 and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Rafael earned his BA and BFA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He is currently an associate professor of Emergent Digital Practices at the University of Denver, where he is also core faculty for the LatinX Center and serves as a founding member on the board of advisors for IRISE, the Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality. In 2004, I.D. Magazine named Rafael among the top fifty designers in the United States. Through his work with SWEAT, Rafael has been creating boundary-blurring videogames as an art form since 2000. SWEAT’s earliest games, Crosser and La Migra, were recently featured in ReVisión, a 2022 exhibition at the Denver Art Museum. Rafael has also collaborated with artists Adán De La Garza and Justin Ankenbauer under the moniker of Dizzy Spell to curate a series of pop-up artist game arcades. Learn more about his work at rafaelfajardo.com and sudor.org.

      panelist headshot

      Scott Horowitz
      Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
      Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver

      Scott Horowitz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging. A trained biochemist, he stumbled on the power of gaming for improving both science and education during his postdoctoral fellowship, when he rediscovered the scientific principal behind the citizen science video game Foldit in his classroom. Since then, he has become a co-principal investigator of the Foldit project and has published several papers on improving structural biology research using citizen science gaming and the role of citizen science gaming in education. His Foldit research is currently supported by the National Science Foundation.

      https://www.horowitzlab.com/research-2
      http://fold.it/

      panelist headshot

      Dan Linnell
      Undergraduate Student, Communication Major with minors in Emergent Digital Practices, Entrepreneurship and Marketing
      University of Denver

      Dan is a DU student, majoring in Communication with minors in Emergent Digital Practices, Entrepreneurship and Marketing. He plans on graduating in 2023. Dan is an avid gamer and an aspiring podcast host. His hobbies include audio and video editing, streaming, content creator, music production and editing, and artistic welding.

      panelist headshot

      Dan Migala
      Co-President & Chief Revenue Officer, Legends

      Dan Migala Co-President and CRO, Global Technology Solutions Dan Migala joined Legends in 2022 as Co-President and Chief Revenue Officer for Global Technology Solutions (GTS), overseeing new business and revenue growth opportunities for the growing GTS business globally. A sports industry veteran, Dan has worked for or advised virtually every level of sports franchises, including organizations in MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, NCAA, MLS, the LPGA, Cricket Australia, New Zealand Rugby and more on issues related to marketing, non-traditional revenue generation, sponsorship, technology, ticket sales and using analytics to drive revenue growth. Prior to joining Legends, Dan was Co-Founder and Partner of 4FRONT, a global data and analytics, innovation, and digital media agency. 4FRONT was acquired by Legends in early 2022 and became part of Global Technology Solutions. Founded in 2007, Dan grew 4FRONT from himself and his business partner to a thriving organization with offices in Chicago, Dallas and Denver working with a diverse portfolio of sports and entertainment clients around the globe. Earlier in his career, Dan also served for nearly a decade as a columnist for SportsBusiness Journal and has authored three books on sports marketing. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Dan has served as the Director of the Masters in Sports Administration Program at Northwestern University, where he designed a "Non-Traditional Revenue Strategies" course. He holds a Masters of Sports Administration from Ohio University.

      www.team4front.com
      www.legends.net

      panelist headshot

      Michelle Sabick
      Dean, Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science
      University of Denver

      Dr. Michelle Sabick assumed the role of Dean of the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Denver in March of 2021. Previously, she was Dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology at Saint Louis University. She started her academic career at Boise State University, in the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Sabick earned a BSE degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa. Before moving to academia, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Orthopedics at the Mayo Clinic and worked as an upper extremity biomechanics researcher at the Steadman-Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation in Vail, CO. Throughout her career, Sabick has been passionate about improving undergraduate engineering education. She is highly involved in efforts to transform STEM teaching practices through mentoring faculty members as they adopt high-impact instructional practices in their courses.

    Session 2: Differentiation at DU: eGaming Now & in the Future | A Moderated Roundtable & Q&A

    2:30 - 3:45 pm, Moderated by Provost Mary Clark

    Building on our first panel conversation, roundtable participants in this conversation will dig into what eGaming looks like at DU and ways it can continue to evolve as a part of our mission. Panelists will discuss curricular and co-curricular options and how DU plans to take action and move forward as we embrace eGaming. The conversation will highlight opportunities for careers, business development, marketing, engineering, computer science, courses, and more. Additionally, alternative models of eGaming, including gaming focused on ever-changing demographics, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI), and the public good.

    *This roundtable will include an audience Q&A session

    • Learn more about the roundtable participants

      Panelists listed alphabetically:

      panelist headshot

      Vivek Choudhury
      Dean, Daniels College of Business
      University of Denver

      Vivek Choudhury is Dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He came to Daniels from the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB) in Washington, DC, where he had been serving most recently as Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Professor of Information Systems and Technology Management. At GWSB, he had previously also served as the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and as Interim Dean. Prior to GWSB, Vivek spent more than a decade at the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business in varying faculty and leadership roles. His earlier faculty positions were held at Florida State University and the University of Pittsburgh. Choudhury earned his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY and his PhD in Management (Information Systems) from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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      Chris GauthierDickey
      Associate Professor; Chair, Computer Science
      Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science
      University of Denver

      Professor Chris GauthierDickey is an Associate Professor, the Director of Game Development Programs, and the Chair of Computer Science at DU where he researches programming languages and improving JEDI in computer science.

      panelist headshot

      Rhonda M. Gonzales
      Dean, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
      University of Denver

      Rhonda M. Gonzales is dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of African History at the University of Denver. Her research combines the use of comparative linguistics, ethnography, oral tradition and more to recover early history. Sample publications include, Societies, Religion, and History: Central East Tanzanians and the World They Created, c. 200 BCE to 1800 CE published by Columbia University Press, Bantu Africa, 3500 BCE to Present, published by Oxford University Press, “Gender, Authority, and Identity in African History: Heterarchy, Cosmic Families, and Lifestages,” in The Palgrave Handbook of African Women’s Studies and a book forthcoming with Cambridge University Press, Family before Gender: history in Central and Eastern Africa, ca. 500-1900.

      panelist headshot

      Kate Hollenbach
      Assistant Professor, Emergent Digital Practices

      College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Denver

      Kate Hollenbach is an artist, programmer, and educator based in Denver, Colorado, US. She creates video and interactive works examining critical issues in user interface and user experience design with a focus on user habits, data collection, and surveillance. Her art practice is informed by years of professional experience and as an interface designer and product developer. She has presented and exhibited work in venues across the United States, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, SIGGRAPH, and INST-INT. Kate holds an MFA from UCLA Design Media Arts and a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Emergent Digital Practices at University of Denver and serves on the Board of Directors for the Processing Foundation.

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      Danielle Rourke
      Senior Higher Education Strategist, Dell Technologies

      Danielle is a Senior Higher Education Strategist for Dell Technologies. Prior to joining Dell, Danielle served as an Associate Director of Information Technology for the University of Colorado Boulder, where she championed new and innovative methods of utilizing technology to make education more accessible to under-served student populations. A technologist and analyst at heart, Danielle's true passion is helping broker technological solutions to help students, staff, and faculty across the globe engage more fully in the power of education. She’s been a gamer ever since she was a little girl and a main goal of her career is to help educators understand how to incorporate the global competencies and educational outcomes that gaming and esports can facilitate for students.

      https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellerourke/
      https://www.dell.com/en-us/dt/industry/education/esports.htm

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    eGaming & the Experts: A Gaming Networking Event

    3:45 - 4:30 pm

    After the symposium sessions, please join fellow participants for a networking event. Come learn about eGaming in Colorado and beyond, companies and experts in the Denver area, and opportunities for careers, internships, and more!

    Curious about eGaming? Find out More!

    Esports is the fastest growing entertainment industry in the world. Can Colorado attract the "Super Bowl" of esports, build the next arena, or launch the next league? Colorado leaders say "Game On!" and explain how the state is getting ready to become the #1 hub in the world for esports.
    Game On! eSports Colorado | CO Office of Economic Development & Int'l Trade

     

    Zhenghua Yang (Z) Shares How Video Games Saved His Life and How They Will Save Yours

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    Read more on gaming:

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    Read Article

    Esports Revolution: A Denver7 Special

    Featuring Scott Leutenegger and University of Denver students, this ABC Denver 7 segment talks about the "fame, fortune and furious competition of esports. The world of esports has exploded in popularity in recent years. If you’ve been surprised by the quick rise of competitive esports video gaming, you are not alone."

    Watch Segment

    CPR: Colorado Esports - Meet the gamers pioneering that journey

    Colorado wants to have an esports team in half of the state’s high schools. Meet the gamers pioneering that journey.

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    4FRONT eSports Enthusiast Denver Fan DNA October 2020 Report

    Learn more about the Fan DNA of Esports in Denver! With 23.2% of devices in the Denver area being tagged as eSports Enthusiasts, Denver matches up well compared to some of the top markets in the country. 

    View Report

    NPR: Video games as a community-building tool

    Omar Gallaga, technology reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, talks about the emergence of video games that encourage social interaction and build community.

    Read More

    APA: Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits, review finds

    Playing video games may boost children's learning, health and social skills, according to a review of research in American Psychologist.

    Learn More

    Additional Resources: