I am a faculty in the Simulation and Game Development (SGD) department at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). I graduated with an AAS in SGD from CPCC and went on to receive my Bachelors of Arts from Full Sail University in 3D Computer Animation. I enjoy playing (when time allows) and developing games myself. For the most part, I play console games on my PS4 and I play Xbox games on my PC, :). I enjoy games like FarCry, Final Fantasy, Diablo, most JRPGs. I don't enjoy Fighting Games all that much but I get it. I prefer co-op games over competitive multi-player. I specialize in Game Development with Unity and Unreal as well as 3D Animation, Modeling, Rigging, and Lighting in Maya. Unreal is my preferred engine for lighting and level design but I prefer the Unity workflow for programming and 2D games.
The Game Industry, as always, is constantly changing and growing. The skills and tools that students are using also change with the ebb and flow of the industry. It has been a number of years since we, as educators, have gotten together to discuss our mission and shared opportunities. In this panel, we will discuss what the future holds for Video Game and Simulation education. We would like to share ideas and strategies to ensure that students are employable and gaining the skills necessary to reach their goals. We hope to have industry leaders and educational leaders attend to get the most out of this session. We want to discuss collaborative opportunities, PD opportunities for Faculty, work with Industry Leaders, etc. to ensure that we are all on the right track for the success of our students.