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September 2023

Message from IGM Director David Schwartz:

Hello from the start of fall semester. We’re busy with orientation, welcoming new and returning students, and one new faculty member, Assistant Professor Nick Lalone, who has already hit the ground running with research. You’ll see him start in the GIS sequence this fall. 


The staff and faculty have already started working on the new game showcase with a new name, EDGE. We’re seeing our first class of incoming 3DDD game art students in CAD, there are significant new grants, new co-op opportunities, and I even have a new Ph.D. student who will research games and security. 


We have an exciting year ahead! As usual, a lot is happening...please feel free to ping me any time. Thanks! Director Dave

Get Involved with IGM

Alums! We need you!


We have plenty of engagement opportunities ranging in commitment level coming up this academic year.


Alum Spotlight - Interview w/ Micah to be featured in our newsletters, social media, and on-campus displays. Email "I'm an alum, interview me!" to Micah at mxaigm@rit.edu


Visit Campus - Planning a trip to Rochester? stop by and see us- send Micah or Jill an email to let us know when you'll be here to make arrangements.


Donate to EDGE - Support a prize for our Experiential Development & Games Expo.


Become a Judge for EDGE - Join the judging panel for one of our award categories for our event in April. Looking for GDD and NMID alums. If interested, please email Ben Snyder at bwsigm@rit.edu.


Speak to students - We are always looking for alums to speak to our students about industry experiences, navigating a career after RIT, and other advise. If interested, please email Micah to connect you with opportunities.

We are always grateful for any and all involvement with us!

If you aren't interested in any of the above opportunities, consider following us on social media to stay in the loop -->

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This is IGME - official video tour

This is IGME

Video created by our incredible student ambassadors and tour guides: Kaelyn Beeman (GDD BS/MS '25) & Alexa Amoriello (GDD BS/MS '24)

Faculty Spotlight: Nick LaLone

Nick LaLone (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Interactive Games and Media. His research focuses on technology's role in disaster and how to train responders for the connected world. Nick earned a Masters in Sociology focusing on race, gender, and ethnicity, and a Ph.D. in Information Science and Technology from Pennsylvania State University. He most recently worked as an Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). At UNO, he worked with local, state, and federal levels of Emergency Management on the integration of computer technologies with emergency management, how map and geo-spatial technologies are a central portion of that integration, and how games can be better leveraged to train emergency responders and civilians for a future dominated by climate change.

In the past few years, Nick was awarded a Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative (CRII) grant by the NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) to explore ways information science could be applied during disaster. He additionally was rewarded a Medium grant from the same directorate focused on developing streaming media technologies to help in prototyping and iterating technology design.

Nick LaLone

Nick plans on working with the Niantic x RIT Geo Games and Media Research Lab as well as the Center for Geographic Information Science & Technology on creating a nationwide training program that brings consumer information communication technologies and emergency management capabilities closer together. In his spare time, Nick is involved with a number of fan-led efforts to understand the creation of Dungeons and Dragons and is constantly seeking rare, small batch board games that he hopes to start sharing with Faculty and Staff, and Students soon.

EDGE - Experiential Development & Games Expo

IGM is planning our annual Experiential Development and Games Expo, EDGE, which takes place on April 13th, 2024. Sponsored by IGM, EDGE brings together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals to celebrate the achievements of RIT student-led creative development teams.  


RIT students will submit their games and other interactive media experiences to be exhibited and reviewed in a variety of categories by panels of academic & industry experts. Following the exposition, category winners & “Best in Show” will be announced during the live award ceremony.


Stay updated about EDGE via our webpage: rit.edu/computing/school-interactive-games-and-media/edge

Co-op Spotlight:

Arkhé Constructing Tactile Relationships with the Intangible

Entrepreneurial Co-op

arke


“Arkhé” means origin, beginning, or source of action; it also describes the first principle from which others are derived.


Bearing this in mind, the Arkhé project aims to help people identify, understand, and interact with the fundamental, intangible relationships that exist around us. We achieve this by simplifying experiences to their base components and reframing core interactions in order to evoke complex emotions. Our projects share this universal goal despite their many different forms, ranging from educational tools to art installations.


Arkhé's projects have been demonstrated at a variety of shows, including Imagine RIT, the Rochester Fringe Festival, and the Frameless XR Symposium. The team invites you to their interactive installation, 

Living Room at rochesterfringe.com in September 2023.

Living Room by Arkhe

The team behind Arkhé is comprised of students and faculty from the Rochester Institute of Technology, spanning a broad range of experience levels and skillsets. With a fiercely democratic culture, all contributors are treated as valued co-creators who shape and mold an ever-evolving shared vision.



Professor Travis Stodter, Professor Jake Adams, Eli Cheramie, Tyler Aluko, Dylan Pegg, May Boyer, Alex Petty, Jackson Majewski, Nahom Ashagrea, Kelly Chen, Gian Aponte, Dennis Olmedo, Max Lama, Erin Ford

FEEDBACK WELCOMED:
If you have any questions, feedback, or exciting news, please email mxaigm@rit.edu. Your constructive feedback is always welcomed.
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