2023 Speakers « Serious Play Conference

2023 Speakers

Our speakers are pioneers in an industry that is reshaping training and education. They are thought leaders, agents of change, breaking norms, doing things that have not been done before.

Terrell Page

Undergraduate Student
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Game-Based Worldbuilding and Collaborative Creative Writing

Lindsey Tropf

Founder & CEO
Immersed Games

Exploring an Authoring Tool for Problem-Based Game Learning

Peter Stidwill

Executive Producer
FableVision Studios

Five Tips for Researchers Who Want to Make Educational Games

Thiago Carneiro

Virtual Production Specialist
Girraphic

Career Guidance

Deb Fuller

Senior Instructional Designer
Stride, Inc.

Good Games Start With Content

Lydia Sani

Managing Partner
Redwood Performance Group

Activating Star Power: A Simulation Approach to Teaching Human Skills

Lee Downs

Senior Instructional Designer & Creative Lead
Redwood Performance Group

Activating Star Power: A Simulation Approach to Teaching Human Skills

Doug Whatley

CEO, BreakAway Games

Plenary Speaker

Nansy Khanano

3D Environmental Artist
Respawn Entertainment

What it Is Like to Be a 3D Environmental Artist Working on Video Games

Khaled Shariff

CEO
Project Whitecard Inc.

From Research to Reality: Crafting a Driver Training Game Through Rigorous Testing

Justin Matheson

Learning Technology Trainer
Saskatchewan Polytechnic

Practical Ways to Incorporate Existing Video Games into Education and Training

Leslie Gruis

Mathematician and Privacy Author

OK, We Democratized the Media, Now What?

Emma Westecott

Associate Professor, Game Design and Undergraduate Program Chair, Digital Futures
OCAD University

Bodies in Play

John Murray

Learning Experience Designer
The Chang School, Toronto Metropolitan University

Iterative Design of an Icebreaker Game for Online Courses

Jane Ji

CEO
Springbay

Teach Climate Change Through Playful, Experiential Learning

Corinne Brenner

Director of Learning and Development
Killer Snails

Is Augmented Reality for Me? AR for Science Classrooms

William Nation

Staff Psychologist
Board Gamers Anonymous

Creating TTRPG Worlds for Clinical Purpose: Live

Jade Norwood

Associate Creative Director
McKinney

Using Emotion to Teach

Wenyue Zheng

MDM Student
TMU
Chinese Gender Marginalization in Interactive Narrative

Kripa Salvaya

UX/ UI Designer
The Chang School, Toronto Metropolitan University

Iterative Design of an Icebreaker Game for Online Courses

Court Ashbaugh

Head of Senior School
Coast Mountain Academy

Creating and Measuring Collaborative Capacity in a Game

Vineet Raj Kapoor

Director
Chandigarh Design School

Gamifying Skill Training

Steve Wilcox

Assistant Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

Inspiring Students to Develop Meaningful Games

Kia Little-White

Game Designer / Narrative Designer
BP Solarpunk Media

Design for Designers: Programmed Tangible Creations with AR

Runyi Guo

MDM Student
TMU
Chinese Gender Marginalization in Interactive Narrative

Dov Jacobson

Creative Director
Games That Work

Generative AI: Why, When...and How

Maegan M. Paxton-Willing

Research Psychologist
Center for Deployment Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.

If You Build It, They May Not Come

Adam Clare

Professor & Program Coordinator, Game Level Design
Sheridan College

Playing with the Climate Crisis

Elizabeth Dailey

Co-Founder & Executive Director
CreateAccess

Beginner 3D Microcourses Using Unreal Editor for Fortnite

Greg Gay

IT Accessibility Specialist
The Chang School, Toronto Metropolitan University

Making 3D Worlds Accessible to Blind Gamers with Amaze3D

Jared Lorenz

Grad Researcher
Toronto Metropolitan University

Design for Designers: Programmed Tangible Creations with AR

Enrique Ortiz

Professor
University of Central Florida

Lessons Learned from Using Visualization Games for Learning

Kevin Holloway

Director, Online Training, Technology, and Telehealth (OT3); Assistant Professor, Medical/Clinical Psychology
Center for Deployment Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.

If You Build It, They May Not Come

Ozgur Turetken

Professor and Associate Dean - Research
Toronto Metropolitan University

Practical Application of the Art of Serious Game Design

Matthew Ralston

Application Developer
The Chang School, Toronto Metropolitan University

Making 3D Worlds Accessible to Blind Gamers with Amaze3D
Iterative Design of an Icebreaker Game for Online Courses

Mariam Ahmed

Learning Experience Designer
Toronto Metropolitan University

Practical Application of the Art of Serious Game Design

Anastasia Dimitriadou

Researcher
Toronto Metropolitan University

Practical Application of the Art of Serious Game Design

Ali Mazalek

Associate Professor
Toronto Metropolitan University

Design for Designers: Programmed Tangible Creations with AR

Caroline Lamarque

Creative Director
Immersed Games

Exploring an Authoring Tool for Problem-Based Game Learning

Naza Djafarova

Director, Digital Education Strategies
Toronto Metropolitan University

Practical Application of the Art of Serious Game Design

Elif Memis

PhD Student
York University

Digital & Interactive Non-Linear Stories in Higher Education

Henry Greenberg

Educator/Entrepreneur
SOARCo

Strategies for Making Entrepreneurship & Creativity Playful

Sina Karimi

Research Assistant
AREduX

The AREduX Project: Augmented Reality for Person Living with Dementia

Samira Soltani

Researcher
TMU Graduate

Framework for Interactive Digital Narrative in Virtual Reality

Raquel Meyer

Program Director,
Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation

Action Adventure Games in Serious Learning: Be Brave!

Kailin Yang

Lead UX Designer
Immersed Games

Exploring an Authoring Tool for Problem-Based Game Learning

Florence Girard-Laperrière

Project Manager
Affordance Studio

Gamified Reading – More than Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

Jim Pedrech

Innovation and STEM Consultant
London District Catholic School Board

Photogrammetry, 3D Storytelling, and Interactive Experiences

Andrew Xu

Doctoral Student
University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information

Approaches to Evaluating Healthcare-Related Serious Games

Jamie Dorval-Caya

Chief Operation Officer
Affordance Studio

Using Role-Playing Games to Help Students Develop Reading and Collaboration Skills

Kathryn Moffitt

Associate Creative Director
McKinney

Using Emotion to Teach

Kai-Lin You

Doctoral Student
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

Approaches to Evaluating Healthcare-Related Serious Games

Adria (Hyunmean) Lee

Teacher
Recent Teacher Graduate (University of Toronto)

Using Game-Based Learning to Explore Local & Global Issues

Mike Farley

Teacher
University of Toronto Schools

Using Game-Based Learning to Explore Local & Global Issues

Josh LeFevre

Lead Human-Centered Engineer
MITRE

Educating about logical fallacies and manipulative language

Stuart Criley

COO, Founder
Indelible Learning

Games for Civic Health in an Election Year
Failing Fast: Using Iterative Design for Healthcare Learning Games

Teresa Thomas

Assistant Professor
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

Approaches to Evaluating Healthcare-Related Serious Games

Dennis Glenn

Technology Consultant
Dennis Glenn LLC

Game Changer-ChatGPT in Unity

Bernard François

Founder, Preview Labs

What's New in VR & AR? An Interactive Session

Ian Natzmer

Head of Engineering
Reading Reimagined

AI-driven 3D Open World Games for Deeper Learning

Pat Healy

Doctoral Student
University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information

Approaches to Evaluating Healthcare-Related Serious Games

Kim Hieftje

Assistant Professor
Yale Department of Pediatrics

VR Game for NICU Parents: Infection Prevention Focus

Erin Drake Kajioka

Head of Applied Game Design,
Google Research

Opening the "Black Box" of AI Models with 3D Game Interfaces

Samuel Liberty
Lecturer in Game Design
Northeastern University

Playtesting For Serious Success

Max Neu
Games and Media Educator, Game Designer, and Creative Producer
Landesverband Kinder- und Jugendfilm Berlin e.V.

Serious Games: Amplifying & Diminishing Student Motivation

Bert Snow
Principal, Lead Designer
Snow & Co

Use the Learning Sciences to Create Effective Learning Sims

Scott Nicholson
Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

Inspiring Students to Develop Meaningful Games

Jenn McNamara
Vice President Serious Games and Strategic Partnerships
BreakAway Games

Serious Game Accessibility: Design Considerations

Nicholas Finney
Independent Consultant and Protection Expert
InterAction/Independent

Protection: A Crisis Training Game

Erin Weir
Director, Protection
InterAction

Protection: A Crisis Training Game

Jane Cocking
Indepedent Consultant and Protection Expert
InterAction/Independent

Protection: A Crisis Training Game

Jessica Lenz
Senior Technical Advisor, Protection
InterAction

Protection: A Crisis Training Game

Roz Hussin
Instructional Architect
KUKA

Participate in a Leadership Training Simulation About Responding to an Emergency

Paul Darvasi
CEO / Co-Founder
Gold Bug Interactive/University of Toronto

Protection: A Crisis Training Game

Elisa Navarro
CEO/Co-founder
Gold Bug Interactive

A Fine Balance: Practical Tips to Depict Real Life in Games

Michael Brooks
Assistant Director of Educational Technology
The Pennsylvania State University World Campus

Serious Game Accessibility: Design Considerations

Peter Leveille
Principal Software Systems Engineer
MITRE

Educating about logical fallacies and manipulative language

Tony Beck
Program Director
NIH/NIGMS/NIGMS

How to Get Funding for Health and Other STEM-Based Games

Enrique Cachafeiro
Training and Education Coordinator
Duke Health

Designing a Digital Escape Room for Instruction Using WebXR

Kirk DesRosier
Instructional Designer / Evaluator
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Empathy, Leadership and Healthcare Edutainment

Alizée Bessim-Gagné
Game Designer
Affordance Studio

Co-creating Serious Games with Indigenous Partners

Mark Booker
Co-Founder
GoodGames

How to Include Serious Fun Virtually, In-Person, or Hybrid

Peter Williamson
Co-Founder; Head of Product
Barometer XP

The Science of Play at Work

Michael DiPonio
Instructional Design Team Lead
AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation

Tales from the Trenches of Serious Game Development

Mallori Steele
CEO
Growductive Consulting

Persona Power: Crafting Learner Personas

Bill Culbertson
Professor/Owner
New England Institute of Technology/ Whooplah LLC

From Early Learning Video Game to Television Series

Tammie Schrader
Science/Computer Science Coordinator
NorthEast Washington Education Service District 10

Expanding Game Based Learning Across the State

Steve Guynup
Game Design Faculty
Southern New Hampshire University

Teaching VR Art & Design - in VR / Web3D

Mick McCarthy
Special Educator
Exceptional McCare

Using FrameVR as a Virtual Learning Platform

Mike Washburn
Director of Learning Experiences
Logics Academy

Approaches to World Design in Minecraft Education

Vikas Badami
Co-Founder
SILE.ai

Data Driven Game Design

Brandon Armstrong
Mathematics Professor
Valencia College - Poinciana

Gaming Up The Classroom!!!

Jamie Hurcomb
Unreal Engine Academic Advisor
Epic Games

Virtual Humans, Avatars and Digital Identity

Caleb Gentry
Teacher/Educational Content Creator
Sequim Middle School

Choosing the Right Tool for Beginning Game Designers

Dmitriy Babichenko
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Pittsburgh

Approaches to Evaluating Healthcare-Related Serious Games

Danny Goel
CEO PrecisionOS
Danny Goel

Simulation in VR: Driving Towards Proficiency

Anthony Chatfield
Adjunct Instructor, Composition and Rhetoric
Drexel University

Game-Based Experiential Workshops in the Writing Classroom

Mary Ann Communale
Assistant Professor
Drexel University College of Medicine

Serious Games as an HIV Resource

Joshua Bell
Sr. Director
Play with a Purpose

The PLAY Premise

Anthony Crider
Professor of Astrophysics
Elon University

Epic Finales: Experiential Assessment in Final Exams

Marion Blanchet
Game Designer
Affordance Studio

Co-creating Serious Games with Indigenous Partners

Sherry Prindle
Certified Master Coach Trainer
Professional Coach Academy

Practical, Easy, Gamified Engagement for ILT, VILT, & Hybrid

Valary Oleinik
Owner and Chief Disruptor
Valary With A WHY

Participate in a Leadership Training Simulation About Responding to an Emergency

Mitchell Weisburgh
Founding Partner
Academic Business Advisors

How Do We Fix the Education System

Monique Thakkar
Mental Health Counselor
Thakkar Therapy

Building SEL Skills through TTRPG with Teens

Joshua Peery
Lead Game Designer
East Carolina University

Using Demographics to Create a Serious Game Platform

Tom Smith
Lead Game Designer
Roblox

Building Fun and Educational Games

Nathaniel Torson
Adjunct Professor/STEM Teacher
Tarrant County College/Creek Valley Middle School

Art Appreciation through a Gaming Lens

John Kolm
CEO, Team Results USA

Moth in the Mainframe - Human Factors in Serious Games

Andrew Davies
Adjunct Faculty
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Using Side Quests to Improve Student Engagement

Thomas Talbot
Principal Medical Expert / Research Scientist
USC Institute for Creative Technologies

A Question of Fidelity: How and Where do I use Realism?

Joshua Heath
Chief Operations Officer
Reach-Out Roleplaying Games/High Level Games

Merging Fun with Change - Using Table-Top Roleplaying Games

Karen Fleming
Clinical Nurse Specialist
University Health Network (UHN)

Virtual Simulation Game to Reduce Racial Inequities

Rachael Zeleny
Assistant Professor
University of Baltimore

Work Hard, Play Hard: Teaching Allyship through Escape Rooms

David Chandross
Faculty in Digital Media, Serious Game Design
Toronto Metropolitan University

Action Adventure Games in Serious Learning: Be Brave!

Jasminka Criley
CEO, Professor in Medicine
Indelible Learning, UCLA

Creating Health Applications for Schools

Jeremy Roberts
Educator and PhD Student
University of Manitoba

Game-Based Learning in Social Studies Programming

Peter Guenther
Implementation Engineer
Watershed LRS

Learning Analytics for Serious Games

Erik Verlage
Research Scientist
MIT

STEM Games and Sims for Manufacturing Workforce Training

David Morris
Experiential Consultant
NYCAP3D

The Secret Sauce for Digital & Physical Convergence

Tony Bevilacqua
Founder & CEO, Cognitive 3D

Leveraging Analytics in the Metaverse for Learning

Afra Çalık
Faculty of Nursing
Suleyman Demirel University

The Role of Gamification in Nursing Education

Colleen Cleveland
Course Director
Full Sail University

Course Gamification for the Blind:
A Case Study