I am a Lecturer in Games Production with a particular interest in applied games. I currently deliver teaching on modules in quality assurance, interaction design, and awareness of the creative industries. I also supervise and mentor many applied game-based projects.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Game Design and Production Management at Abertay University. Following that, I achieved my PhD in applied game design from Glasgow Caledonian University. I achieved my Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in September 2020.

My research activity focuses mainly on the design, production, and evaluation of 'applied games' with particular sectoral interests in the third-sector, education, public engagement, and health and wellbeing.

More information about my work and experience can be found on my website.

Undergraduate Teaching

• Quality Assurance and User Experience
• User Interfaces and Interaction Design
• The Creative Industries

Undergraduate Supervisions

• Professional Projects
• Honours Project and Dissertation

Postgraduate Supervisions

• Gordon Brown (PhD, 2020-)
• Tom Dixon (MbR, 2020-)
• Vedant Sandare (MbR, 2019-2020)

My research has focused on the design, development, and evaluation of applied games for a variety of contexts:

• Project:Filter is a game developed as part of my PhD and explores the intersection of public policy, engagement, and education. This game was shortlisted as a finalist for the International Educational Games Competition;
• CHAS Play is a curation of games developed by students in partnership with Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). One such project, Boccia Champions, was awarded a Bronze Award at the Serious Play Conference 2019.

My currently work involves the development of methodologies to assist with the co-production and analysis of applied games. This includes:

• the Applied Jam Framework, a method for engaging in collaborative applied game development;
• the 3A Framework, a framework for analysing historical narratives in games.

I am interested in pursuing research and supervision opportunities of research in:

• games in applied contexts (particularly working with third-sector and volunteer organisations, education, and health and wellbeing;
• game jams and game creation events;
• experiences of play and phenomenology.

Total Research Funding: £100k

• "InGAME Skills Development for Researchers Training Programme"

Total Client/Commercial Funding: >£117k

• Coca-Cola
• Imperial War Museum Duxford
• Skills Development Scotland

External Examination

• BA (Hons) Game Design, Technological University Dublin (2018-2021)

I have been an active STEM Ambassador since 2016 and enjoy volunteering for various school-based STEM activities such as public demonstrations, career presentations, and hands-on workshops related to game development. I am passionate about providing insight and advice to young people who may wish to consider a career in the games industry.

Selected Public Engagements and Workshops

• More Than Playthings: RSE Curious 2020 (virtual; speaker)
• RSE @ Inverness Family Day (Inverness, UK; speaker)
• Jamology 2019 (Tampere, Finland; speaker)
• Project:Filter and the Game and Experiment Model: GameThink 2.0 (Glasgow, UK; speaker)
  
• Science Day at Kelvingrove, Glasgow Science Festival 2016 (Glasgow, UK: exhibitor)
• Policy Engagement through Digital Participatoin: TICTeC 2016 (Barcelona, Spain; speaker)