Jiwon Park
UI/UX Designer
Jiwon is a master’s student at Carnegie Mellon University, focusing on human-centered design and product design. At the Entertainment Technology Center, she works in multidisciplinary teams to design and deliver interactive experiences across XR, games, and emerging media.
Paulo Tassi
Producer & Programmer
Paulo is a game developer who focuses on programming and production. He graduated from Quinnipiac University, where he studied Game Design and Development. He also served in the US Navy for over 5 years. Tassi worked with Indistinguishable from Magic to create technical demonstrations of their modular devices. His goal is to keep building meaningful games and grow as a developer to help integrate emerging technology into the gaming sphere.
Nellie Tonev
Producer & Programmer
Nellie focuses on designing and developing experiences for both traditional and non-traditional platforms, with a particular passion for crafting puzzles, narratives, and educational projects. She has an interdisciplinary background in cognitive science, human-computer interaction, and computer science.
Helen Yang
Artist
Helen comes from an interdisciplinary background in Mathematical Sciences and Fine Art through Carnegie Mellon University’s BXA program. She specializes in 3D and technical art for game creation at the ETC. A certified monster and fiction lover, she enjoys using technology and creativity to bring imaginary worlds to life.
Kelin Zhu
Game Designer & Artist
Kelin is a student at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center with a background in computer science and media art. Her work focuses on game design and gameplay-driven interactive experiences, informed by her background in photography, film, and interactive media. At the ETC, she is excited to deepen her skills in game mechanics and 3D art while working in multidisciplinary teams.
Michael Christel
Project Instructor
Mike Christel is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, where he focuses on the development and evaluation of transformational games, particularly in the fields of education and health care. Mike joined the ETC in 2008, bringing expertise from Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science Department, where he worked at the intersection of speech recognition, image processing and multimedia interface development. As a member of the Informedia Digital Video Library research team, he earned the prestigious Allen Newell Award for Research Excellence.
Before joining the ETC, Mike worked at Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science Department (1997-2008), and before that at CMU’s Software Engineering Institute from 1987 to 1997. He earned his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 1991, where his research explored dynamically generated digital video interfaces, laying the foundation for his interest in interactive and transformative technologies.
Beyond his academic and research achievements, Mike enjoys building experiences through travel and has visited all 50 U.S. states with his family, enriching his perspective on storytelling and entertainment through real-world exploration.
Mike Christel joined the ETC in 2008.
John Dessler
Project Instructor
John Dessler is a special faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, where he teaches courses in visual storytelling, VR story and sound, location-based entertainment, UI/UX design and digital art and design. With a multifaceted background as a creative director, programmer, writer, entrepreneur, musician, performer and visual artist, John brings a rich blend of creativity and technical expertise to his teaching.
John has worked with major companies such as GE, NBC, Tyco, Heinz and various museums and productions, specializing in visual communication and digital training. He served as creative director for Creative Services at the ETC, where he developed virtual interviews, games, exhibits and interactive experiences for clients including Duquesne University and the National Civil War Museum. In 1996, he founded The Outlet for Creativity, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the arts, where he served as president for nine years.
A published playwright and award-winning creative, John’s accolades include the Keystone Press and Telly awards. He is also an accomplished musician, regularly performing at venues such as the Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. John has been a featured speaker, performer and juror at renowned conferences including SIGGRAPH, GDC and SXSW, inspiring students and professionals alike with his interdisciplinary approach to innovation and storytelling.
John Dessler joined the ETC in 2005.