Huijie Bao
Project Role: Game Designer & Producer
Huijie is a game designer with former industry experience as a technical level designer at Perfect World Entertainment, where he was mainly responsible for encounter design pipeline tools, along with some level, encounter, skill, and AI design. He is now interested in combat, encounter, and level design. Strategy games and ARPG such as Starcraft 2, XCOM2, Divinity Original Sin 2, and Diablo are his favorite games.
David Morales
Project Role: Programmer
David is a programmer at heart, but loves to dabble in all aspects of game development. He previously studied Computer Science at CMU and decided to take this knowledge with him into the field of entertainment technology. His ultimate goal is to work in the themed entertainment industry. He dreams of one day working on a ride like Smuggler’s Run in Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World. In his spare time, he enjoys video games like Minecraft and Beat Saber.
Nolan Pearson
Project Role: Game Designer & Producer
Nolan Pearson is a Virtual Reality User Experience Designer. He has a long career in traditional UX, working for companies such as General Motors and PNC Bank. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University to better focus his skills on emerging technologies. Nolan has a passion for games and education. It is his mission that these new experiences afforded by emerging technologies should be accessible and intuitive for all. When not working on the next passion project, Nolan enjoys hiking, cycling, and cooking.
Shiqing(Alyssa) Tang
Project Role: Programmer
Alyssa is a programmer that is really into game development and VR/AR programming.
John Dessler
Instructor
John is a creative director, programmer, writer, entrepreneur, musician, performer, and digital/fine artist. He isJohn is a creative director, programmer, writer, entrepreneur, musician, performer, and digital/fine artist. He is currently special faculty at the ETC, Carnegie Mellon University teaching Visual Story/Communication, VR Story and Sound, Location-Based Entertainment, UI/UX Design, digital art and design. — He has been contracted by, and freelances for companies such as GE, NBC, Tyco, Heinz, and various museums and productions – specializing in visual communication and digital training. — In 1996 he founded The Outlet for Creativity, Inc. (a non-profit 501c3) in Rochester, PA, to foster and support the Arts. He served as president for 9 years.
Heather Kelley
Instructor
Named in 2013 as one of the five most powerful women in gaming by Inc. magazine, and in 2011 by Fast Company as one of the most influential women in technology, Ms. Kelley co-curated the groundbreaking 2012 exhibition Joue le jeu / Play Along at La Gaîté lyrique in Paris, France. She is co-founder of Kokoromi, an experimental game collective, with whom she has produced and curated the renowned GAMMA event promoting experimental games as creative expression in a social context. In Autumn 2009, she was Artist in Residence for Subotron at Quartier21, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, where she created “SUGAR,” a cross media collaborative event featuring an original game, scent-generating networked electronics, and couture fashion. Ms. Kelley was Creative Director on the UNFPA Electronic Game to End Gender Violence, at the Emergent Media Center at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.