Members
Aidan Terry
Producer & Fabricator
Aidan is a producer, fabricator, and artist. His interdisciplinary work — from VR drawn animation and game design to prop making and special effects makeup — has fostered a passion for creative production and hands-on fabrication. He strives to craft unique, emotional, narrative-driven experiences across mediums old and new.
Sudarshan Choudhari
Producer & Programmer
Sudarshan is a Computer Science graduate and second-year Entertainment Technology Center student with a background in software development and a passion for creative technology, interactive storytelling, and character-driven experiences. At ETC, he has explored programming, animation, technical art, and immersive experiences, with a particular interest in using technology to support storytelling and performance. For Top T.I.E.R., Sudarshan serves as a programmer and co-producer. He is interested in finding ways for technology to feel like a natural part of the character and experience rather than simply a technical component.
Ben Morris
Robotics/Software Lead
Ben is a software and robotics engineer passionate about building interactive systems, robots, and immersive entertainment technology. His experience ranges from theater to game development to robotics startups, and is excited to combine his skills in robotics and creative technology to create something amazing with Top TIER!
Linda Wang
Experience Designer
Linda earned her degree in Media Arts and Sciences from Wellesley College, with a concentration in Game Design. She enjoys coming up with creative ways to create unique and emotional experiences that stick with the player. She has explored player experience and game design practices through several projects, including a game design internship and a capstone game. At the ETC, Linda wants to grow into an interactive game designer who understands the feelings and thoughts of the player, works well with creative teams, and evokes strong emotions through her work. Her goals are to creating meaningful experiences that people can relate to and be inspired by, and to one day open her own game company.
Cayla Kennedy
Narrative & Character Designer Lead
Cayla is a creative technologist that graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Creative Technology and Design and minors in Computer Science and Film and Television Production. She is passionate about combining her technological expertise with her love for storytelling to create unique tactile experiences.
Instructors
Shirley Saldamarco
Shirley Saldamarco is an entrepreneur, a producer and an educator. She has a background in theatre from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and Producer for national programming at WQED-TV. As President of Interactive Media Productions, the company she founded in 1982, she produces a variety of Broadcast and Non-broadcast programs.
Vivian Shen
Professor Vivian Shen is a faculty member at the Entertainment Technology Center, where she teaches classes focused on AI and hardware for games and experimental media. She comes directly from finishing her PhD at CMU’s Robotics Institute, with the Future Interfaces Group. Her background lies in embedded systems, sensing and VR/AR, and much of her work is focused on creating new systems and devices for haptics and interaction. She has published at several premier Human-Computer Interaction conferences (CHI, UIST, etc.), and her work has been featured on NBC, TechCrunch, CNN and more. Outside of the PhD, Vivian has interned at companies such as Meta Reality Labs, Disney Research, NASA JPL, etc. In her free time, Vivian plays a LOT of ultimate frisbee and does chainmaille art!