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With recent advancements in virtual reality, game design, and other technologies, games have come a long way from the early days of Monopoly or Battleship. Join Dr. Nathan Prestopnik (Ithaca College) to discuss how games and game technologies are being used to tell stories, teach students, and bring enjoyment in educational, corporate, and private contexts. Following the talk, join Dr. Prestopnik for a live demonstration of the Play|Write VR creative writing system, or challenge your friends at popular contemporary board games from the game library of Play the Game, Read the Story.
People interested in learning more about gaming are invited to attend the free Sweet Science Series presentation on Thursday, December 13th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Cafe at the Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Admission is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be served at 5:30pm. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP here by December 11th, 2018.
Presenter Information
Dr. Nathan Prestopnik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Ithaca College, where he teaches game design and human-computer interaction. Nathan’s research is about storytelling, motivation, and engagement in serious games and playful systems, and he is constantly working with his students on innovative and exciting game design research projects. To date, these have included Happy Match & Forgotten Island, citizen science adventure games focused on taxonomic species classification, Arena, a Spanish-language learning game, and (most recently) Play|Write, a playful creative writing system for virtual reality built in Unity with the HTC Vive and Leap Motion 2. Nathan earned his Ph.D. in Information Science and Technology at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies in April 2013. He also holds dual bachelor degrees in film production and military history, an M.S. in New Media, and an M.Phil. in Information Science from Syracuse University. Before embarking on an academic career, Nathan was a UI/UX designer in various regions of the United States, including Los Angeles, CA, Clifton Park, NY, and Syracuse, NY. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, exploring, writing, and playing games.
Play the Game, Read the Story is the Syracuse area’s premier board game and comic store, with several locations throughout CNY.
TACNY John Edson Sweet Lecture Series
TACNY John Edson Sweet Lectures, a program founded in 1913, is now called the Sweet Science Series and features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere for adults of all levels of technical understanding. A minimum of six free and open to the public presentations are held each year.
About The MOST
The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) is a hands-on science and technology museum for all ages. The MOST hosts numerous STEM education programs and community outreach events annually and is home to 35,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, Silverman Planetarium, and Bristol IMAX® Omnitheater – the only domed IMAX theater in New York State. The MOST’s vision is to be a preeminent science and technology center, inspiring all generations through hands-on education and entertainment.
Technology Alliance of Central New York
Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.
For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.
