Core Work Experience
Senior Educational Technology Researcher, WestEd
- Helping to guide funding, research, and content strategy for the Learning & Technology area’s edtech portfolio. Our team helps edtech companies, organizations, and schools improve their design, development, deployment, and implementation of edtech.
Editorial Director, Learning Content, Common Sense Education.
- I led the content team behind a learning ratings and teacher advice program that reached millions of educators every year. Together, we fundamentally changed how learning resources and products get selected and used in schools.
- Most recently, I partnered with the editorial and marketing teams to change our newsletter content strategy to better match with user habits and re-engage our member base. Our work increased open rate from 17% to 27% and grew the subscriber base by 20k. Most importantly, 87% of the readers were satisfied or very satisfied and one third of them passed on newsletters to friends and colleagues.
Director, Education Editorial Strategy, Common Sense Education.
- After taking over as director, I developed SEO-focused content strategies that grew usage of editorial content from 150k monthly visitors to 550k.
- As content design lead on cross-functional product developments teams, I helped to launch several revisions to core content types. Our review page redesign took satisfaction rates from 72% to 85%.
- I also oversaw the content design, strategy, and operations for Wide Open School, a COVID-19 response site for at-home learning that published 1,550 learning activities in just two months. This site raised $4 million in funding, received national media coverage, and reached over two million families and educators in need.
Senior Manager, Education Content, Common Sense Education.
- Served as games editor and content design lead on product design teams. Helped to launch and grow a learning ratings program that is now the premiere seal of approval for edtech and learning media with an NPS of 65 (30-points above the average for education sites).
Research Lead, GameDesk.
- I was an instructional designer and content designer on a small team named by Fast Company as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Education.”
- Our extraordinarily talented team designed a play- and game-based curriculum, launched the PlayMaker School in Santa Monica, CA, and created Educade.org, a site that shared best practices for game-based learning.
- Alongside the CEO and Managing Director, I conceptualized and wrote the grants that funded this work, tripling organizational capacity and earning AT&T’s largest ever grant for an educational effort.
Technical Writer-Editor, U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM).
- Co-managed and -edited all documentation for the M1 Abrams Tank, one of the highest priority weapon systems in the U.S. Army. During my tenure, we converted all technical manuals to XML. My work earned a rare commendation coin from the Director of Heavy Combat for exemplary service.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in English
University of California, Riverside
Areas: Cultural Studies, Digital Media, Game Studies, and Minority Discourse
Dissertation Committee: James Tobias (chair), Toby Miller, Lisa Nakamura and Keith Harris.
Dissertation Title: Gamic Race: Logics of Difference in Videogame Culture
Master of Arts in English
University of California, Riverside
Examiners: Toby Miller and Vorris Nunley
Bachelor of Arts in English
Michigan State University
Minors: Anthropology and History
Specialization: Film
Additional Work Experience
Copywriter (Contract), Proef Design Consultancy. Conceptualized content, conducted interviews and research, and wrote copy and articles for a brand book redefining and communicating the client’s new marketing vision and strategy.
Teaching Assistant, University of California, Riverside. Developed and taught courses on writing and media studies.
Adjunct Faculty, San Bernardino Valley College. Developed and taught courses on writing.
Associate Faculty, Mt. San Jacinto College. Developed and taught courses on writing.
Reviewer, Games and Culture,
Reviewer, New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia.
Reviewer, Foundations of Digital Games.
Reviewer, Fibreculture.
Reviewer, Loading…: Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association.
Graduate Student Coordinator, Mellon Workshop on Affect, Technics, and Ethics.
CIN|tax Chairman, University of California, Riverside. Organized and directed the seventh annual CIN|tax Film Forum.
CIN|tax Committee, University of California, Riverside. Member of the committee to organize the fifth and sixth annual CIN|tax Film Forums.
Graduate Readership, University of California, Riverside. Assisted the course instructor with grading and student evaluation.
Co-Editor, The Means. Creator and co-editor of The Means, a semi-annual print journal publishing fiction, non-fiction, essays, interviews, and artwork. The Means also expanded its web presence to contain a weekly blog and podcast.
Contributor, Gameology.org. Regular contributor to this popular academic website and blog.
Editorial Intern, Fourth Genre. Reviewed and managed manuscripts for this nationally circulated and award winning journal of creative nonfiction. Oversaw development of the journal’s website. Maintained correspondence with authors and editorial board.
Web Designer. Frazier & Associates. Worked with clients to design and develop custom websites and web-based solutions.
Peer Reviewed Articles
“Beyond Badges & Points: Gameful Assessment Systems for Engagement in Formal Education,” with Barry Fishman, Sebastian Deterding, Kate Fanelli, Lucien Vattel, Katerina Schenke, Lee Sheldon, Clayton Ewing, Caitlin Holman, and Stephen Ewing. In Symposium Games+Learning+Society Conference 9.0., University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI. 2013.
“What Trolls Can Teach Us About Race.” Fibreculture Special Issue: Politics of Trolling and the Negative Spaces of the Internet, Issue 22. Eds. Jason Wilson, Christian McCrea, and Glen Fuller. 2013.
“Blackless Fantasy: The Disappearance of Race in MMORPGs.” Games and Culture, 4.1 (2009): 3-26.
Book Chapters
“’Turn off the game console right now!’: War, Subjectivity, and Control in Metal Gear Solid 2.”Joystick Soldiers: The Politics of Play in Military Video Games. Eds. Nina Huntemann and Matthew Payne. Routledge, 2009.
“Play-Fighting: Understanding Violence in the Grand Theft Auto Series.” The Meaning and Culture of Grand Theft Auto: Critical Essays. Ed. Nate Garrelts. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Press, 2006.
Reviews
Tactical Media by Rita Raley for Digital Culture & Education. December 2009.
Cheating: Gaining Advantage in Videogames by Mia Consalvo for the Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies. July 2009.
Web Contributions
Regular Contributor, KQED’s MindShift. 2013-Present.
Regular Contributor, Common Sense Education’s blog. 2013-Present.
“Choosing Favorites: Common Sense’s Favorite Tools For Young Children.” Erikson Institute: Technology in Early Childhood Center. August 1, 2019.
“Common Sense Census: Inside the 21st Century Classroom.” NWP Radio. June 21, 2019.
“What Makes a Good Edtech Tool Great?” EdSurge. July 21, 2018.
“Protecting Student Privacy on Social Media.” Edutopia. September 19, 2017.
“Tech is Tech, but Teachers Are Artists.” Joan Goanz Cooney Center Blog. February 8, 2016.
“So Far Away.” Unwinnable. November 6, 2012.
“Kick-Ass and the Ethics of Gameplay.” Kotaku. April 28, 2010.
“Lrn2Play Noob: Progressive Masculinity in Games.” Media Res: A Media Commons Project. Sep. 27, 2007.
Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
“Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia in Online Games” for The International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication: Gaming Volume. Eds. Aphra Kerr and James Ivory, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 2015.
Press and Interviews
“Apps can be powerful tools for learning if used the right way.” WGME News. August 27, 2018.
Avalos, George. “Parents’ guide to ‘Minecraft,’ intermediate level: Don’t fight the obsession.” San Jose Mercury News. January 30, 2015.
Basu, Tanya. “How to talk to kids and teens about misinformation.” MIT Technology Review. November 2, 2020.
Bologna, Caroline. “How To Tell If An App, Game Or Show Is Actually Educational For Kids.” Huffington Post. March 17, 2020.
Bray, Hiawatha. “How to gear up for a year of long-distance remote learning.” Boston Globe. August 17, 2020.
Darvasi, Paul. “How to Transform The Odyssey into an Epic Game in Alternate Reality.” MindShift. October 13, 2014.
Houghton, Kimberly. “‘It will not be perfect,’ educators say as remote learning launches.” New Hampshire Union Leader. March 22, 2020.
Jackson-Retondo, Marlena. “Do Cellphone Bans in Middle School Work? It’s Complicated.” MindShift. September 25, 2024.
Johnson, Sydney. “California K-12 schools prepare for coronavirus-related closures.” EdSource. March 5, 2020.
Kharif, Olga. “Why Minecraft and Roblox Are on the Fall Syllabus.” Bloomberg. August 24, 2020.
“Let’s Bring Current Events to Life in the Classroom.” ADL. September 15,2019.
Ng, Alexandria. “Smart Strategies for Creating Gamified Products in Today’s K-12 Market.” EdWeek Market Brief. May 5, 2023.
Nealon, Sean. “Education Notebook.” The Press-Enterprise. September, 6, 2009.
Quinlan, Erin. “Video games can make kids smarter – but not how you think.” New York Post. February 11, 2019.
Sung, Ki. “How Fan Fiction Inspires Kids to Read and Write and Write and Write.” KQED Mind/Shift. August 25, 2020.
Taylor, Alex, Mia Weber, and Caitlin Wolper. “What Makes a 21st Century Education?” New York Family Magazine. November 1, 2018.
Tynan, Dan. “A Parent’s Guide to Minecraft: 5 Reasons to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Cubes.” Yahoo Tech. April 20, 2014.
Wan, Tony. “Games Can Breed Uncivil Behavior. They Can Also Teach Digital Citizenship.” EdSurge. January 28, 2019.
Keynotes
“Reframing Art, Learning, and Technology” at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco School Docent Symposium 2014, San Francisco, CA; October 10, 2014.
Invited Lectures
“The Future of Game-Based Learning Isn’t More Educational Games” at the Valid Gains in Video Games Conference, Monmouth University (hosted online); April 27, 2023.
“Efficacy Platforms Review” at the Education Innovation Clusters Convening, Chicago, IL; August 11, 2015.
“Beyond Academia” workshop for the Graduate Student Resource Center at the University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA; February 10, 2014.
“Website Development to Showcase Scholarship” workshop offered at the University of California, Riverside Graduate Student Mentoring Program, Riverside, CA; May 6, 2011.
“Analyzing Race in Video Games” for Prof. James Tobias’ MCS 146E: Special Topics in Technoculture and Digital Media course, University of California, Riverside; October 17, 2008.
Conference Presentations
“Connecting At-Home Play to In-School Learning” at Meaningful Play, East Lansing, MI; October 13, 2022.
“EdTech Concierge: Ask Common Sense Education’s Reviews Editor Anything” at Remote K12. January 10, 2021 with Liz Kline.
“Common Sense Education’s 50 Favorite Tools” at ISTE 2019, Philadelphia, PA; June 26, 2019 with Danny Wagner.
“The Savvy Teacher’s Guide to Identifying Worthwhile, Effective Digital Pilot Projects” at ISTE 2015, Philadelphia, PA; July 1, 2015 with Muhammed Chaudry, Chris Liang-Vergara.
“Choosing the Best Apps, Games, and Websites for Learning” at Teaching & Learning 2014, Washington DC; March 14, 2014 with Linda Burch, Michael Levine, Jonathan Fichter, and Elliot Levinson.
“The Killer of Sheep of Videogames” at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference, Chicago, IL; March 9, 2012.
“Marginal Digital Knowledges: A Workshop on Technology, Transformation, and Resistance” workshop at American Studies Association Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico; November 17, 2012 with Alexis Lothian, Amanda Phillips, Fiona Barnett, Moya Bailey, and Simone Browne.
“Transformative Mediations? Ethnic and Queer Studies and the Politics of the Digital” roundtable at American Studies Association Conference, Baltimore, MD; October 21, 2011 with Anne Cong-Huyen, Anna Everett, Melanie Kohnen, Alexis Lothian, Amanda Phillips, and Marta S. Rivera Monclova.
“Racial Mapping in Videogames” Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference, New Orleans, LA; March 13, 2011.
“Videogames as Critical Race Pedagogy” Digital Media and Learning Conference, Long Beach, CA; March 3, 2011.
THATCamp SoCal participant, Orange, CA; forthcoming January 11-12, 2011.
“Towards a History of Race in Videogames” (dis)junctions Conference, Riverside, CA; April 9, 2010.
“Towards a History of Race in Videogames” Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference, Los Angeles, CA; March 21, 2010. Accepted but did not present.
“Neoliberalism, Multiculturalism, and the Means of Digital Humanities Production” roundtable at American Studies Association, Washington D.C.; November 8, 2009 with Anna Everett, Debora Kimmey, Lisa Nakamura, Tara McPherson, and Kara Thompson.
“The Game Looks Back Into You: Rhetorics of Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Authoring the Virtual Self” with Lee Sherlock at Games, Learning, and Society 5.0, Madison, WI; June 11, 2009.
“Performative Play: Revising the Politics of Virtual Worlds” at Modern Lanuage Association, San Francisco, CA; December 27, 2008.
“Performative Play” at UCIRA State of the Arts, Riverside, CA; November 7, 2008.
“Machinima Masculinities” at New Worlds in Digital Animation panel for the Mellon Workshop on Affect, Technics, and Ethics, Riverside, CA; April 10, 2008.
“Machinima Masculinities: Video Game Video, Space, and Masculine Performance” at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference, Philadelphia, PA; March 7, 2008.
“Racecraft: Logics of Race in Video Game Character Creation” at (dis)junctions, Riverside, CA; April 7, 2007.
“Blackless Fantasy: The Disappearance of Race in MMORPGs” at the International Digital Media and Arts Association Conference, San Diego, CA; November 9-11, 2006.
“Carvings and Flesh-Machine Scarring: Reading the Evolution of the Othered Body-Text” at the Popular Culture Association in the South Conference, Jacksonville, FL; October 6-8, 2005.
Organized Panels
“Models of Game Based Learning in School with Disadvantaged Student Communities” at Digital Media and Learning Conference, Los Angeles, CA; June 11, 2015.
“‘Doing Good’ Game Design” at Digital Media and Learning Conference, Boston, MA; March 8, 2014.
“Race and Video Games” panel at (dis)junctions, Riverside, CA; April 7, 2007.
Workshops
“Best EdTech for ELLs,” at SXSW EDU, Austin, TX; March 7, 2017.
“Using At-Home Games for In-School Benefits” at Games, Learning, and Society 11, Madison, WI; July 7, 2015.
Awards
Common Sense Values Award, Dare to Be Great. August 2016.
Games Journalism Prize Nomination. 2012.
Annette K. Baxter Travel Grant for American Studies Association Conference. October 2011.
Digital Media and Learning Research Associates Summer Institute Fellowship. August 2011.
University of California Dissertation Year Fellowship. Spring 2011.
University of California Graduate Humanities Fellowship. Winter 2011.
First Place, English Department Graduate Student Essay Contest, 2008-2009.
Graduate Student Association Travel Grant for Games, Learning, and Society Conference, June 2009.
Graduate Student Association Travel Grant for Modern Language Association Conference, December 2008.
Kristine M. Scarano Scholarship, 2008-2009.
Teaching Assistantship, 2006-2010.
University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI) Partial Scholarship.
Certificate for attending the August 2006 UCHRI Seminar in Experimental Critical Theory, Technospheres: Futures of Thinking.
Graduate Assistantship, Winter Quarter 2006.
University of California, Riverside Graduate Division Fellowship, 2005-2006.
Dean’s List (3.5+ GPA), 2001-2003.