Video games are everywhere, but the fundamental elements that generate human reactions such as suspense or surprise aren’t understood. Instead, game designers start from scratch each time they want to build a new experience for players.

Rogelio Cardona-Rivera of the University of Utah wants to understand games and the fundamental elements that make people respond as they do—as a science of games. The research is important for more than just gaming—Rogelio is working on a variety of projects, including artificial intelligence research, technology for Indigenous storytelling and virtual reality in math education.

Join us for a conversation about the emerging field of technical games research that also dives into the creative and communications challenges of working at the bleeding edge of disparate fields: computer science, cognitive science, narrative and more.

You’ll meet:

Rogelio Cardona-Rivera is an assistant professor of games at the University of Utah. Rogelio completed their Ph.D. at North Carolina State University in 2019, supported by a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship and funding from the National GEM Consortium. Their undergraduate degree is in computer engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Their grant funding includes a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).