Straight Shooter | September 12, 2018

Whether Creating Characters or Getting More Females Into Video Games, Karen McCarthy Leans In. “Story is king” Karen McCarthy says with emphasis when asked about how she approaches making a character. Karen McCarthy showing her ball skills at EA Tiburon Studio “It’s a really exciting industry because it’s not stale…it’s always trying to strive for…

Coding Connections | August 28, 2018

Whether building an antenna, creating an app or speaking one of four languages, Pratik Chougule loves bringing people together. Pratik Chougule programmer from Cohort 15 “It’s my dream to build engaging games for consoles and mobile devices.”— Pratik Chougule In 2017, Pratik Chougule sat on the roof of his house in Dapoli, India snipping wires.…

From Army to Animation | August 22, 2018

When it comes to hard work, Brenda Raza certainly knows how to push through. From working in a cave in South Korea to photo editing catalogs of major retailers, she has done it all. Now Brenda is ready to get back to her true passion, animation. This 1997 UCF graphic design graduate talks about being…

FIEA Class Has Most Females in History | August 20, 2018

The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), UCF’s graduate game development program, welcomed 66 new students on August 20, 2018. The class includes a record 22 females and is designed to teach student producers, artists and programmers the high-end production processes for video games, simulation and film. FIEA’s Cohort 15 class This is the fifteenth class…

Fulbright Full of Passion | August 17, 2018

Fulbright scholar Pamela Figueroa is a woman of many talents. Pamela Figueroa “Getting a Fulbright grant was like getting a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for me. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”— Pamela Figueroa Speak to Pamela Figueroa for five minutes and you can tell she has as many interests…

FIEA Students Debut Four New Video Games On Aug. 3 | July 23, 2018

A robot sheriff and Big Hat Wizards highlight games at UCF on Aug. 3 Artwork from capstone games Whether you want to roam the wild west as a robot sheriff or solve puzzles in an overgrown space station, you can do it at UCF. On August 3, 2018 at 2 p.m. students debut four new…

Games That Teach Driving, Chemistry & Judaic History Highlight Presentations | April 25, 2018

While many students at The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), UCF’s graduate video game development program, want to entertain the world by making the next “Call of Duty,” they also are making games that can change the world. GameLab 2018 These educational games or “games for good” will be presented at UCF’s Center for Emerging…

The Cure For The Common Cut: UCF Students’ Augmented Reality App Wins First Place At Health Game Jam | April 23, 2018

Ask young kids what it’s like to get a shot or go to the doctor, and you’re likely to get some frowns. Two students, Christine Wright and James Gaiser from UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, wanted to change that. Christine Wright and James Gaiser “The judges loved it because it’s hi-tech but also really low-tech…

Player Two Ready: For 2nd Straight Year FIEA Student Game Wins Two Awards at Intel University Games Showcase | March 23, 2018

FIEA student game “Hollowed” won the “Best Visual Quality” award and the second place award for “Best Gameplay” at the 2018 Intel University Games Showcase, held March 22 in San Francisco. Team members from Hollowed FIEA student game “Hollowed” won the “Best Visual Quality” award and the second place award for “Best Gameplay” at the…

UCF Boasts No. 3 Video Game School in Princeton Review Rankings | March 13, 2018

The University of Central Florida’s video game graduate school ranks No. 3 in North America, according to The Princeton Review and PC Gamer magazine. #3 Ranked Graduated Game School “FIEA is a global leader in graduate education”— Dale Whittaker, UCF Provost and Executive Vice President The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, an anchor of UCF’s planned…