Stories

Paul Toprac leads UT’s Games and Mobile Media Application (GAMMA) Program, an interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate program for students of the Center for Arts and Entertainment Technologies (CAET), Computer Science Department and Radio-Television-Film Department. The program produces graduates ready to design, develop and provide leadership in computer game, mobile app and creative media agencies and studios in Texas and around the world. We recently caught up with Toprac to discuss​ his experience in gaming, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Neal Daugherty is an artist currently teaching AET production courses that cover 2-D animation, working with Adobe Creative Cloud and a digital practicum that focuses in game concept and elements. His work outside of the classroom includes visual arts, graphic design and printmaking. Daugherty has worked with Nike and had his work featured in exhibitions, and he runs his own company called Misunderstood Technologies and is a part of a multimedia band called Death and Astronauts. We recently caught up with him to talk about his work.

Dax Norman is an artist and animator who is currently teaching 3-D animation in AET. He teaches production courses where students work with 3-D animation, practice using software like Photoshop and create a video game. As an artist, his work includes numerous paintings, animated projects and GIFS. Norman’s work has been shown in exhibitions and festivals both nationally and internationally, such as Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Animation Festival and Gallery 444 in San Francisco. He’s also created animation for Adult Swim and MTV.

Michael Baker is a game developer and graphics production expert with more than 15 years experience in games and VFX production. He’s worked on big licensed projects based on Star Wars and Alien, and developed software tools for the popular Bullet Physics Framework which powers countless authoring tools, feature films, and games. In 2013, he co-founded Codex Worlds, an indie game studio based in Austin, Texas. We caught up with him recently to talk about his work and teaching.

Center for Integrated Design Lecturer Jared Huke writes about teaching an Intro to Design Thinking course to non-designers. 

School of Design and Creative Technologies Doreen Lorenzo writes about “Designing Business and The Future” before moderating a panel of the same name at the 2017 Techonomy NYC conference.

Brooks Protzmann writes about his experiences teaching design thinking to non-designers through his class in the Center for Integrated Design in the School of Design and Creative Technologies at The University of Texas at Austin.

Undergraduate Caroline Rock talks about her experiences taking classes offered by the Center for Integrated Design and why they inspired her to change her major in the School of Design and Creative Technologies at The University of Texas at Austin.

Doreen Lorenzo spoke at SXSWedu about "Design Thinking as a Core Fundamental in Education." Here, she shares more about her talk and why teaching empathy is so important in higher education. Lorenzo is the executive director of the Center for Integrated Design at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Daily Texan shares how the Center for Integrated Design at The University of Texas at Austin is offering courses to students from all majors to learn how to use creativity and design communication as a part of their everyday lives.