An artist. An animator. A designer. A project manager.
Chris Totten is an innovative force in the field of gaming.
Totten, Animation Game Design (AGD) assistant professor and program coordinator at Kent State University at Tuscarawas, was recently awarded the 2022 IndieCade Horizons Faculty of Excellence Award for Innovation. IndieCade Horizons is an original online international event showcasing and supporting new work and talent rising from game design programs
“Winning this international award, overseen by some of the most noteworthy and senior members of the field, is a huge honor, and I'm humbled to be among such excellent company in the other awardees,” said Totten. “I hope to continue living up to this award by continuing to further the integration of game development with the arts.”
Originally created to highlight student work and emerging talent, Horizons recognized the support and leadership of faculty and instructors for the first time this year in three different categories: teaching, innovation, and service. Awardees were selected by the Horizons Executive Committee after careful consideration of each nominee.
Through multiple books, articles, games and curated events, Totten – the founder of Pie For Breakfast Studios – is breaking down barriers between traditionally disparate fields.
“My goal is to build a wider appreciation of games in the context of other arts,” said Totten.
Offering a comprehensive curriculum that integrates technology training with critical thinking and artistic development, Kent State Tuscarawas’ Animation Game Design program encourages students to explore games in the context of traditional arts, time-based media, and design. Accredited through the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design (NASAD), the AGD program emphasizes critical and creative thinking while helping students develop the technological and professional skills they’ll need to excel after graduation.
Students in the AGD program receive hands-on instruction in collaborative environments from award-winning faculty active in the game industry. Through classwork, internships, and various opportunities to display their work, students learn not only how to make games, but how games can reach diverse audiences and serve various purposes, from games for social impact, to commercial games, to games for education. Learn more about the Animation Game Design program at Kent State Tuscarawas and check out some recent student work at www.kent.edu/tusc/animation-game-design.
Visit www.indiecade.com/horizons/ to learn more about IndeCade Horizons 2022.