
Associate Director
Website:
Specialization:
Christian Thomas is the Associate Director of the Center for Digital Games Research, and teaches several game-based courses in the Writing Program at UC Santa Barbara.
Research:
Selected grants, publications, and conference presentations:
- Innovative Learning Technology Initiative grant ($94,000) in support of development of Rome: The Game (co-PI, 2019)
- "Creating an Online Course as a Narrative Game.” Presentation for the 2023 Arizona State University Composition Conference (February 2023)
- Arts Special Issue, The Art of Adaptation in Film and Video Games (editor, July 2022)
- "Writing for Emotional Impact in Film and Video Games: Lessons in Character Development, Realism, and Interactivity from the Alien Media Franchise" (author, Arts, March 2021)
- "Interview: Acclaimed Game Designer Ryan Kaufman Discusses Telltale Games, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and How Video Games Can Transform Us" (interviewer, Arts, July 2021)
- "Game Writing Meets Online Course Design" (presenter, University of California Writing Programs Conference, 2021)
- "Teaching an Online Course as a Story-Based Game" (presenter, Engaging Teaching Symposium, 2020)
- Mellon Engaging Humanities Faculty Fellowship (2019)
- "VR Games for Learning" (presenter, The Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation, 2019)
- "Gaming in the Writing Classroom" (presenter, Writing Program Professional Events, 2019)
- "Character Development in Horror Fiction & Film" (presenter, College of Creative Studies, UCSB, 2019)
- "Interactive Writing" (presenter, Technology in Writing Conference, 2018)
- "Video Game Production" (presenter, UCSB Career Services, 2018)