D. Fox Harrell, Ph.D.
- ICE Lab/Studio Director
- fox.harrell [at] gatech.edu
Dr. Fox Harrell is an Assistant Professor in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego. His primary research interests include computational (interactive and generative) narrative, cognitive semantics, imaginative fiction for social critique and empowerment, experimental and cross-cultural narrative, and social aspects of user-interface design. He is especially interested in the intersections of the above concerns, for example how cognitive science accounts of imagination (such as conceptual bending and metaphor) can inform design of expressive computational artifacts.
He has presented his work internationally; sites of his publications and presentations include the MIT Press, the University of Toronto Press, the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, the Digital Arts and Culture Conference, CTheory, and other book chapters, journals, and conferences. He has also worked as an interactive television producer and as a game designer. Dr. Harrell received a master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University, and both a B.F.A. in Art and a B.S. in Logic and Computation from Carnegie Mellon University.
Kenny K. N. Chow
- First Year Digital Media Ph.D. student
- knchow [at] gmail.com
Kenny K. N. Chow is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Digital Media at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received an M.F.A. degree from the City University of Hong Kong in 2007 and an M.Sc. degree from the University of Hong Kong in 2002. His research interests are digital visual culture, generative art, and animation studies. He is now working with D. Fox Harrell, Ph.D. on generative narratives projects that draw upon an interdisciplinary theoretical framework including generative visual and literary arts, cognitive and computer sciences, and linked poetry. He has been a lecturer in the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, teaching multimedia and visual designs.
He has practiced in graphic design, animation, and film production. His latest animated short film Sword Pigeon Bicycle was selected in Osaka Asian Film Festival 2006 Opening Guest Film and the Hong Kong Panorama Section of the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Ben Medler
- Second Year Digital Media Ph.D. student
- benmedler [at] gatech.edu
Ben Medler is a PhD candidate at Georgia Institute of Technology studying Digital Media . As part of the ICE Lab, Ben studies digital identity and how to build systems that redefine what it means to have an identity online. He has worked on the ICE Lab project Define Me, a facebook application using metaphors to create a user's identity. Ben is also researching player identity in games as part of this thesis.
Besides games and identity, Ben’s research interests revolve around adaptive systems, conflict within games, interactive drama, authoring tools, and combining games with web data.
Digdem Sezen
- Visiting Fulbright researcher
- digdemsezen [at] gmail.com
Digdem is a PhD student at Istanbul University, Graduate School of Social Sciences.She is currently a visiting Fulbright researcher in LCC Digital Media Program at Georgia Institute of Technology. She interested in social networks, web 2.0 storytelling and media literacies. She is a member of DIGRA Turkish chapter and one of the researcher moderators of internetevolution.com
Tonguc Ibrahim Sezen
- Visiting Fulbright researcher
- tongucs [at] hotmail.com
Tonguc is a visiting Fulbright researcher at Georgia Tech School of Digital Media. He is a PhD candidate at Istanbul University Graduate School of Social Sciences. He is interested in interactive and transmedia narratives, videogame studies and also journalism and digital media. He writes in the Turkish videogame and digital media blog “Merkezkac Kuvveti” and he is also a member of DiGRA Turkish Chapter.
Daniel Upton
- 2nd Year Digital Media M.S.
- dupton3 [at] gatech.edu
Daniel Upton has a Bachelors degree from Georgia State University in
Fine Art. He has worked as an installation artist, a professional
stained glass designer, and a painter. His current focus is on self
depiction in online environments. Daniel is currently a Masters
student in the Digital Media Program and will be graduating in Spring
2009.
Jichen Zhu
- Fifth Year Digital Media Ph.D. student
- jichen.zhu [at] lcc.gatech.edu
Jichen Zhu is a Ph.D. candidate in Digital Media. Her research interests are both the theory and practice of engaging artificial intelligence as an expressive media for cultural production. More specifically, she focuses on the phenomenon of intentionality displayed by these computational systems. Jichen is currently working on the /Memory, Reverie Machine/, a computational narrative system that generates stories in which the main character’s intentionality varies as an expressive dimension of storytelling.
She holds a Master's degree in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.S. in Architecture from McGill University, Canada.
Donna Sammander
- Computational Media B.S.
- donna.sammander [at] alumni.gatech.edu
Donna is interested in narrative, especially through poetry and the visual arts. She is currently exploring the possibilities of how programming can bring the two together in an exciting and interactive way. She graduated with a degree in Art and an emphasis in Art History from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC and is continuing her studies at Tech in the Computational Media Program. Her mediums include painting, mixed-media and ceramics with her current exploration in digital media. Donna's background also includes creative writing with an interest in rhythm and percussion.
Richard Shemaka
- 4th Year Computational Media B.S.
- rshemaka [at] gatech.edu
Richard is a computational media student interested in computer graphics and film theory. He is involved in ICE lab research to better understand the cognitive processes and mechanics behind meaning-making and narrative. His goal is to one day apply these concepts towards developing tools to aid directors in creating digital cinema.
