IGDA Foundation Scholars
GDC 2020
Applications for the IGDA Foundation’s Scholars program at GDC 2020 closed on November 29th 2019.
Award recipients will be notified in January of 2020.
The IGDA Scholars Program is one of the most coveted awards for promising students in game development and related disciplines. The program draws on a panel of industry experts to select a group of students who are considered the “best and brightest”. These Scholars get the opportunity to attend one of the many conferences that the program operates at, where they receive a complimentary pass, exclusive meeting opportunities, one-on-one mentoring from an industry veteran and tours of studios local to the event.
Over its history since 2001 (predating the Foundation by a number of years), many industry luminaries such as Robin Hunicke, Scott Jon Siegel and Whitney Hills have been recipients of the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being an IGDA Scholar.
The IGDA Foundation is proud to organize the IGDA Scholars Program, and enable students in fields covering the full spectrum of game development to have an incredible, once in a lifetime experience.
Mentor Testimonial
“Mentoring Khaya was an absolute joy. We were already familiar with one another before our assignment, and we hit it off immediately. It’s funny to try and mentor someone who is, though younger, professionally just as skilled as you are, but it helped teach me just how much I uniquely have to share. I was even able to hire her to work on a project with me! 10/10 would mentor again.”
– Emily Grace Buck, IGDA Scholars Mentor
Hello Future IGDA Scholar!
The IGDA Scholars program is unlike any other event-based program – the pass we provide you is just the beginning! We don’t want to just give you a pass to a games industry conference and have you wander; we think that you’re incredible, and that means that we’re going to work hard to give you every advantage we can for your conference adventure. From a mentor chosen just for you, to introductions to a community of other Scholars, past and present, to private Q&A sessions with industry leaders, and much more, we strive to give you the best event experience we can provide!
We want you to tell us why you’re an IGDA Scholar – we look for leadership, thoughtfulness, and volunteerism. The application will give you the opportunity to demonstrate to us how you’ve given back to your community, how you’ve thought about your impending career in games – essentially, how you’ve demonstrated that you are an IGDA Scholar. We want you to be studying a field related to the games industry, in an undergraduate or graduate program that results in a degree, and we want you to be confident that working in games is the career path you want to pursue.
Before the event, we’ll introduce you to your fellow Scholars, who’ll quickly become some of your best friends and resources in the industry. We’ll also introduce you to the Scholars alumni community, a supportive group of game developers who participated in the IGDA Scholars program and have committed to supporting new talent in the game development community. Additionally, the Scholars staff will match you to a mentor who will be in attendance at your event; they’ll meet with you in person to explore the best ways to help you in your professional aspirations.
During the conference, the IGDA Scholars staff assist you with your experience, arranging face-to-face meetings with senior figures in the industry, group visits to local studios, and other unique and exclusive opportunities.
Afterward, you’ll have a chance to decompress, and then we’ll ask you to write a short, reflective blog post about your experiences.
By the time you emerge from your event, you should feel like you have a much firmer grasp on what you want to do in the game development community and how you can go about achieving your goals. You should feel that your IGDA Scholars experience has set you up to become the leader that we believe you can be.
I look forward to meeting you!
2020 IGDA Scholars
Nicole Abuid is a junior at Florida State University double majoring in English and Digital Media Production, and she intends to pursue her graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Her hobbies include playing video games, watching anime, and reading fiction. If she had to choose, her favorite game would be Undertale, favorite anime would be JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and favorite novel would be The Count of Monte Cristo. She has a passion for learning new skills and improving upon old ones, and she aspires to be in a career field where she has the opportunity to constantly learn through collaboration. A few of these skills include editing (papers and videos), video production, social media management, and event planning.
Alonso Canales is an engineering design and computer science student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He is the lead staff member of the university’s game development club, and has organized multiple activities like talks, workshops, and game jams, including the biggest Global Game Jam site in Chile. He also mentors new members of the club, helping them take their initial steps in the world of game development and guiding them in the creation of their first games. In his free time, Alonso enjoys programming short & sweet web games, exploring the relationship between meaning and mechanics, and tinkering with electronics and alternative controllers.
Hsiao Wei Chen (also known as Michelle) is a game developer with experience in programming, design and production. She is also one of GameIndustry.biz 100 Future Talent. She currently doing a PhD in Design, developing video games for mental health at RMIT in Australia. She is also a STEM Ambassador, Women in Games Ambassador and RMIT Mentor. She also volunteers at game industry events, and teaches kids coding and robotics.
Jivitesh Singh Dhaliwal is a game designer, programmer, writer and composer. Inspired by the Socratic method, he designs games which help his players understand themselves better by bridging the gap between belief and knowledge. His game credits include the critically successful title, Walden, a game, the IndieCade showcase title, Phenomenology, as well as the Sundance and IndieCade showcase title The Under Presents among others. Jivitesh holds a degree in electrical engineering from Panjab University, India. He is pursuing his MFA in Interactive Media and Games from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California where he is a recipient of the Annenberg Graduate Fellowship. Jivitesh is currently spearheading a 21 member team on his VR game, Fall from Grace, which explores Socratic Dialogue in games and is trying to expand the vocabulary of interaction. In his free time, Jivitesh loves to play the bansuri (Indian flute).
Mara Gagiu is a senior Software Engineering student at the University of Waterloo and an Xbox Graphics engineering intern with interests in procedural terrain generation and fluid simulation. She has gathered most of her experience with D3D12 and real-time graphics techniques through her past internships at Autodesk and Microsoft’s Direct3D team. When not completely absorbed in finishing all the Skyrim side quests, Mara occasionally paints and plays electric guitar.
Kshitij Gajapure is a self-taught game developer and designer with over three years of experience, during which he has made more than 30 different games, prototypes, and simulations. He is currently a Senior Undergraduate at IIT Gandhinagar (India) pursuing a major in Computer Science and Engineering with minors in Design, Cognitive Science, and Humanities. He always strives to expand his skills in areas related to video games. He believes that Cognitive Science and Humanities can be used to make games for the betterment of the individual as well as that of society.
Julia Gstoettner is a freelance localizer and translator for videogames, manga and anime with the language pairs Japanese/English to German. After becoming infuriated by bold translation choices in the German version of Final Fantasy 10 she finally decided to combine her love for gaming and Japanese language to find new ways of dealing with culturally sensitive assets in games and other media. She then pursued Japanese Studies at Vienna University and Waseda University in Tokyo until her MA with a focus on academic research of videogame localization and culturalization. She loves to organize and attend international or local meet-ups, holds talks about her work at university or at Manga and Anime conventions and connecting with fellow gamers and professionals all over the world is a huge passion of hers. She also runs a geeky Instagram lifestyle blog with a focus on her work, Japan, games, anime, manga and tattoos. Encouraging and empowering women and spreading kindness in the world are some of her biggest concerns. As a cancer survivor who even worked during the most difficult times, she knows a healthy balance of the mind and body can be achieved by never stopping to believe in her dreams.
Raushon Liburd Henry; is an innovative and determined student majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Graphic Design. He puts his focus on game design and game development while attending the Historically Black College University: Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. He was one of the founding members of the video game organization know as the AAMU Video Game Club in college at 2017. He started as president and then Vice President in 2019 promoting game competitions, community service, and advancement for game development and game design within the student body while maintaining a Merit Scholarship. He partook in an internship in software engineering in 2017 and tutored students in programming courses teaching C++ and Python within the Tutorial Assistance Network. He has been apart of the AAMU Honors Program for five years and served as the Historian of the program in 2017. His hobbies include film editing, and competing in fighting game tournaments.
Jordan Kegler is a tech artist and marketer based in Worcester, Massachusetts. As a tech artist by day and marketer by night, Jordan spends his time working on visual effects in the Unreal Engine, and is director of the Games Guild, a student- run marketing group created to help educate students and indies about marketing. He also co-founded JoyArt, an art show dedicated to giving all game artists a platform to submit and display their work while getting them feedback and connected with industry game artists. In his spare time, he loves thrifting and film photography, and giving talks about the importance of marketing in games!
Bahiyya Khan is a multiple award winning game designer and writer from Johannesburg, South Africa. She is most notably known for her work on the IGF winning game, after HOURS, which is a FMV about a young woman that was molested as a child and suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder as a result. Khan makes games that she wishes existed and for social change. She only cares if teenage girls like her games.
Zaire Lanier is currently working on two personal projects, “Songs to Kill Yourself to When the Night is Dark and Lonely” and “Hold Me, It’s the End of the World.”
Nathan Navarro Griffin is a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno and an independent game developer directing a 2D soccer fighting game. His graduate research focuses on locomotion and viewpoint transition techniques in virtual reality (VR), and their relationship to game design in VR. Nathan has also taught and aided computer science and game development related courses at his university for four years. In addition to research, Nathan is currently the director, programmer, and lead designer for his indie game team PIXELGRIFFIN, which is currently working on their Smash-Bros. inspired 2D soccer fighting game. Nathan has also published many small games which are available on his personal website.
Kate Olguin is a 3D game artist and designer who loves creating wacky worlds and the things that live in them. A current senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Kate loves learning about new game development techniques and teaching them to others. She has previously worked as a MassDiGI Summer Innovation Program intern and as an intern at Fire Hose Games. Kate likes meeting people, and pops up at all sorts of events around the Boston Area. She has a bit of an off-beat sense of humor and likes making games about strange topics that draw from her own life. Her two current projects are a game about Mothman going to college, and a game about a suburban housewife fighting Cthulhu.
Anam Sajid is a senior student at National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Pakistan and currently taking up a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. She believes in using one’s skills to give back to society as much as possible. Being a computer science student, she has been trained to perform highly in various fields including artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer networks, and game development. From a young age, Anam has had a kind heart. She loves animals and finds the purpose of life in helping people around her. She hopes to use her knowledge in technology mainly to help people with mental illness, to raise awareness about their condition, and help them as well as others in making their lives easier.
Mandisa Washington is pursuing her second Master’s degree at CUNY Brooklyn College, combining a passion for teaching and penchant for visual storytelling into a research focus on educational game development. While obtaining her MFA in TV & Media Production, she founded Studio Disa Productions, LLC, producing the math-as-art mobile game Super Spiral Graph, and “Who are you Wearing?”, a documentary on alternate social identity in the geek community. Currently she has two projects in development: CodeControl, a “GTA-meets-Animal Crossing” adventure game designed to build confidence and programming skills in Introductory Computer Science students through teacher-provided problem sets. And Qadiran Nights, a tactical RPG in the vein of Fire Emblem and Dungeons & Dragons, set in a fantastical version of the medieval Silk Road.
Qualification
- Only full-time undergraduate, graduate or doctoral (or similar) students, or former students who graduated in the 6 months prior to the event they are applying for, are eligible.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older as of the date of the event. (Also note that certain aspects of some events may carry higher age restrictions)
- Applicants can receive the IGDA Scholars award a maximum of two times.
Expectations
- Successful applicants are required to attend and actively participate in all mandatory events.
- Successful applicants will be required to sign a basic liability waiver, code of conduct, right of publicity form, and write a short report describing their experiences as an IGDA Scholar.
Judging Criteria
Applications will be judged by a panel of game industry professionals. To help students hone their applications, and to better understand what the judges are looking for, here is the basic criteria which the judges are asked to use when rating applicants.
- Relevance – Will attending the event help the student achieve his or her specific educational and/or career goals?
- Initiative – Has the student demonstrated continued dedication to game development and effort to his or her education?
- Engagement – Has the student demonstrated a breadth of activity and volunteerism within his or her community?
- Communication – Are the ideas expressed in the essays communicated effectively and efficiently?
Have more questions? Try the FAQ
Program Committee
The IGDA Scholars Program requires a year-round commitment to ensure execution at the highest quality at all the participating events. The dedicated team of industry professionals behind this prestigious program volunteer their time to ensure that IGDA Scholars receive an unparalleled experience. We are proud to recognize the efforts of the following people who work tirelessly helping students follow their industry dreams:
Oleg Brodskiy
IGDA Scholars Program Director
Oleg Brodskiy is a former IGDA Scholar and the current Program Director for IGDA Scholars. He’s also the COO for BostonFIG and a Senior Producer at Disruptor Beam. He also writes a webcomic called Desere.
Sarah Spiers
Sarah Spiers began her career in Boston, where she worked as a Production Assistant for the Deep End Games. At the same time, Sarah volunteered with BostonFIG to increase student participation and grow the student gamedev community. Sarah currently works as a Producer for Filament Games, helping build playful experiences that educate children and adults alike. In her free time, she enjoys running, working on her own small game projects, and mentoring college students.
Kiara du Toit
Kiara was an IGDA Scholar at GDC18. She enjoys all forms of art, has degrees in Biological Anthropology and Creative Technologies (game art), and is currently a full time Concept Artist for RocketWerkz in Dunedin, New Zealand.
She has volunteered at conferences throughout Australasia since 2016, and was elected to the 2018 board of the New Zealand Game Developers Association.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be an IGDA member to apply?
Starting with the GDC 2020 program, applicants no longer need to be IGDA members in order to apply to the program.
Do certificate programs count as tertiary education (for the purposes of Scholars)?
No: to be eligible for Scholars you need to be enrolled in a degree program or have graduated from a degree program no longer than 6 months from the start date of GDC 2020.
Is this award just a stipend to attend GDC?
It’s more! The Scholars program is a specialised, tailored experience with mentors chosen and talks crafted by our organizing team for each year’s cohort.
An example of what a day as a Scholar at GDC might look like:
- 7:45 – 8:45 am – Private Q&A with [Insert Name Here]
– Prepare 2 Questions - 11:45 – 2:30 pm – Studio Tour
– Lunch Included - 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Private Networking Event (Optional)
Can I accept offers for both IGDA Scholars and Velocity in the same year?
You should definitely apply for both if you are eligible, but you may only accept an offer from one of the two programs if you are accepted into both.
What counts as volunteering (for the purposes of applying to IGDA Scholars)?
The IGDA Scholars judging committee defines volunteering as helping causes that benefit the wider community. This can include:
- Games related volunteering (workshops, clubs, running forums – you need to be helping + organising spaces and events for the benefit of others)
- Non-games (humanitarian, environmental, rights causes, etc.)
It does not include:
- Helping friends and family
- Helping promote or create your own games/projects (this includes at conferences and within school)
- Sharing your life advice/experience with others, outside of a volunteer organization
You can find good examples from previous applicants here.
I'm not a native English speaker, can I answer questions in my native language?
Unfortunately, at this time, our program does place a heavy emphasis on English and we ask that you answer our questions in English to the best of your abilities. That said, we certainly understand that a number of our applicants may not be native English speakers, therefore we instruct our judges to not rate non-native English speakers lower due to their grasp of the language.
Do I need recommendations from teachers, employers, etc. to apply?
No! The application process consists of only submitting some short answer questions.
Are the events scheduled for IGDA Scholars during GDC compulsory for program participants?
Yes! The Scholars team works very hard to tailor the content of the program to each cohort. Likewise, the team makes sure to try and balance the events with free time, so you’ll still be able to experience GDC fully.
What does the IGDA Scholars award provide me?
The IGDA Scholars program provides a travel stipend, which can include accommodation. You’ll also receive a GDC Conference + Summits pass, and a tailored program of additional Q&As, events and networking opportunities for IGDA Scholars.
Does the GDC pass Scholars receive include VRDC?
Scholars receive a GDC conference + summits pass, which does not include VRDC.
IGDA Scholars Q&A Speakers
In the past, the IGDA Scholars Q&A Speakers have included:
- Brie Code, CEO/Creative Director at Tru Luv Media, prev. Leader Programmer at Ubisoft
- Abbie Heppe, Communications Manager, Media Molecule (Little Big Planet, Tearaway Unfolded)
- Innes McKendrick, Programmer, Hello Games (No Man’s Sky)
- Ross Beeley, Senior Writer, Telltale Games (New), previous Lead Narrative Designer, ArenaNet (Guild Wars 2)
- Mike Acton, Principal Programmer, Unity, prev. Engine Director at Insomniac Games
- Tim O’Leary & Reiko Ninomiya, Nintendo Treehouse, (Fire Emblem Fates, Super Mario Maker, The Legend of Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Yoshi’s Woolly World, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and more!)
- Jenova Chen, President and Creative Director, thatgamecompany (Journey, Flow, Flower)
- Kiki Wolfkill, Studio Head, 343 Industries (Halo Series)
- Mike Bithell, Founder & Creator, Bithell Games (Thomas was Alone)
- Amir Rao Supergiant Games, Studio Director (Bastion, Transistor, Pyre)