Janell Baxter

Bio

Janell teaches simulation and serious game design, programming, teamwork, interactive media development, and capstone courses. Her professional work includes engineering bots and building simulations and software. She’s been involved in a range of development projects, from commercial work to simulations and serious game-like experiences funded by grants. Her primary interest in building interactive work is to create experiences that are meaningful and relevant to those who use them, and that embody traits on the higher end of the interactive spectrum: participant-centered, responsive, adaptive, dynamic, and immersive. 

Education

MSc, Computer Science, University of Chicago

BFA, University of Illinois at Chicago

Courses Taught

Indie Game Project

Indie Game Studio

Computational Media Development

Simulation Design

Introduction to Programming

Areas of Interest

Algorithmic art

Emergent and adaptive systems

Interface design and interactive application development

Teamwork (best practices for high-performance teams)

Virtual communities and collaboration

Professional Work

Visiting Artist Lecture Series: Matt Board and Janell Baxter, April 28 2011

3G Summit: The Future of Girls, Gaming and Gender, Panel Moderator and Facilitator, August 12-15, 2010

Generative Art and Pragmatic Computing, as part of the panel "Limited Set: Generative Intersections of Theater and Artificial Life" New Media Caucus, College Art Association (Chicago, Illinois) 2010.

Games for Change: Creating Games of Social Value (with Mindy Faber), Claiming Creativity: Art Education in Cultural Transition (Chicago, Illinois) 2010

Awards and Honors

Faculty Development Grant, Columbia College Chicago, 2007

Faculty Letters of Commendation, University of Chicago, 2006

Nominated for the Excellence in Teaching Award, 2003

Renaissance Outstanding Achievement Award, Columbia College, 1997, 1998

Artemesia Mentorship, Artemesia Gallery, 1996