In the 20 years since UCF launched the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), the acclaimed graduate video game design program has produced more than 1,000 alums prepared to make their mark on the $450 billion industry.
FIEA has helped alums land careers are more than 400 companies, including big names like EA Sports, Nintendo, 2K and Roblox. And now with the rising demand for immersive learning and gamified training in other 麻豆精品 S渕ore serious 麻豆精品 S� fields, FIEA graduates are answering the call there, too.
Three alums, each with a unique story of why they chose this side of 麻豆精品 S渟erious gaming, 麻豆精品 S� where winning truly is the only option.
Brenda Raza 麻豆精品 S�97 麻豆精品 S�19MS
From Magazine Fashion to Military Function
Before Brenda Raza 麻豆精品 S�97 麻豆精品 S�19MS became a leading 3D artist at Carley Corporation creating interactive training simulations for soldiers, her classmates in FIEA only knew the LinkedIn version of her: A UCF BFA graduate from 20 years earlier who once lived in New York designing fashion catalogs and magazines.
When that career didn 麻豆精品 S檛 fulfill her the way she thought it would, she dared to consider starting over on another path.
During her undergraduate days, she wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have considered herself a gamer, though she did dabble in Mortal Kombat on occasion. Few people knew that during her first time through UCF, Raza had joined the U.S. Army Reserve.
Two decades later, the feeling of contributing to something meaningful was still in her DNA and would ultimately guide her to her job today.
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In FIEA, the mother of two found a connection between her calling (military support) and her talent (creative design).
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The simulations Raza helps create replaces traditional manuals held together by three-ring binders that the Army uses for training.
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Katie (Wollam) Ferguson 麻豆精品 S�08 麻豆精品 S�09MS
From PlayStation to National Defense
The U.S. Department of Defense has come around to see the formidable value of college graduates who know their way around PlayStation, XBox and Steam consoles. The attraction is mutual for FIEA graduates like Katie (Wollam) Ferguson 麻豆精品 S�08 麻豆精品 S�09MS.
As a project engineering associate manager at Lockheed Martin, her team creates interactive applications intuitive enough for indulging 麻豆精品 S� and that 麻豆精品 S檚 exactly why they 麻豆精品 S檙e so effective in familiarizing military personnel with aircraft and missile systems, or when they need to understand the environment of a ship before actually boarding it.
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Ferguson 麻豆精品 S檚 father worked in the simulation industry while she grew up in Central Florida, the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 top modeling, simulation and training region. When UCF launched FIEA during her freshman year, she saw an opportunity to apply her growing interest to a growing need.
麻豆精品 S淭he professors come from the gaming industry, so they 麻豆精品 S檙e able to show students how to work in teams and deliver usable products within tight deadlines, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
During her FIEA training, Ferguson 麻豆精品 S檚 initial idea of working at an animation studio shifted to the idea of working on serious gaming applications. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 motivating to know our training tools can positively affect our military personnel and help achieve the ultimate goal: to keep them safe and ensure they come home. 麻豆精品 S�
Mike Harris 麻豆精品 S�23 麻豆精品 S�24MS
From Active Duty to a Sense of Duty
When Raza and Ferguson mention military personnel as the focus of their work, fellow UCF alum Mike Harris 麻豆精品 S�23 麻豆精品 S�24MS is the kind of person they 麻豆精品 S檙e talking about.
Harris, who is a designer at BreakAway Games, served in the U.S. Marines before enrolling at UCF. The company is one of the largest developers of serious games, having developed several high-profile serious games for the U.S. military and the U.S. Department of Justice.
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During his first year at FIEA, instructor Erik Sand asked him to judge the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge because who better to determine simulation accuracy than someone who has actually served in the military field?
During the event, Harris met a BreakAway Games executive. She saw in Harris an optimum package of integrity and FIEA training.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 working on a team to develop software to improve the real-world operation tempo for the military. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Mike Harris 麻豆精品 S�23 麻豆精品 S�24MS
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