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Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

giffeyt — Thu, 14 May 2026 14:13:23 +0000

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankingsgiffeyt May 14, 2026

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

91��Ƭ’s game design programs continue to climb in the rankings among their peers around the nation, rising to No. 6 in the Midwest and No. 17 among all public universities in the United States, according to the latest figures published by Animation Career Review.

91��Ƭ held steady on another Animation Career Review leaderboard, but that’s only because it couldn’t climb any higher: The game design programs were ranked No. 1 in Wisconsin for the eighth consecutive year. 91��Ƭ also placed No. 11 nationwide among universities offering game design-related B.F.A. degrees.

"Our program has matured beyond its ‘startup’ phase and is consistently producing industry-standard work, as evidenced by how many of our senior capstone games go on to be published on the Steam and Epic Games platforms,” said Associate Professor Kim Loken, program director for B.F.A. game design and development - art.

Loken said 91��Ƭ’s multiple game-design related degree programs – which also include a B.S. computer science with a game design and development concentration and a B.S. game and media studies – set Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University apart from its peers.

“Because we offer game dev-focused B.F.A. and B.S. degrees in parallel, our students achieve depth in their roles to maximize effective collaborations in the five semesters in which they take courses in which they make games together in ever-larger team structures,” Loken said.

Stout Game Expo attendees play Gator Hucker, one of the student-designed games.

Students build award-winning games

Game design courses culminate in the senior capstone, which simulates an industry environment as students create games in teams. These games are on display each semester at the Stout Game Expo (SGX), western Wisconsin’s largest game developer exhibition, which was held May 7.

Among the award-winning games at SGX was Gator Hucker, in which players brawl as alien alligators with wacky abilities. The game, which won the Audience Award, grew out of a running joke in class about a game in which gorillas threw alligators in space, explained senior Space Goettl. A game design and development - art major with a computer science minor, Goettl wore many hats during the game’s development, including leading the character art team, serving as a technical animator and heading marketing efforts.

“One really important thing the program does is that all of the interdisciplinary game design classes put you on a team where you basically function as your own indie studio, so by the time you graduate you’ve already independently published three video games,” Goettl said. “Because you’re always doing group work (and group work with people outside your individual areas of expertise, no less), you develop really important soft skills through the process that can apply to any job, not just the games industry.”

Esquelito was one of the award-winning games on display at the Stout Game Expo on May 7.

The award for Best Production at SGX went to Esquelito, a colorful, musical game set in the Mexican underworld. Players become Esquelito, a little skeleton who spreads joy through music, moving through levels while staying on beat.

The game was inspired in part by Mexican Day of the Dead traditions as well as the Disney film “Coco,” said senior Alex Colmenares, a B.F.A. game design and development - art major who served as game designer, VFX artist and illustrator for Esquelito.

“A big challenge that the team faced was ensuring that the game was not disrespectful in the way it represented Mexican culture,” said Colmenares, whose own heritage includes Mexican roots. “Another challenge was proper game balance. We wanted to market our game to children, so to that end we wanted to design a game that would be easier for kids. But sometimes things would come out to be way too difficult or way too easy! It was a lot of work to properly tune the game’s difficulty.”

Another big hit at SGX was Aeromancy, a virtual reality game in which players take the role of wizards who must land airplanes on the correct runway using magic gauntlets. At SGX, Aeromancy won the Audience Award for games created in the junior-level Exploratory Game Design course.

“The use of virtual reality enhances the chaotic, frantic nature of the game and allows the player to access that child-like headspace of playing with toy airplanes,” said Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff. Aeromancy is the third VR game exhibited at 91��Ƭ in recent years, and the first developed entirely by junior-level undergraduates.

One of the games at SGX, Driven to Madness, featured a game controller designed to look like an engine.

Junior-level students in the Exploratory Game Design course also showcased a two-player racing game called Driven to Madness, which featured a monstrous motorcycle engine as one of the game controllers. Professor Andrew Williams explained that one player drives a motorcycle on a racetrack while calling out to the other player, a mechanic, who must make adjustments to the engine to avoid obstacles.

“The game focuses on communication as each player has access to different types of information and needs to share it to play. This was an ambitious, high-risk project because it has very complex problems to solve and the team needed to learn a lot of skills independently,” said Williams, who added that the game won the Most Innovative Gameplay award at SGX.

A scene from the student-designed virtual reality game, Aeromancy.

Game design programs among top in nation

Overall, 91��Ƭ had a banner year in the Animation Career Review rankings, placing at No. 36 among all public and private universities in the United States. The rankings are driven by academic peer assessments, graduate employment outcomes, and metrics of program scale and institutional performance, including faculty size, retention rates, and graduation rates.

Games created by 91��Ƭ students have made an impression far beyond campus. Last November, a student-built submarine game called Dread Not was honored as best student entry at M+DEV, the largest game industry conference in the Midwest, which drew 1,500 attendees to Madison.

And the graduates who created these games are finding careers in their chosen field: According to 91��Ƭ’s most recent survey, 97% of game design and development - art graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months of graduating. Recent game design alumni have landed jobs with the likes of Activision, Raven Software, Fantasy Flight Games, Pixel Farm and Trek Bikes.

The game design and development - art program is part of the School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. The School of Art and Design also offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game and media studies; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design.

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Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games Two players at 91��Ƭ SGX spring 2026

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Hero Caption: Audience members test student-designed games at the Stout Game Expo (SGX) on May 7, 2026.

Kim Loken

Kim Loken's industry experience spans civic, commercial, and residential projects. Her approach to each is further informed by a storytelling mindset cultivated in work for film and theater. In her prior architecture practice, she helmed a variety of adaptive reuse, historic preservation and new construction projects. More recent work focuses on the use of games as systems for analyzing complex problems, particularly those related to environmental issues. Teaching invigorates her practice and provides the opportunity to mentor young designers in a variety of disciplines.

Teaching Interests: Design thinking, interdisciplinary design, large-scale collaborative projects

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Seth Berrier

Seth earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2012 where he worked with Professor Meyer in the disciplines of computer graphics and visualization. He also holds a B.A. in Music from the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is a classically trained tenor and an active participant in community theater in and around the Chippewa Valley.

Teaching Interests: Introductory programming courses, data structures and algorithms, software engineering, and computer graphics.

Research Interests: Seth is interested in using the visual power of graphics and visualization to bridge the pure technical disciplines of math and computer science with design and the arts. He has interests in design disciplines ranging from architecture to fashion and game design and seeks to develop new tools that enable the creative processes in these fields. He is also interested in advancing the primitive world of music visualization through the disciplines of formal music theory and form and analysis. In computer science, he is most interested in image based rendering and light field acquisition, photogrammetry and light fields for digital heritage, real-time photo-realistic rendering with graphics hardware and high-level shading languages.

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Royal Credit Union internship showcases student's data science, machine learning skills

giffeyt — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Royal Credit Union internship showcases student's data science, machine learning skillsgiffeyt January 29, 2026

M.S. applied computer science student finds workplaces experience aligns with coursework

Tom Giffey

A yearlong business intelligence internship at Royal Credit Union, one of Wisconsin’s largest financial institutions, has helped a 91��Ƭ applied computer science graduate student gain confidence and skill in both data engineering and machine learning.

“It’s been a fun experience. I’m really grateful,” said Justin George, who expects to receive his M.S. applied computer science degree in May. “This internship has been the best part of my Stout experience so far.”

George began his business intelligence internship last May at the Eau Claire-based financial institution, which serves 330,000 members through 28 branches in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. Now in its third semester, George’s internship has provided an opportunity for him to apply what he’s learned through his degree program at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.

Professor Keith Wojciechowski of 91��Ƭ’s Department of Math, Statistics and Computer Science, who encouraged George to pursue the internship, praised the graduate student for seizing the opportunity and making it a successful experience.

“One of the things that we emphasized and that he was very eager to do was to get an internship where he could apply those skills and learn on the job,” Wojciechowski said.

Lou Heimstead, Royal’s business intelligence and analytics manager, supervises 91��Ƭ student Justin George during his internship.

Student’s work makes business data visual

91��Ƭ’s M.S. applied computer science program provides professionals in a wide range of occupations a pathway to deepen their knowledge, skills and experience with computer systems that automate tasks, analyze data and create new workflows. Through the program, George has been able to focus on topics that interest him, such as data visualization and machine learning, both of which have played a role in his Royal internship.

Lou Heimstead, business intelligence and analytics manager at Royal, said George has been fully integrated into her team and its work. “He’s not doing isolated intern tasks,” Heimstead said. “He’s been learning and applying the same processes that our business intelligence analysts and data engineers use.”

And as George has continued to demonstrate his skills, the scope of the internship has expanded into the realm of machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence in which algorithms are used to find patterns in data to make predictions without explicit programming.

“What he has added is the capacity to bring in his technical skills that align closely with what he’s been studying at 91��Ƭ, specifically data science and machine learning,” Heimstead explained. “With that background, he’s been able to contribute to more technical work that would otherwise compete for my senior analyst’s time. So rather than replacing existing work, he’s actually been expanding what the team can realistically take on, especially in areas requiring stronger programming, modeling and data science skills.”

Computer science students solve Royal Credit Union problems with machine learning

Computer science students from 91��Ƭ, UWEC, UWRF exercise ‘exceptional’ AI acumen for leading financial institution

Expanding machine learning applications

Last summer, four undergraduates — including two from 91��Ƭ — took part in a machine learning internship at Royal. They focused on writing software to dive into Royal’s data and address two issues: The first was studying the factors that could lead members to leave the credit union, while the second aimed to determine a “next best product” that might interest an existing member. After the undergraduates’ internship ended last summer, George was asked to continue working with the machine learning-powered software models they built.

“It was not part of my job description, but since I was interested, they were happy to give me the opportunity to work on machine learning,” he said. As a result, George continues to hone his machine learning skills, while Royal continues to benefit from what the previous interns helped build.

Graduate student Justin George, at far right, in a 91��Ƭ Advanced Machine Learning class.

In fact, Heimstead said, George has enhanced and unified the multiple machine learning models into a single model for each issue. His work ensures the solution remains both usable and valuable. That continuity helps Royal keep the work ready to build on in the future.

George said the 91��Ƭ master’s program offers a sharp contrast to his bachelor’s degree experience. “Here I get the exposure of practical training and working on projects. There are so many internship opportunities, and they are directly aligned with my academics,” George said.

“I feel like the professors are very helpful,” he continued. “They are always making sure you are getting practical exposure. It’s not just theory. That’s something I like about Stout.”

Wojciechowski is impressed by George’s hard work and adaptability in the Royal internship. “He’s out there in the world solving problems,” Wojciechowski said.

Not only has George been able to tackle the tasks he was originally hired for, but he’s been able to grow his skill set, too. “He’s been able to adapt and evolve at Royal,” Wojciechowski said. “I think that speaks very well for him.”

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M.S. applied computer science student finds workplaces experience aligns with coursework RCU employee Lou Heimstead works with intern Justin George

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Hero Caption: M.S. applied computer science student Justin George interns at Royal Credit Union’s Corporate Center in Eau Claire.

Scott Turner

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Computer science students solve Royal Credit Union problems with machine learning

giffeyt — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Computer science students solve Royal Credit Union problems with machine learninggiffeyt January 26, 2026

Computer science students from 91��Ƭ, UWEC, UWRF exercise ‘exceptional’ AI acumen for leading financial institution

Tom Giffey

Three Universities of Wisconsin campuses partnered with Royal Credit Union to launch an innovative internship program using AI to support this Wisconsin-based financial institution. This story is one of four in a series showcasing the impact of this collaboration. Read more about the faculty who supported the internship, how the partnership supported the state's economic development and how the collaboration originated.

Computer science students from three Universities of Wisconsin campuses leveraged their knowledge of machine learning to address real-world questions for one of the state’s largest credit unions in a unique internship program.

Four students — two from 91��Ƭ, one from UW-Eau Claire and one from UW-River Falls — honed their professional skills through internships with Royal Credit Union’s AI Innovation Lab last summer. The internship was a pilot program to help Royal implement machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence in which algorithms are used to find patterns in data to make predictions without explicit programming.

Chris Meyer, Royal’s vice president of IT Innovation and Efficiency, said such partnerships with the Universities of Wisconsin provide “immeasurable” value for the credit union, which serves 330,000 members in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.

“This particular program brought about an opportunity for us to try some new, innovative ideas without the risks of derailing existing strategic projects or core work that were going on with our existing teams,” Meyer said.

Royal Credit Union interns, left to right, Paige Keller of UW-Eau Claire, Mariah Waslie of UW-River Falls, Emmett Jaakkola of 91��Ƭ and Matthew Peplinski of 91��Ƭ. / Submitted photo

“The interns we worked with from 91��Ƭ, UW-River Falls and UW-Eau Claire absolutely exceeded our expectations,” he continued. “Not only did they bring exceptional skills immediately out of school into the workforce, but they brought a perspective that we don’t always see — a younger perspective in how to approach some of the projects we’re looking at.”

The student interns were Matthew Peplinski and Emmett Jaakkola of 91��Ƭ, Paige Keller of UW-Eau Claire, and Mariah Waslie of UW-River Falls.

“We got to fully make our own data set, run all these machine learning models, analyze the results, present them, double check our own processes, and lay out a foundation for the company. It’s amazing what we could do as interns,” said Peplinski, of Milwaukee, who graduated in December with a B.S. in applied mathematics and computer science.

“We were the catalyst to all machine learning that Royal was delving into,” explained Jaakkola, of St. Paul, who graduated in December with degrees in both computer science and applied math and computer science.

Matthew Peplinski works on his laptop in an Advanced Machine Learning course at 91��Ƭ.

Leveraging students’ talents

Interns were recruited from the computer science programs at the three universities, all of which are within Royal’s geographic footprint. Once the interns began working in June at the Royal Credit Union Corporate Center in Eau Claire, the students began brainstorming how they could apply their machine learning acumen to the financial institution.

Keller, a UW-Eau Claire senior from Crystal Lake, Illinois, majoring in computer science, was excited by the opportunity, which allowed the students to come up with their own use cases for machine learning. “It’s almost like we were in the driver’s seat as the interns, which was what I loved most about the experience,” Keller said.

For the first few weeks of the internship, the students delved into Royal’s databases, learning what data was available, creating queries to gather it, and determining how it could be used to make projections.

Working with interns from multiple universities enhanced the experience because of the students’ varied experiences and curriculums, Keller said. “We all helped each other. We all asked each other questions,” Keller said. “We ran into the same roadblocks a lot of times, and so we had to come together and brainstorm. Having that experience from different backgrounds was very useful in coming up with different ideas.”

For example, Waslie — a UW-River Falls senior from Maiden Rock pursing a double major in computer science and data science — was adept at creating models with the programming language R, which the other interns had less experience with. Meanwhile, Peplinski used SQL to combine data and Python to develop models, while also bringing business skills to the table thanks to his 91��Ƭ minors in business and economics.

Universities of Wisconsin interns pose with Royal Credit Union employees Tad Carlson, far left, and Linda Kampa, far right. / Submitted photo

With the help of their team leader — Linda Kampa, a senior data engineer at Royal — the interns built a giant table set of more than 100 customer attributes, combining pieces of data from multiple sources. Once all this data had been gathered, the team tried to use it to predict members’ future behavior.

“Building out our own data set was a pretty astounding part of the internship, something that is pretty unique,” Peplinski said. His 91��Ƭ classmate, Jaakkola, agreed: “Working with a large database like that, it would be hard to get that experience without actually doing it.”

Over the course of the summer, the interns focused on two main classification problems. The first was to determine which factors indicated a member was about to leave the credit union: For example, was it when their balances reached a certain amount, or perhaps when a loan had been paid off? The second aimed to determine a “next best product” that would interest an existing member, similar to how a streaming service algorithm might recommend a new TV series.

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Jaakkola said he was well-prepared by his 91��Ƭ machine learning coursework to tackle problems for Royal. “I think the foundation we had from our classes really made it possible,” he said. Nonetheless, he added, the tasks were more complex: For example, while the queries he wrote for class might have included roughly 10 lines of code, some he wrote for Royal were as long as 1,000 lines.

The interns worked with managers from many of the credit union’s departments, strengthening their communications skills in frequent meetings and presentations. Part of the project’s goal, Peplinski said, was to create confidence that machine learning could supplement these managers’ own business intuitions.

Peplinski said the experience also helped him hone his technical communication skills. “In the same way that when you’re building machine learning models you iterate and make it better every iteration, I felt we also got better over time communicating results,” he said.

Emmett Jaakkola, right, in an Advanced Machine Learning course at 91��Ƭ.

Learning workforce skills

Professor Keith Wojciechowski of 91��Ƭ’s Department of Math, Statistics and Computer Science, commended Royal Credit Union for putting trust in student interns to create algorithms for the financial institution. “This is like being part of a real research and development team,” Wojciechowski said.

Professor Keith Wojciechowski

During the course on the internship, Wojciechowski and faculty members from UW-River Falls and UW-Eau Claire met twice with the interns and the Royal Credit Union team, once in the middle of the summer and once at the end for a final showcase of their work.

“Not only are we impressed with their ability to solve the problems, but by their ability to present and work in a professional environment,” Wojciechowski said of the interns. “That’s also a very important skill that they eventually have to learn.”

Kampa, the senior data engineer who worked side by side with the students, said part of the goal of the internship was to determine if Royal is ready to build machine learning models in-house. The interns, she said, were well-positioned to pursue the project.

“They came in with fresh ideas,” Kampa said. “None of them had a lot of financial background, but it was nice to have that clean slate. There were no preconceived notions of how something should work. It really led to a lot of unique and fresh perspectives, unbiased solutions and the recommendations that they made.”

Kampa said the interns arrived with excellent technical skills and absorbed new abilities quickly. The team experienced numerous “lightbulb moments” throughout the summer, she said.

“Early on in the internship, we were meeting to discuss what type of data we would be including to feed into the models,” Kampa recalled. “The idea that we were working through was really a complex concept to understand right away. We met a few times, we worked through some examples and did some whiteboard drawings, and to see the look on their faces when it clicked was really a rewarding experience for both me and the interns.”

Both businesses and students benefit from these collaborations, Kampa added. “Having the interns participate was a win-win for both Royal and the interns, because we got things up and running more quickly with their expertise from all the classes they’ve taken, and it gave the interns a chance to see what it’s like to work in a business setting,” she said.

Having Universities of Wisconsin campuses nearby creates a talent pipeline for the credit union as well as other organizations in the region, added Meyer, Royal’s vice president of IT Innovation and Efficiency. “The opportunity to work with faculty, who are experts in their areas, and students who are learning from them is something unique that we would not be able to do if we didn’t have those universities in our backyard,” he said. “And the opportunity to do that means that we can provide new value to our members, growing our organization in a way that would have been impossible without the universities’ presence.”

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Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

giffeyt — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry eventgiffeyt December 9, 2025

PC game’s win highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

Tom Giffey

The creators of a computer game about a doomed submarine had a real-life sinking feeling last May as the date of the Stout Game Expo (SGX) approached. After months of work on the claustrophobic, cooperative game Dread Not, the team of 15 University of Wisconsin-Stout students were facing problems with their code which had broken an otherwise polished game.

It was a stressful situation, recalled Ryan Thiede, the game’s art manager and original pitch creator. Not only was the game a capstone project for these soon-to-be graduates, but it was scheduled to be shared with hundreds of attendees at SGX, the region’s largest game expo.

Fortunately, what Thiede described as “late-night heroics” from lead coder Ben Rowan and gameplay coder Jacob Richardt got the two-player networked game working, and it went on to win two awards, Audience Choice and Best Art, at the spring event.

“It’s a crazy story, but it says something for the tenacity and drive from the people on the team,” added Thiede, who graduated in May with a degree in game design and development-art. “We went from an unplayable game to an award-winning capstone project, essentially, overnight.”

Six months later, the Dread Not team received more accolades, winning the award for best student entry at M+DEV, the largest game industry conference in the Midwest, which drew 1,500 attendees to Madison Nov. 7-8 and featured two days of expert-led panels and speakers, game showcases, workshops and networking. M+DEV served as a platform for the creativity, skill and scholarship generated by 91��Ƭ’s globally and nationally ranked game design program.

At least 90 M+DEV attendees were either current students, alumni or faculty of 91��Ƭ. These included two faculty members and three alumni who made presentations and several dozen alumni who exhibited games, including three teams of recent graduates who shared recent capstone projects: Dread Not as well as Tubular!! and Mega Dimension Ripper 9000.

The latest student-built games will be ready for players at the fall semester SGX, which will run 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, in the Great Hall of Memorial Student Center on the 91��Ƭ campus.

Visitors play Dread Not, a game created in a 91��Ƭ game design capstone course, at the spring 2025 Stout Game Expo (SGX).

Expo showcases top-ranked program

M+DEV, which is organized annually by the Wisconsin Games Alliance, bills itself as “the hub for indie and AAA developers, industry professionals, students and casual gamers.” The event’s sponsors include 91��Ƭ, whose undergraduate game design program is ranked No. 5 in the Midwest and No. 24 in the world by Princeton Review.

Unique among public universities in Wisconsin, 91��Ƭ offers bachelor’s degrees in both the art and science of gaming: namely the B.F.A. game design and development-art and the B.S. computer science (game design and development concentration). Graduate students in the M.F.A. design program also can choose a game design focus.

91��Ƭ is also home to the new B.S. game and media studies program, the only game-oriented media studies program in Wisconsin. The university also offers an esports coaching minor and was the first public university in Wisconsin to launch a varsity esports program.

M+DEV provides a valuable opportunity for the 91��Ƭ students, faculty and alumni to connect with each other and the game development community at large while gaining visibility for their projects, said Professor Andrew Williams.

Professor Andrew Williams

“Anytime you can get people to interact with your work, you are reaching your intended audience, and you learn how to improve your craft,” Williams said. “Game development is an incremental process and the more opportunities you have to talk with your players and build that community around your project, the better!”

Williams, whose game art has previously won awards at M+DEV, returned this year as a speaker. His presentation — evocatively titled “Building the Plane While Flying It: The Rapid Development of an AI-Powered Educational Game Series” — highlighted how a company he works with, immersionED, is using AI to create engaging history content for elementary through high school students. Through roleplaying as fictional historical characters in 70 scenarios, students can develop their historical thinking skills, Williams said.

“In the industry, AI use is highly varied as there is no ‘standard practice’ yet since we are just learning how it could be beneficial to speeding up workflows,” Williams said. “We may be moving into a new phase of its use as the industry is starting to understand it is not a solution to every problem.”

Other M+DEV presenters included Michael Tetzlaff, assistant professor of computer science, and 91��Ƭ alumni Jacob Schwitzer, B.S. computer science (game design & development concentration); Sam Baeseman, B.F.A. game design & development-art; and Mary Benetti, B.F.A. game design & development-art.

Benetti, graduated in 2021 and worked for four years at Field Day Lab, a digital learning game studio in Madison. At M+DEV, she delivered a presentation about how to create game art that looks beautiful even on computers and VR devices with lower technical specifications.

Benetti developed an interest in educational games during her 91��Ƭ coursework, which also gave her an understanding of the entire pipeline of a game project, from concept to release.

“I always felt a strong sense of community with the Stout game program, whether you're a current student or alumni,” she said. “The program also has a very motivated and positive set of faculty that push students to keep growing their skills, and M+DEV is the place to do it.”

She continued: “M+DEV provides a space to connect with like-minded creatives, be inspired by unique game projects, and learn about game skills and the industry through presentations. It’s incredibly encouraging to see all the amazing projects underway in the Midwest too — there is a lot of talent in the area. The value of M+DEV has remained as strong as it was when I was a student. I go there to learn, grow and connect.”

In the game Dread Not, players must cooperate to survive in a sinking submarine. / Contributed image

Winning game an ‘intense experience’

Thiede, who now works as a 3D artist for Las Vegas-based Game Breakdown, conceived the idea that became Dread Not as a capstone project and pitched it to his fellow students last year. His goal was to create something that could be enjoyed by players of all ages — including people who don’t consider themselves “gamers” — and that fostered collaboration.

“It was a project that was meant to immerse and connect two people through an intense 10-minute experience,” Thiede said. The two players, a pilot and a mechanic, must cooperate quickly and effectively to solve multiple problems — namely dwindling oxygen levels and an angry sea monster — and reach the surface before their submarine’s oxygen runs out.

And just as the game players must cooperate to succeed, so did the 15 91��Ƭ students who created the game. At the helm was Sarah Ziebarth, who as the game’s producer kept the project on schedule, balancing the team’s workload while also completing her own lighting design and project marketing responsibilities.

Ziebarth, who graduated in May with dual majors in game design and development-art and computer science, praised how the students cooperated over the course of two semesters to overcome obstacles, add features and optimize the game.

“The game design and development program at Stout has always done an exceptional job of making sure both sides of development (art and computer science) work together in multiple classes throughout their college careers and thus learn the important skills of teamwork and communication,” Ziebarth said.

Thiede agreed, adding that 91��Ƭ’s program allowed him to explore many different paths in the game design field. “The layout of courses grants you time to experiment to see what you like, as well as plunge deep into what you may choose to focus on: 2D art, 3D art, VFX, lighting, animation, technical art, etc.,” he said. “All are possible at Stout.”

Thiede said he was pleasantly surprised when, while chatting with industry friends at M+DEV, he was suddenly whisked to the stage to receive an award for Dread Not.

“Genuinely, I pictured my career to be filled with people telling me what to do, and me just doing it,” he reflected. “I never imagined having an idea of mine make it this far. The reason it has is because of the people I worked with at Stout — the professors, but more importantly, my teammates.”

Professor Seth Berrier, far left, and Associate Professor Kim Loken, far right, stand with some of the 91��Ƭ alumni who created Dread Not at the M+DEV conference in Madison. / Submitted photo

Associate Professor Kim Loken, who was co-instructor for the capstone course alongside Professor Seth Berrier, praised the Dread Not team for their success.

“Unlike the held-together-by-duct-tape world of their game, this team was high-performing and well-organized with clear goals, excellent communication and exceptional craft,” Loken said. “Their networked game, damage system and puzzle design challenged the programmers, and the artists excelled with a rigorously researched and realized 3D environment, enriched by a diegetic backstory and wry character details. We’re proud of the continued commitment they’ve shown to their work, polishing it over the summer for a Steam release and continuing to exhibit their work for direct engagement with players.”

Since its June release on Steam, the largest digital distribution platform for PC games, Dread Not has been downloaded more than 250,000 times.

Other members of the Dread Not team included B.F.A. game design and development-art majors Zach Adler, Eleanor Berg, Gabe Anderson, Elaine Kelling, Samuel Lambert, Ben Moon, and Jon Wolfe, and B.S. computer science majors Guinness Bruce, Graham Higdon, Victor Mondragon, Nathan Morgan-Shimmin, Jacob Richardt, and Ben Rowan. The team also collaborated with 11 students from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, who contributed original music, sound effects and voice talent.

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Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

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PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program Dread Not team with MDEV 2025 award

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Hero Caption: 91��Ƭ game design alumni celebrate their winning game, Dread Not, at November's M+DEV game conference in Madison. / Submitted photo

Kim Loken

Teaching Interests: Design thinking, interdisciplinary design, large-scale collaborative projects

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Kintsugi 3D helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3D

giffeyt — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Kintsugi 3D helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3Dgiffeyt June 9, 2025

Professor, students-developed software used by Minneapolis Institute of Art, other institutions to capture surface details of heritage objects

Tom Giffey

Software developed at 91��Ƭ is helping museums around the world preserve pieces of cultural heritage for future generations by creating 3D models that accurately capture every detail of the color, texture and brightness of objects.

Kintsugi 3D is the creation of Michael Tetzlaff, an assistant professor of computer science, and numerous 91��Ƭ students. The software has been used by notable institutions worldwide to create models of artifacts in their collections, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia).

“Documenting the art is incredibly important, and we want to get it out in the world however we can,” explained Mia Lead Collections Photographer Charles Walbridge, an avid user of the software. “The Kintsugi project has helped us be able to share more accurate 3D models that we’ve been making in the museum.”

Kintsugi 3D gets its name from the Japanese art of kintsugi, a method of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and precious metals to create unique pieces that celebrate, rather than camouflage, their fractures. Likewise, the software allows photo professionals to capture true-to-life 3D models of sculptures, paintings and other cultural heritage objects.

The Kintsugi 3D Viewer software, a part of the project that students Tyler Betanski, Jacob Buelow, Isabel Smith, Victor Mondragon, Kyle Boatwright and Melissa Kosharek worked on. / Submitted image

While existing photogrammetry software – which combines hundreds of photos from different angles to create a 3D model – can effectively record many aspects of an object’s appearance, it falls short in capturing the essence of materials and textures, Tetzlaff said. In particular, photogrammetry software struggles with specularity – the reflectivity of a surface and how it varies – particularly with objects that are shiny or metallic. Kintsugi 3D solves this problem by creating much more true-to-life renderings, capturing the sparkle of a bit of gold leaf or the depth of a brush stroke in oil paint.

“The big thing that our software does is it allows you to process those photographs and then builds a compact representation of what the material of the object looks like so that we can create new, interactive, dynamic 3D renderings where the user can change the viewpoint, change the lighting,” Tetzlaff explained. The resulting 3D models can be rotated by the user, with virtual light playing off the details of the surfaces, whether they are dull or dazzling, giving a much more realistic representation of the item. This is particularly valuable for accurately portraying older objects, whose surfaces may have been damaged or worn unevenly over time.

These models can be shared widely, helping scholars and the public appreciate cultural heritage objects. And they also serve as a kind of insurance, allowing the objects to live on – virtually, at least – if they are damaged or lost.

Kintsugi 3D was used to create these images of "Man from Sudan in Algerian Dress," a 19th-century sculpture by Charles Cordier. / Minneapolis Institute of Art

Software funded with federal, state grants

Tetzlaff said the software grew out of work he did as a doctoral student, and it received a significant boost in 2023 thanks to a $75,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant received in conjunction with Mia and Cultural Heritage Imaging, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. This and other funding, including from 91��Ƭ’s Office of Research & Sponsored Programs as well as a recent grant from WiSys, has helped pay for students to work to improve the software.

Luke Denney, a computer science major from Byron, Minnesota, who graduated in May, has put hundreds of hours into Kintsugi 3D over the past two years. In fact, he even gave the software its current name, inspired in part by a “Star Wars” character who repaired his helmet kintsugi-style.

Denney has worked on the software’s loading screen, trying to make it more user-friendly, particularly for those who aren’t programmers themselves. “A big part of this project was user experience design,” Tetzlaff explained. “There was basically working software that I had developed, but it wasn’t very usable. A lot of the research was working with user experience experts and stakeholders in cultural heritage to figure out what works for them.”

Denney shared the work he’s done on Kintsugi 3D at 91��Ƭ’s Research Day as well as at two other prestigious venues this spring: the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh and the Universities of Wisconsin’s Research in the Rotunda event in the state Capitol in Madison.

Denney said the project has been invaluable in preparing him for his future career, in part because working on Kintsugi 3D required him to become familiar with a massive codebase. He expects that skill will come in handy when he begins his job later this year at IBM in Rochester, Minnesota.

In addition to navigating thousands of lines of code and gathering user feedback to improve software features, Denney said the project helped him learn to solve problems independently. “Something I focused on more last summer was taking more time before I ask a question,” Denney said. “When I’d run into a roadblock and have the temptation to go ask for help, I thought, ‘Wait, I want to give myself more time to figure this out before asking.’ And most of the time I was successful with that, so that felt really good,” he said.

91��Ƭ Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff, left, and students Luke Denney, at podium, and Chloe Ferguson gave a presentation about Kintsugi 3D at Research Day, May 6, 2025

Denney is just one of more than a dozen 91��Ƭ students from a variety of disciplines who have contributed to the software. Among them is Chloe Ferguson, master of fine arts in design, Spring Valley.

Ferguson began working as a user experience designer on the program last fall, gathering data to see what features users wanted from the program. Working on the project has given Ferguson a better understanding of the science behind textures and materials, as well as the rewarding opportunity to work with stakeholders on improving the software, she said.

“User experience is all about considering and analyzing the user, striving to make your content more useful and accessible to them,” Ferguson said, noting the skills she is building now will be directly applicable to her future career.

“I feel proud of my work, especially with how directly this program has benefited cultural heritage groups,” she said. “We regularly meet with our stakeholders at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and Cultural Heritage Imaging, which has allowed me to see the impact of my work on these groups firsthand.”

Other students and recent graduates who have worked – or are still working – on the project include master of fine arts in design candidate D. Magda Hannen; game design and development majors Isabel Smith, Elliot Duffy, Lou Brown and Augusto Freitas; and computer science majors Tyler Betanski, Jacob Buelow, Victor Mondragon, Ian Anderson, Zoe Cuthrell, Blane Suess, Isaac Tesch, Nathaniel Willius, Atlas Collins, Kyle Boatwright, Melissa Kosharek, Chris Medina, and Jacob Sletten.

Kintsugi 3D was used to create this image of a sculpture of dancer Loie Fuller by artist Joseph Kratina, which is in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. / Minneapolis Institute of Art

Software draws focus to 91��Ƭ

Walbridge, of Mia, is one of those who meets frequently with the Kintsugi 3D team to provide feedback. He has been part of Kintsugi 3D and related projects for years, having met Tetzlaff when the latter was a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota working on 3D photography and photogrammetry projects at Mia. “It’s been such a pleasure to continue to work on this with Michael and his team,” said Walbridge, who praised the backing the project has received from 91��Ƭ.

Walbridge has worked to get other professionals involved in Kintsugi 3D as well, making presentations about the software and how to use it, including a training visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in April.

Among the objects from the Mia collection scanned with Kintsugi 3D is a sculpture of 19th-century dancer Loie Fuller by Czech artist Joseph Kratina. In digital photos the bronze sculpture appears to be a yellowish-brown, but it practically comes to life in a three-dimensional scan made with Kintsugi 3D. As a user rotates the image virtually, light plays against the sculpture’s gold patina, and shadows of the dancer’s arms are cast across her voluminous skirt. The software allows users to examine the sculpture in greater detail, giving the impression of walking around it in a well-lit gallery.

Gathering photos that will be used to created 3D models with Kintsugi 3D. / Minneapolis Institute of Art

“None of the current forms of 3D scanning are able to capture this kind of specularity,” Walbridge explained. The high level of realistic detail provided by the software is a boon to scholars studying such objects online, Walbridge said, and making these models available digitally fits with the ethos, shared by institutions such as Mia, of making cultural heritage freely and publicly available.

The software’s use by professionals at the National Gallery of Art has led to a collaboration between that institution and 91��Ƭ’s game design program, Tetzlaff added.

“It’s a nice feedback loop where we’re supporting the museums and their work with the software, but then they’re becoming more aware of Stout, and that’s leading to additional opportunities for Stout students,” he said.

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Kintsugi 3D used by Minneapolis Institute of Art, other institutions to capture surface details of heritage objects A computer screen shows the Kintsugi 3D software.

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Hero Caption: 91��Ƭ Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff, at podium, and students Chloe Ferguson and Luke Denney, gave a presentation about Kintsugi 3D at Research Day, May 6, 2025.

Michael Tetzlaff

Michael Tetzlaff is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. He received his B.S. from Bethel University in St. Paul, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His research interests include image-based computer graphics techniques and especially their applications in cultural heritage. He is the lead developer of Kintsugi 3D, an open-source software project for empirically based rendering of 3D cultural heritage artifacts captured using photogrammetry.

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Ready for action: New game and media studies major focuses on cultural impacts of games

polingj — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:36:49 +0000

Ready for action: New game and media studies major focuses on cultural impacts of gamespolingj November 1, 2024

Program will collaborate with nationally ranked game design major, enhance university’s strong game culture

A new kind of game program is in the queue at 91��Ƭ.

A Bachelor of Science in game and media studies has been approved by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents and will begin in fall 2025. Enrollment is open.

The program will collaborate with 91��Ƭ’s nationally ranked game design and development program, but the focus will be on the people aspect of games — the storytelling, the way activities are identified and organized as part of games; how games impact society and how society impacts games.

“I think it can be easy to assume video games rely primarily on two large skill sets — the computer science/coders and the artists who generate the visuals. Our game design programs are successful because we ensure these disciplines work together for success,” said Provost Glendalí Rodríguez, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Cody Reimer, associate professor and director of the new B.S. game and media studies program, works with students in an English composition class. / 91��Ƭ

“Yet, this new program will dive deeper into a third critical aspect — the stories that unfold in games and, equally important, how they are identified through a study and appreciation of the consumer or end-user.”

Students will examine game-playing — analog and digital — from the perspective of history, anthropology, sociology and psychology while also gaining insight via the perspectives of those who create the games, the designers, writers, programmers and artists.

Game and media studies majors will be deeply engaged in the study and understanding of context, applying critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills to work across teams.

“If students are interested in games and working with people but don’t want to get into game design and development, this program is a great fit,” said Program Director Cody Reimer.

Cody Reimer said the new program is a great fit for students interested in games but don’t want to design them. / 91��Ƭ

Reimer, an associate professor in the English, philosophy and communication studies department, said a variety of career paths are available to students who earn the degree.

Studying how to create that successful end-user/consumer experience can be referred to as “user experience.” Graduates will be prepared to work in user experience research, user experience design, software development, product management and project management.

“Given the breadth and depth of the curriculum, students will be prepared to succeed in a multitude of career paths, in keeping with the human component of experiences,” Reimer said.

Job opportunities in game and media studies are expected to grow by 6.3% over the next five years. 91��Ƭ’s latest First Destination report found an overall employment rate of 99% for recent graduates and an average starting salary of $58,000, both the best in the region.

Collaboration with game design program

One of the features of the new program will be several core courses paired with game design and development courses. Students will work in teams on shared assignments and have cross-disciplinary lectures.

In addition, two required field experiences will involve working with game design students’ capstone design projects, which involve creating new games from scratch. Game and media studies’ students will help research, organize, manage and promote the game release efforts at the biannual Stout Game Expo, SGX, largest in the Midwest. The next SGX is Wednesday, Dec. 11.

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91��Ƭ is a sponsor of the M+DEV Midwest game developers conference held annually in Madison, this year Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7-8. A large group of students and faculty typically attend, and last year a 91��Ƭ professor and student took home the event’s top three awards.

All academic programs at 91��Ƭ have an experiential learning component.

91��Ƭ’s game culture includes the coed esports team, which will be playing in a new arena in 2025. The team won a state title earlier this year.

Along with access to game design labs and studios and the gaming and digital innovation lab, game and media studies majors will conduct user experience testing in a research lab in Harvey Hall.

“Games benefit from extensive, rigorous play-testing. Our User Experience Center is an ideal space to facilitate the type of research that propels iterative design practices toward more fun, engaging and rewarding media. Moderated, in-person, usability testing is a fantastic way to learn how users’ engagement differs from designers’ intent,” Reimer said.

Reimer has a Ph.D. in English from Purdue University and teaches in 91��Ƭ’s professional communication and emerging media program, which focuses on professional communication, including journalism. The game and media studies major will focus on film, television and interactive media.

Reimer has published research on games and recently has written the rules for a board game and served as a copy editor for another board game.

###

A new kind of game program is in the queue at 91��Ƭ. Cody Reimer class 1

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Hero Caption: Game and media studies majors at 91��Ƭ will get hands-on experience in the User Experience Center in Harvey Hall.

Cody Reimer

Dr. Reimer teaches a range of courses, from first-year composition to graduate work in technical communication. His research interests examine rhetoric in digital spaces; e.g., user experience research in game design and development.

He also teaches courses in the Professional Communication and Emerging Media program, and he lead the efforts to create the Game and Media Studies program.

When he isn't teaching, researching, or playing games, he's moonlighting as a copyeditor and rules author for boardgames, most notably titles by Paverson Games.

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Got game design? Madison event highlights state’s, 91��Ƭ’s strengths in growing industry

polingj — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 18:15:11 +0000

Got game design? Madison event highlights state’s, 91��Ƭ’s strengths in growing industrypolingj November 29, 2023

M+DEV attracts game design students, professionals; university representatives win three awards, lead presentations

In Wisconsin, where the advertising slogan “Got Milk?” is borderline a state motto, could people someday be asking, “Got game design?”

If the annual M+DEV game developers conference held recently in Madison can be used as a barometer, certainly the Badger State is moving in that direction. About 750 people from around the country attended to highlight and to build on strong industry connections that already exist.

One of the state’s game design connections is 91��Ƭ, which was well-represented at M+DEV and was a lead sponsor. Nearly 80 students, faculty and alumni from the university’s nationally ranked game design programs attended. Students displayed seven of their games and several students, with alumni, led a panel discussion. Plus, a student — with a cow-based animation project — and a professor brought home the event’s three major art awards.

Attendees at the M+DEV game conference in Madison visit the 91��Ƭ booth. / 91��Ƭ

“We were well-recognized by industry, with many studios asking to be more involved with the university, such as Professional Advisory Boards and campus visits,” said Professor Andrew Williams, one of the art award winners.

Could Wisconsin really become a hotbed of game design? The Madison area already has satellite studios for major companies like Respawn, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, Zenimax, Filament Games, Lost Boys Interactive, Human Head Studios and Krafton.

Madison is “primed to be ‘the new epicenter’ of video game development in the United States,” according to the website Game Developer, quoting, M+DEV keynote speaker Ryan Burnett of Respawn, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts.

From left, alum Sam Baeseman, student Daniel Johnson, student Sara Ziebarth and professionals Beth Korth and Peter Yang led an M+DEV panel discussion. / 91��Ƭ

91��Ƭ game design alumni working at companies in the Madison area and around the U.S. took part in the conference. Two students and alum joined Minneapolis-based developers to “lead one of the most polished and professional panels of the conference about building an audience for games. They organized the panel of multistate representatives from their professional network and provided solid takeaways. It was a highlight of the conference,” Williams said.

Associate Professor Kim Loken, director of the game design and development-art program, said 91��Ƭ alums in attendance also highlighted how their game design skills transfer seamlessly into other industries. “They represented a range of application of game development skills, organic modeling and 3D printing at Mayo Clinic; 3D modeling and product rendering at Trek (bicycles).”

Game design strength runs deep at 91��Ƭ. While Madison may be the center of Wisconsin's place in the industry, 91��Ƭ's degree programs are best positioned to supply the workforce talent. It’s the only state university to offer game design degrees in science and art.

91��Ƭ student Aden Weisser won two awards at M+DEV for “Mooving Parts,” a pixel art animation of a robotic cow factory. / Contributed photo

A recent graduate from the game design-science program, Steve Datz, a Wisconsin native, started a game design company in Menomonie, Flying General Games.

Graduate students in the Master of Fine Arts in design program also can choose a game design focus. Recent MFA graduate Hue Vang was hired by DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, Calif., one of four alum at the company.

91��Ƭ’s game design programs are ranked No. 1 in Wisconsin and No. 6 nationally among public universities.

Professor Andrew Williams won the M+DEV art contest with his game environment image “Courthouse on Queen Street.” He used historical research to re-create an 18th century courtroom / Contributed photo

Awards and Furlong Gallery exhibits

At M+DEV, 91��Ƭ had six faculty, 46 students and 25 alumni. Williams and Professor Erik Evensen, director of the MFA program, led a session titled Educational Perspectives in the Game Industry.

Student Aden Weisser, a sophomore from Milwaukee, won two of the major awards at M+DEV, People’s Choice and Best Animation, for her pixel art animation “Mooving Parts.” It’s a whimsical take on a dairy cow being manufactured by robots in a factory.

Williams was the art contest winner for the second straight year with his game environment image “Courthouse on Queen Street.” He used historical research to re-create an 18th century courtroom, no longer standing, that was used in the trials of British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre of 1770. The image is part of “The American Revolution Series,” an episodic, historical video game that’s set in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War.

Associate Professor Kim Loken and Professor Andrew Williams discuss their respective exhibits at 91��Ƭ’s Furlong Gallery. / 91��Ƭ

The game art is from a commercial project Williams worked on and is part of an exhibit at 91��Ƭ’s Furlong Gallery through Saturday, Dec. 16. The exhibit, “Alternate Histories,” presents game environments and level design that combine “historical research and current industry practice to present 18th century Boston in vivid detail,” he said.

Williams is the author of the book, “History of Digital Games.”

Loken also is exhibiting research at Furlong, “Works (and progress?).” Her “Legacy Project,” a series of oral histories and short documentaries, highlights the range of architectural practice of notable women in Minnesota. “Agri-block Typology” examines land stewardship in the context of a variety of problems and asks, “What is enough? Are we indeed making progress? thus inviting feedback and collaboration.”

Gov. Evers tours 91��Ƭ's Animation and Game Design studios with Professors Loken and Seth Berrier. / 91��Ƭ

Campus culture of game design, digital games

The M+DEV conference included an esports competition. One of the games played was Checkmight, released last spring at 91��Ƭ’s Game Expo, SGX, the largest game expo in western Wisconsin.

Checkmight was created by six students. The two-player game revolves around playing chess but with pieces that need to duel each other for every capture. Along with Checkmight, games demonstrated at M+DEV included Reapers Isle, Grape Juice City, Golfella and Grazer.

The next Stout Game Expo, featuring many new student-designed games, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Memorial Student Center. Along with digital games, students in game design also create traditional board and card games.

91��Ƭ’s game design culture includes an official esports team, the first in the Universities of Wisconsin, and an esports coaching minor.

In addition, high school students interested in game design can explore a number of related areas — from 3D animation and video game design to digital storytelling — through 91��Ƭ's summer STEAM experience.

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Game Design & Development

All Game Design & Development News

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

In Wisconsin, where the advertising slogan “Got Milk?” is borderline a state motto, could people someday be asking, “Got game design?” M+DEV 1

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Heads of the class: Game design BFA, MFA, animation programs ranked Wisconsin's best in 2023

Three programs from 91��Ƭ’s School of Art and Design are the best in the state, according to new national rankings.

Kim Loken

Teaching Interests: Design thinking, interdisciplinary design, large-scale collaborative projects

Research Interests: Phenomenology, narrative-driven design

Professional Interests: Place-making, critical regionalism, cultural history and adaptive re-use

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Job Title: Professor / Program Director / Minor Advisor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Architecture Systems Design

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

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Curriculum Vitae: Kimberly Loken CV (97.64 KB)

Education:

Degree: M.Arch.

University: University of Texas at Austin

Degree: Licensed Architect

Degree: LEED-Accredited Professional

University: U.S. Green Building Council

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Fast Forward: University developing model cybersecurity internship program with $299,000 System, state grant

polingj — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:17:19 +0000

Fast Forward: University developing model cybersecurity internship program with $299,000 System, state grantpolingj March 30, 2023

University’s leadership in the field will help address a critical workforce need in Wisconsin

A cybersecurity internship grant addressing the needs of the Wisconsin’s critical infrastructure utilities has been awarded to 91��Ƭ, a higher education leader in the field.

The $298,771 Fast Forward grant from the state Department of Workforce Development and University of Wisconsin System will provide paid industry internships to adult learners, including state university and technical college students who are seeking to enter the information technology and cybersecurity field or enhance their skillset.

Students who are unemployed, underemployed or from underrepresented groups in the field, including women and veterans, are encouraged to apply. 91��Ƭ has an undergraduate program in cybersecurity.

Four grants totaling $1.1 million were awarded to three UW System schools, Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Workforce Development announced Thursday, April 13.

A student checks servers while working in 91��Ƭ’s cybersecurity labs. / 91��Ƭ

According to Cyber Seek, more than 1.1 million people are employed in the industry in the U.S., but there are more than 755,000 job openings, including more than 7,800 in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin shortage is despite a high average salary for an entry-level cybersecurity analyst in the state: $75,000.

The goals of the program are to increase students’ work-based opportunities, enhance awareness career possibilities and educational pathways in Wisconsin, and create industry connections for students and regional employers.

In addition to the work experience, interns will benefit from establishing industry connections that could lead to future job opportunities with regional employers. State companies already supporting the program include Aspirus, Dirksgroup, Malisko, Marshfield Clinic and Rockwell Automation. More companies will be recruited. The program matches students to industry mentors.

Professor Holly Yuan, center, is the cybersecurity center director at 91��Ƭ. / 91��Ƭ

“This program will benefit many students and unemployed workers who want to upskill and transition into cybersecurity, help them develop skillsets they need to be successful and inspire them to pursue a full-time profession in IT and cybersecurity,” said Professor Holly Yuan, grant director, program director and cybersecurity center director at 91��Ƭ.

The program will begin in May with 20 interns, followed by 20 more interns in late summer or fall and run through June 1, 2024.

Students can apply via a website that will be developed by 91��Ƭ. In the interim, interested applicants should email centerforcybersecurity@uwstout.edu. A project coordinator will be hired to coordinate the day-to-day management of the internship program and industry partner relationships.

91��Ƭ student Christina Kimball checks on equipment in a 91��Ƭ cybersecurity lab. / 91��Ƭ

“As a polytechnic institution, it is within 91��Ƭ’s mission for students to gain hands-on experience,” said Anne Hoeltke, director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. “Through this grant, students will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and apply academic concepts in real-world settings. Employers will have the opportunity to evaluate prospective new hires, obtain fresh ideas and foster stronger relationships with 91��Ƭ. For these reasons, the ability to apply scholarships to internships is an easy win-win for students, employers and the university.”

Yuan will work with 91��Ƭ’s Career Services, the Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center, and a project coordinator to administer the internship program. Career Services oversees an existing Cooperative Education and Internship Program on campus that served more than 1,100 students in 2021-22.

Interns will work a minimum of 240 hours and be paid an average of $20 an hour. They can apply for gift cards to assist with barriers for internship completion, including for transportation and gas.

B.S. Cybersecurity

Our B.S. Cybersecurity program offers the theoretical and practical training to pursue critical certifications in Cyber Ops, CCNA, AWS, and CEH.

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The next-level goal of the grant will be to replicate 91��Ƭ’s program across the UW System. A scalable, statewide IT and cybersecurity internship program will “provide the state with a head start in the development of critical infrastructure,” Yuan said.

91��Ƭ has been a cybersecurity higher education leader in Wisconsin since 2017, when it became the first four-year institution in the state to be designated a cybersecurity center. The designation coincided with being named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

In 2022, the university’s Bachelor of Science program in cybersecurity was approved by the UW System Board of Regents. 91��Ƭ also offers a minor, two certificates and two concentrations related to cybersecurity.

Fast Forward grants

Gov. Evers believes the grants will serve state workforce needs.

“Our UW System is a major economic driver in our state and a critical resource for building our state’s next-generation workforce. These grants will help students earn while they learn, ensuring greater access and opportunities for our home-grown talent to start growing their careers right here in Wisconsin,” Evers said.

"DWD is proud to support innovative internship opportunities for Wisconsin students through our strong partnership with the UW System. Students who intern for a Wisconsin company are more likely to stay in the state after graduation, making internships a valuable workforce retention strategy," said Amy Pechacek, DWD secretary. "We continue to identify new ways to build Wisconsin's next generation workforce, providing job-seekers with skills in high-demand fields and employers with high-skill job-seekers."

The Wisconsin Fast Forward program expands employment opportunities and delivers return on investment for employers. Through myriad endeavors, the program supports Wisconsin's economy and workforce.

“As Wisconsin’s talent generator, we educate students to think critically while they also learn valuable skills needed in the workforce,” said UW System President Jay Rothman. “These internships will help students kick-start their careers while meeting employer demand for talent.”

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All Cybersecurity News

Cybersecurity faculty win Pentagon-sponsored competition to build workforce preparedness

Department of War selects platform to inspire national cyber defense education models

91��Ƭ cybersecurity program ranks No. 14 in nation as students excel in cyber defense competitions

Program has earned national credentials, international reach during its first four years

Inspiring Graduate: Owen Pryga, B.S. Cybersecurity

Hired before graduation as Heartland Business Systems consulting engineer

A cybersecurity internship grant addressing the needs of the Wisconsin’s critical infrastructure utilities has been awarded to 91��Ƭ. CNIT Dell 1

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Computer networking alum working to protect companies from cyberattacks

Halbach, recently interviewed on ABC ‘Nightline,’ explains importance of Red Teams as a line of defense

Hero Caption: 91��Ƭ's computer networking labs serve students in several programs, including the cybersecurity major.

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Full Name: Holly Yuan

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College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department Cybersecurity Research & Outreach Center (CyROC)

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Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Information System

University: Nova Southeastern University

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: Georgia State University

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New cybersecurity major aims to take a bite out of internet crime

polingj — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 00:46:25 +0000

New cybersecurity major aims to take a bite out of internet crimepolingj April 17, 2022

Program approved by UW System will help with growing demand for professionals in the field

Cybersecurity has become an issue of personal, national and international concern, with internet attacks harming individuals, businesses, government institutions and drawing scrutiny in U.S. elections.

Americans lost $6.9 billion in cyber crime in 2021, according to the FBI.

Graduates from a new program at University of Wisconsin-Stout will be ready to help. A Bachelor of Science program in cybersecurity approved April 7 by the UW System Board of Regents will train graduates to help meet high demand for professionals in the field.

Students can take the program on campus or online beginning in fall 2022. Enrollment is open.

Glendali Rodriguez, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs / 91��Ƭ

“This program will allow 91��Ƭ to continue providing leadership and innovation to produce qualified cybersecurity professionals and meet both current and future business and government needs,” said Glendali Rodriguez, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

The program will complement well-established computer and information technologies programs at 91��Ƭ that already have components of cybersecurity, meaning the instructors, curriculum and facilities infrastructure already exist to offer the program. About 280 students are enrolled in the related programs.

91��Ƭ also offers a minor, two certificates and two concentrations related to cybersecurity.

In addition, 91��Ƭ has a Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center, which was established in 2017 when the university was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. 91��Ƭ was the first four-year institution in Wisconsin to receive the designation.

As a result, 91��Ƭ students are:

Prepared to take cybersecurity certifications and Department of Defense mandated certifications
Eligible for the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program.

Demand, starting salary high

Demand for cybersecurity professionals is high, with the global workforce in the field short about 1.8 million workers. Between 2020 and 2025 the need is expected to grow by nearly 7%, including high demand for workers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan.

The average pay for entry level cybersecurity analyst positions in Wisconsin is $70,000.

Professor Holly Yuan instructs students in a computer networking lab at 91��Ƭ. / 91��Ƭ

An advisory council of cybersecurity professionals gathered by 91��Ƭ affirmed a need for more professionals with bachelor’s degrees.

Enrollment for the on-campus program is projected to be 15 and rise to 150 within four years, with similar numbers for the online program.

“Our B.S. cybersecurity program with hands-on training in a real-world cybersecurity laboratory setting will broaden students’ subject matter knowledge and skills needed for the growing cybersecurity job market,” Rodriguez said, citing a required co-op and capstone course, part of 91��Ƭ’s experiential learning focus.

The 120-credit program will include 69 credits in core cybersecurity, 40 in general education and 11 in electives. Graduates will be able to:

Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions
Apply security principles and practices to the environment, hardware, software and human aspects of a system
Analyze and evaluate systems with respect to maintaining operations in the presence of risks and threats
Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts
Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles

Along with numerous lab-based courses, the program will collaborate with industry partners and involve research opportunities in cloud computing, 5G, health care and the industrial internet of things.

Program outreach will include technical colleges and K-12 schools to broaden participation in cybersecurity, including women, veterans and first-generation and low-income students.

91��Ƭ works closely with technical colleges to help students transfer credits and earn a bachelor’s degree.

Goals of 91��Ƭ’s FOCUS2030 strategic plan include student success and a universitywide focus on equity, diversity and inclusion.

91��Ƭ also received approval recently for a new major in individualized studies, targeting adult, transfer and re-entry students.

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Cybersecurity has become an issue of personal, national and international concern. 91��Ƭ is ready to help. CNIT lab

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Student team wins statewide cyber defense competition

Nine students from 91��Ƭ fended off hours of cyberattacks to win a statewide cybersecurity event and place high in the Midwest regional.

Computer networking alum working to protect companies from cyberattacks

Halbach, recently interviewed on ABC ‘Nightline,’ explains importance of Red Teams as a line of defense

Hero Caption: Students at 91��Ƭ tackle a problem in a computer networking lab. / 91��Ƭ

Holly Yuan

Full Name: Holly Yuan

Job Title: Professor / Program Director

Include in Directory: Yes

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department Cybersecurity Research & Outreach Center (CyROC)

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Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Information System

University: Nova Southeastern University

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: Georgia State University

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Student team wins statewide cyber defense competition

polingj — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 18:06:37 +0000

Student team wins statewide cyber defense competitionpolingj April 1, 2022

Cybersecurity skills also pay off with fourth place in Midwest regional tournament

Nine students from University of Wisconsin-Stout fended off hours of cyberattacks to win a statewide cybersecurity event and place high in the Midwest regional.

Against four other colleges and universities, 91��Ƭ won the Wisconsin Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition held recently.

Teams were provided mock business networks and had to defend them from eight hours of simulated attacks, or hacks. The attacks were based on real-world events and coordinated by professionals from the cybersecurity field.

The event was a qualifier for the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. 91��Ƭ advanced to the nine-state regional in March; the team finish fourth against nine other state champions and qualifiers. DePaul University won the regional to advance to the national event.

Team members, from left, are Connor Farnworth, Tanner Kowitz, Lee Kottke, Matthew Pomes, Michael Du Mez, Luke Langefels, Vincent Klanderman, Walter Fernandez and Christina Kimball. / Contributed photo

Both events were held virtually.

“I am proud of our Stout team for their cyber-savvy skillsets, being able to create a good game plan, and their passion, teamwork, self-discipline, work ethic and knowledge are beyond what we can hope for from any team,” said Professor Holly Yuan, director of the computer networking and information technology undergraduate program.

Team members and their majors are:

Michael Du Mez, of Sheboygan, senior, computer networking and information technology
Connor Farnworth, of Waukesha, junior, CNIT
Walter Fernandez, of Osceola, junior, information and communication technologies
Christina Kimball, of Dousman, junior, CNIT
Vincent Klanderman, of New Auburn, senior, CNIT
Lee Kottke, of Menomonie, senior, CNIT
Tanner Kowitz, of Sheboygan, senior, CNIT
Luke Langefels, of Minneapolis, junior, applied mathematics and computer science
Matthew Pomes, of Milwaukee, junior, computer science; and applied mathematics and computer science

Langefels was proud of 91��Ƭ’s success in both competitions.

“The biggest factors for our victory in the state competition were our technical skills, teamwork, persistence and problem-solving skills. Our proficiency in these categories allowed us to take the lead early on and hold it throughout the competition,” Langefels said. “On top of that, we had our servers, workstations and firewall secured very early on.”

The state event lasted eight hours, while the regional competition was two days, including 12 hours the first day and eight the second.

91��Ƭ also won the state event in 2020 and took second place last year.

In the regional, 91��Ƭ faced teams that have been competing for five or more years and include graduate students. “We managed to beat six of those 10 teams. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I’m very confident that we will make it to nationals next year,” Langefels said.

91��Ƭ is a federal Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense, the first in the UW System. The designation helps higher education institutions with computer-related programs prepare the U.S. against cybersecurity threats.

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Nine students from 91��Ƭ fended off hours of cyberattacks to win a statewide cybersecurity event and place high in the Midwest regional. Cybersecurity team

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