Katherine Isbister
Katherine Isbister is a full professor in the Department of Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she directs the Center for Computational Experience. Previously, she was an associate professor jointly appointed between the Computer Science department at New York University’s School of Engineering in Brooklyn, and the NYU Game Center. She was also the founding Research Director of the Game Innovation Lab at NYU’s School of Engineering. Her research in human computer interaction focuses on enhancing the social and emotional range of everyday interaction with technology. Isbister’s book on game character design—Better Game Characters by Design: A Psychological Approach—was nominated for a Game Developer Magazine Frontline award. Her edited volume, Game Usability, brings together best practices in game playtesting and user research. In 1999, Isbister was selected as one of MIT Technology Review’s Young Innovators, and she received a Humboldt Experienced Researcher award in 2011. Her research has been covered in Wired, Scientific American, and on NPR and BBC radio.