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Jennifer Ash is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is the first graduate of the Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (BS) program, approved in 2007, and dual majored with Psychology (BS). Her main interests are in human-computer interaction and gaming, however, sociology of gaming is also an interest. Having interned at 1st Playable Productions while finishing her last semester, she has joined IBM full time in June 2008 as a Software Engineer in User Experience Design.
While at IBM, Jennifer has participated in various volunteer opportunities, most promoting education. These include EXCITE, IGNITE, GEMS, EXPLORE, MentorNet, E-Week, and Lego Robotics. You can learn more about these in PROJECTS. Background Jennifer is originally from near Seattle, Washington. In her pursuit of engineering and science, she choose Rensselaer to further her academic interests. After graduating from the International Baccalaureate Programme at Edmonds-Woodway High School, she decided to pursue Computer System Engineering & Psychology. After exploring internships and research, she decided that this wasn't her primary area of interest, as she really sought more of a balance between the humanities and sciences. After a year of engineering classes, she spent a semester as a computer science major. Computer science, while interesting, did not capture her interest as much as she would have liked. She was currently taking an Introduction to Game Design class that really peaked her interest. After hearing there was a chance that a Games Major could be approved before she graduated, she decided to pursue as many game theory courses possible during her college career while focusing a major on Psychology. Junior year she decided to take a course on the Foundations of Human Computer Interaction. This course accomplished much of what she was looking for in a balance between the humanities and the sciences and she enjoyed the challenges it presented. Previous to that semester she had participated in a play-testing session at Microsoft. This was similar to the HCI class and she realized this was an area she would like to focus on. Junior year also presented itself to two research projects on campus. Both were started at the end of sophomore year, but the projects primarily started that fall. These projects were "Wriggle!" with Professor Katherine Isbister, an installation game experience focusing on gestures and emotions in gaming, and "CapAble Shopper" with Professor Kathleen Ruiz, a grocery store simulation game for those with disabilities. For more information on these, please look at the PROJECTS link above. During spring semester of Junior year, the Games major was approved at RPI and she made a successful transfer into the program. Senior year provided a variety of experiences for Jennifer. Not only did it focus on academics, but it also brought about various leadership positions. This year she was Chair of Genericon XXI, a student-run gaming, anime, and science fiction convention held annually on RPI's campus for 48 hours straight at the end of January. This convention has approximately 30 staff members and attracts around 800 attendees. She attended the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco as a Conference Associate and was a speaker at RPI's Alumni reception held during the convention. She also started interning at 1st Playable Productions during the spring semester and has gained an invaluable experience being part of the team. Through the various experiences, she has accumulated a wide variety of skills. From the basics of programming to 3D animation, to user interface design, knitting and leadership, the value at knowing a variety of skills has helped her in achieving her goals. |
(C)Jennifer R. Ash, 2007-2009 Last Update: December 2009 |