Curriculum Development
Sam oversees the curriculum for the University of Southern California’s cross campus Games program, managing curriculum reviews, iteratively improving course plans and expanding the interconnections between academic departments. Recently, Sam built a new BFA degree in Themed Entertainment, the first of its kind at a major research university, in collaboration with industry professionals and the faculty of over 6 distinct schools within the university.
Course Development
At USC Sam has developed and improved several courses, including the core introductory game design course for undergraduate game students, and the core professionalization course for graduate game students. He has created and developed syllabi for Tabletop Roleplaying Game Design and Interactive Systems Design, and teaches those classes every year to positive student feedback.
Interactive Learning
Sam is experienced in building programs that bring together talented creatives from diverse backgrounds to confront vexing problems of design and innovation in interactive media. He has organized multiple game jams and commissioned games for clients with new and emerging platforms as diverse as the Oculus Rift, Blinks Tabletop Tiles, Google ARCore and PS Vita.
Mentorship
As a teacher, professional advisor, and festival director Sam has crossed paths with many young game developers, including Jenova Chen, Sam Rosenthal, Akira Thompson, Erin Reynolds, Carol Mertz, and A.M. Darke. At both USC and IndieCade, Sam has built additional special programs to provide focused mentorship to lift up young professionals in areas of need and critical focus, such as the USC Games Bridge.