Centre for Research in the Digital Entertainment and Media Industries

Course Director

Dr Kieran Hicks is a game design lecturer, they are the director of the DEMI research centre. Their research explores games from user-based and design-based lenses, using games as a tool to engage diverse groups in beneficial activity.

Associate Professor of Architecture

Islam is the Architecture Course Leader. He is an Architect with extensive experience in the design and construction of the built environment. Islam’s research focuses on the intersections between Architecture, Film and Sustainability.

Associate Professor

I am a Contemporary Fine Artist as well as an active researcher in integrated practices. My main area of interest is the use of technology and the digitisation of History and Heritage

Professor

Prof. Brown’s research investigates how contemporary social identity is constructed through rituals of consumption within popular culture. His research also explores the Invented World and the Natural World, including plant/human relations.

Senior Lecturer

Sharon works across all areas of film and media production, focusing upon specialisms in sound design, editing, acting and performance in film. She is an active researcher with international publications on lighting, sound and representation in film.

Course Director

Stephen's teaching centres on broadcast programme histories and media performance, especially acting on television. His research interests include broadcast light entertainment and comedy, television drama, and children's programming.

Course Director - Esports

Ying-Ying is a sociologist and an active researcher in digital cultures. Her main area of interest includes video gamer culture, communities, play, esports, research methods and gender studies from a sociological perspective.

Professor

Esther specialises in player behaviour and analog games, exploring roleplaying, boardgames, fan communities and conventions. She has consulted on playful experiences for companies including Candy Crush (King Games) and Sony PlayStation.

Senior Lecturer

David is a Senior Lecturer in Game Development and an active researcher in the fields of communication and culture studies, game studies, digital heritage, and community management.

Associate Professor Of Lens-Based Media

Becky Nunes is an artist and educator whose work has been awarded, published & exhibited locally and internationally. Nunes’ lens-based practice considers the complexities of land use and amplifies marginalised and polyphonic voices.

Associate Professor

Patrick is an associate professor of Philosophy . His main area of interest is European Philosophy. He writes about philosophy, film and literature

Associate Professor

Dave is an audio-visual artist who holds a PhD in composition. His primary research focus is Electronic Visual Music and he teaches composition, audio-visuals and mastering at undergraduate and post-graduate levels

Senior Lecturer

Dr Andrew Stubbs-Lacy is Senior Lecturer of Film Industries and Studies in the Department of Creative Industries. He is also the postgraduate research coordinator, co-lead for the C3 research centre, and his department’s ethics coordinator.

Lecturer

Lecturer

Emma is an artist, researcher, and lecturer in Games Development. Her research explores applying virtual reality to museum displays to enhance the education and overall visitor experience.

Course Director

Dr Kieran Hicks is a game design lecturer, they are the director of the DEMI research centre. Their research explores games from user-based and design-based lenses, using games as a tool to engage diverse groups in beneficial activity.

Associate Professor

Dr Mark McKenna is a lecturer in Film, Television & Radio. His teaching is focused on the theoretical and critical underpinnings of film production and draws upon his research which is focused on the film and media industries.

Head Of Department - Sugi

Prof. Headleand is a Computing & Video Games academic with over 20 years' experience; internationally recognised as an expert in student engagement. He is head of Games Design & Technology & researches Virtual Reality, Visualisation & Serious Games.

Senior Lecturer

Course leader for PhDs. Senior lecturer in Computer Games Programming – 3D graphics programming and AI.

Senior Lecturer, Games Audio and Technical Design

Mat is a Senior Lecturer in Games Audio and Technical Design. His work spans spatial sound for theatre, procedurally generated audio, reactive props with sensing and recent research on accessible game controllers.

Senior Lecturer

Dr Monireh Astani is a researcher and practitioner invested in the interdisciplinary, audience-oriented, creative practices of animation, visual design, and VR/AR.

Senior Lecturer

Dr. Michael Day is an artist, researcher, lecturer, and occasional curator. He is interested in the ways that digital technologies can structure experience, and produces artworks that explore relationships between technology and agency.

Lecturer

Human is a lecturer and researcher with years of experience in creative multimedia and game development. His main areas of interest include games art and creating realistic game-ready assets through various photogrammetry and 3D scanning techniques.

Lecturer

I am a Senior Lecturer in Games Design specialising in narrative design for video games, including interactive storytelling, game writing, worldbuilding, character development, dialogue systems, player experience, and narrative theory.

Senior Lecturer

Nicola is a visual artist with a specialism in life drawing and visual analysis. Her main area of interest lies in anthropological analysis of visual imagery.

Course Director

David James is Course Director for the Games Design area at University of Staffordshire. He is an award-winning National Teaching Fellow, academic leader and games designer with over 17 years of experience in Higher Education.

Course Director

Davin is the Course Director for Game Technologies. Having experience in running his own indie games company he brings this knowledge and understanding into his teaching. As Course Director he is responsible for supporting placements opportunities.

Senior Lecturer

Senior Lecturer

Course Leader for BA(Hons) Animation with long term professional animation experience in London, Manchester and Copenhagen. Specialisms include CGI, Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality. Researching immersive experiences and emerging technology.

Associate Professor

Dr Agata Lulkowska is a Senior Lecturer in Film Production in the Department of Film, Media and Journalism. Agata’s background is in film practice, installations and photography.

P/T Lecturer (Hrly) - Journalism

Steven is an award-winning digital media artist, photographer, writer and editor who has worked in the media for 20 years. Since joining us at Staffordshire University he has co-created the Digital Content Creation course.

Senior Lecturer

Matt Buckingham is an internationally published author, illustrator, educator and designer with specialisms in children’s publications and picture books.