CEHC Students Participate in the Wolfjam Hackathon and Pixels for Progress Game Jam
ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 13, 2023) — Students and faculty from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity recently participated in the Wolfjam Hackathon and Pixels for Profess Game Jam at Wolfjaw Studios in Troy, N.Y.
The Wolfjam hackathon provides participants with an opportunity to create games, software and products related to the gaming industry, while meeting other designers and developers. Wolfjaw Studios works on some of the most popular games in the world, including "NBA2K," Among US," and "League of Legends."
Held over the course of 24 hours, the event hosted earlier this month, was open to anyone with an interest in game design & development, UI/UX, cybersecurity, software development, and art & design, among other areas.
"Wolfjaw Studios looks to not only build a robust talent pipeline in the Capital Region, but also foster more of a gaming community to a larger population. After great engagement from students and the community with Wolfjam, the plan is for this to be the first of many events that we host, over time developing a more diverse and active gaming community." Mitchell Patterson, founder & studio director at Wolfjaw Studios.
Running at the same time and location with Wolfjam, the inaugural Pixels for Progress game jam was also launched. Pixels for Progress is a civic involvement game jam/workshop where artists, coders, and game developers work together with activists, community organizers, and civic policymakers to explore how games, art, social justice, and political action intersect.
Co-led by Information Science Ph.D. student Sarah Lauser and Tech Valley Game Space executive director Jamey Stevenson, the event runs through Dec. 16. More details are available at https://pixelsforprogress.org/.
"We're introducing civic organizers and social activists to a new way to get people involved in their causes, while also giving people interested in game design a chance to learn from expert mentors. Games are a great gateway to learning, exploring, and taking action," said Sarah Lauser, Ph.D. student and adjunct lecturer, Information Sciences and Technology Department.
CEHC's Department of Information Sciences and Technology currently offers a Game Design & Development concentration in the Informatics B.S. and a minor in Game Design & Development. "Working with industry partners and community organizations provides our students with valuable professional development, networking and engagement opportunities," said Michael Leczinsky, Professor of Practice, Information Sciences and Technology Department. "Through events like Wolfjam and Pixels for Progress, our students gain experience and confidence as they pursue careers in this growing industry."
