Who Is Stephen?

Stephen (They|Them) is a learning scientist, game developer, instructional designer, worldbuilder, writer, and illustrator.

They hold a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut and have led numerous design projects with organizations including CVS Health, Arizona State University’s Center for Games & Impact, Intel Corporation, Pfizer, the University of Connecticut, UConn Health, and Greenhouse Studios. Additionally, they co-own and manage the independent educational game studio The Pericles Group, LLC.

Stephen earned a Bachelors of Science in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Masters in Curriculum & Instruction in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Prior to returning to graduate school for their doctorate in 2010, they taught a combination of biology, genetics, and human health at a public high school while serving as the district’s educational technology specialist.

Beyond teaching courses like Interactive Storytelling, Accessibility Design, Serious Games, Learning Theory, and Educational Technology, Stephen has co-authored two books, 20+ academic articles (including the well-cited [2012] game-based learning meta-analysis Our Princess is in Another Castle: A Review of Trends in Serious Gaming for Education), and more than 80 scholarly keynotes, panels, and presentations. They reside near Hartford, Connecticut and spend their free time studying philosophy, history, and science as well as gaming, cosplaying, building with LEGOs, and raising a fine young Bengal cat named Mia.

TESTIMONIALS

"Stephen's potential, both creatively and educationally, is boundless. Their storytelling knowledge will play an essential role in developing digital media, gaming, and designs of the future."

Christine Valdez
Social Worker | Adult Educator
"What sets Dr. Slota apart is their approachable and patient mentorship style. They genuinely care about student success and fostering independence, creativity, and critical thinking. I am also grateful for the exceptional support Dr. Slota provided for my unique disability needs. With their accommodations and guidance, I was able to thrive in my studies."

Arpita Kurdekar
Doctoral Candidate | Engineer
“Stephen has a stellar reputation in the games and learning community. I cannot imagine a better partner who thoroughly understands the connections between playful learning and storytelling.

Trent Hergenrader
Prof. of Creative Writing (RIT)
“My peers will attest that Stephen has changed the way we see and understand the world around us, and I expect to apply the lessons and knowledge I have gained from them for the rest of my life."

Devin Quinn
Game Designer
“Stephen's excellent support, capacity for learning, passion for design, storytelling knowledge, and rigorous attention to detail have been extraordinarily influential in my own career."

Tori Wagner
STEM Educator | Game Designer
"Stephen has sparked and sustained my passion for instructional design, learning theory, and serious gaming. I would not be who I am today without them. They created a safe space in which I could take intellectual risks and feel accepted in everything I do."

Michael Cho
Doctoral Student | Music Educator
"Stephen's perspective is unlike any educator I have ever worked with. They teach difficult material in an accessible fashion and take a 'students first' approach, which is incredibly rare."

Kerrie Maguire
Narrative Designer
"Dr. Slota is, without hyperbole or exaggeration, the best professor I have had in my academic career. The knowledge they convey and their passion for narrative design cannot be overstated."

Michael Oldziej
History Educator | Game Designer
"Stephen and I have known each other for almost 20 years. They are a brilliant teacher-scholar and have helped me explore and implement innovative and inclusive pedagogies that meet the needs of my students and myself."

Andrea Kelley
Postdoctoral Fellow of Sociology (MSU)
"As an educator and advisor, Dr. Slota has guided my understanding and exploration of the world; as a co-author and writer, they've helped me shape raw ideas into compelling and informative narratives; as a human, they've shown me that I can turn my dreams and aspirations into reality."

Colter Moos
Doctoral Candidate | Game Designer
"Dr. Slota is one of the most dedicated professors that I have had the privilege of working with, and their expertise has proven to be exceptional. Their natural ability to engage students through storytelling and masterful incorporation of technology has made theirs some of the best classes I've ever taken."

Hailey Wilk
Elementary Educator | Masters Student
"I’ve really enjoyed working with Stephen on our mutual interests in game-based learning. The Frontiers in Playful Learning conference they organized in 2022 was an amazing confluence of educators and game designers from across the country—one of the best small, focused conferences I’ve had the opportunity to attend."

Daniel Burkey
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Diversity | Engineering (UConn)
"Stephen brings passion, creativity, and brilliance to every project they touch—I hope to collaborate with them for many years to come."

Mackenzie Fox
Game Designer
"I've had the amazing privilege of working with Steve on many projects, some focused on academic research, some on games, and most on various fascinating combinations of the two. Besides being one of the most brilliant colleagues with whom I've had the pleasure of interacting, they're also one of the most passionate and collegial."

Roger Travis
Prof. of Classics (UConn)
"Steve is an incredibly talented educator, designer, and writer who uses their diverse experiences to develop learning environments that are engaging, relevant, equitable, and pedagogically sound."

Andrew Cochran
Instructional Designer (UCLA)
"Steve is a collaborator with a strong 'yes, and' philosophy who tackles problem solving as a group activity while promoting diversity and cross-pollination of ideas throughout the team."

Joshua Hirshfield
Game Designer
"I’ve worked with Steve for a long time and they’ve been an empathetic educator with an eye towards effective educational interactive interventions."

Kenneth Thompson
Prof. of Game Design (UConn)

“Steve’s work is superior. Their performance in my courses and as my colleague places them in the top 1% of students I have worked with in my 30+ years of teaching.”

— Michael F. Young, Prof. of Learning Sciences | Educational Technology

Who Is Stephen?

"Stephen's potential, both creatively and educationally, is boundless. Their storytelling knowledge will play an essential role in developing digital media, gaming, and designs of the future."

“Stephen has a stellar reputation in the games and learning community. I cannot imagine a better partner who thoroughly understands the connections between playful learning and storytelling.

“My peers will attest that Stephen has changed the way we see and understand the world around us, and I expect to apply the lessons and knowledge I have gained from them for the rest of my life."

“Stephen's excellent support, capacity for learning, passion for design, storytelling knowledge, and rigorous attention to detail have been extraordinarily influential in my own career."

"Stephen has sparked and sustained my passion for instructional design, learning theory, and serious gaming. I would not be who I am today without them. They created a safe space in which I could take intellectual risks and feel accepted in everything I do."

"Stephen's perspective is unlike any educator I have ever worked with. They teach difficult material in an accessible fashion and take a 'students first' approach, which is incredibly rare."

"Dr. Slota is, without hyperbole or exaggeration, the best professor I have had in my academic career. The knowledge they convey and their passion for narrative design cannot be overstated."

"Stephen and I have known each other for almost 20 years. They are a brilliant teacher-scholar and have helped me explore and implement innovative and inclusive pedagogies that meet the needs of my students and myself."

"As an educator and advisor, Dr. Slota has guided my understanding and exploration of the world; as a co-author and writer, they've helped me shape raw ideas into compelling and informative narratives; as a human, they've shown me that I can turn my dreams and aspirations into reality."

"Stephen brings passion, creativity, and brilliance to every project they touch—I hope to collaborate with them for many years to come."

"Steve is an incredibly talented educator, designer, and writer who uses their diverse experiences to develop learning environments that are engaging, relevant, equitable, and pedagogically sound."

"Steve is a collaborator with a strong 'yes, and' philosophy who tackles problem solving as a group activity while promoting diversity and cross-pollination of ideas throughout the team."

"I’ve worked with Steve for a long time and they’ve been an empathetic educator with an eye towards effective educational interactive interventions."

“Steve’s work is superior. Their performance in my courses and as my colleague places them in the top 1% of students I have worked with in my 30+ years of teaching.”