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Curriculum Vitae

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Education

2027

Baruch College

  • Very slowly working on my masters in the evenings with coursework in grant writing, economics, public policy, management and leadership, finance, and program development

  • Took a brief stint at NYU continuing my MPA at Wagner before returning to Baruch. Tuition remission, you know.

Master of Public Administration

2020

Hunter College

  • Muse Honors Scholar; The Hunter College Muse Scholar Program provides a unique learning environment for artistically talented and academically strong students, allowing them to reap the benefits of Hunter’s exceptional arts programs, faculty and resources. Muses visit, study, and interact with the arts across New York City.

  • Extensive coursework in music theory and composition well above the minor requirements​

  • Activities and societies: President/Founder of the Esports and Game Design Collective at Hunter College, as well as the Hunter College chapter of both the International Game Developers Association and Tespa (2017-2020) | Acting Vice-President of Queer Student Union at Hunter College (2017-2018)
     

Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies: Emerging Media

Complete Work History

08/2024 – Present

City College of New York

  • Founding administrator of a new bachelor’s program, approved by NYS in May 2025 with ~70 declared majors

  • Assisted in developing pedagogic goals for accreditation

  • Lecturer for SCI 31105 Identity and Representation in Games

  • Plans/manages all program events, incl. orientations, campus tours, open houses, showcases, and graduation

  • Advises 110+ students, providing guidance on academic and career pathways

  • Supports faculty recruitment, space planning, and allocation of government discretionary funds (Resolution A)

  • Represents the program externally at public events and strategic planning meetings; support communications strategy and student engagement initiatives

Administrator & Adjunct Lecturer, Digital Game Development

11/2016 – Present

EGD Collective

  • Leads staff and volunteer team of 15 and manages community of 2500 college students

  • Builds trust relations with key partners, has closed over 50 partnerships to date

  • Monitors the progress of the planning and execution of annual gaming convention and expo (500+ attendees); has 70 speakers, 70% registration retention rate, and 9.2/10 net promoter score

  • Lectures to cohort of ~90 students on topics in career discovery and development, design, and current events

  • Manages caseload of 50 students for academic and professional advising

  • On-call for 24/7 crisis line for at-risk students, incl. academic, financial, emotional, housing, and medical crises

  • Secured $40,000 of funding over 6 years for programs through grants, donations, and fundraising events

09/2022 – 08/2024

New York University

  • Managed a 5-year grant ($333,333 annual budget) from NYS with goal of promoting commercial game development

  • Acted as department’s main contact with the industry, developing partnerships and student/career opportunities

  • Provided career support to students, including one-to-one mentoring and advisement, career event planning

  • Coordinated all aspects of department High School Program, including admissions and curriculum development

Founder/Chief Executive Officer & Programs Director

Center of Excellence Administrator & Industry Liaison, Game Center

11/2021 - 09/2022

Games for Change

  • Produced all aspects of live events for G4C Learn programs, including game jams, arcades, panels, ceremonies

  • Conceptualized and managed the alumni network for Game Exchange, a virtual exchange program for students in the US and MENA countries; maintains community through events and regular engagement

  • Created extensive databases of contact information for NYC public middle/high schools, immersive media production studios, and industry organizations that support diverse creators

Production Coordinator

Gaming Staff

  • Conceptualized & executed in-house events and sponsorship deals, created pitch decks, hired contractors

  • Created contact lists and ghostwrote email correspondences on behalf of company, periodic graphic design work

  • Answered phone and general customer support including PC/Console rentals, calendar reservations; equipment

  • Assisted with special events such as NYXL's Borough Brawl, East Coast Throwdown, and directed inaugural BrookLAN Game Jam

BrookLAN

06/2021 - 11/2021

Independent Contractor

  • Event production, project management, broadcasting, QA, & graphic/sound design contractor for various clients, including Super League Gaming, NYXL, Kitty Arcade, Liveware Lab, Straight Up Sports, & the US Open. 

  • Duties included set up, directing flow, troubleshoots, & teardown for live esports events, tournament organizing, live streaming, marketing, & overseeing project timelines for game development projects

  • Designed and taught seminars in professional development, game design, & college access for Tech Kids Unlimited, Youth Education & Sports Inc, Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School

Various

08/2019-11/2021

PaleyGX Gaming Expert - Visitor Services

  • Supervised the PaleyGX gaming experience space, assisting patrons with using gaming equipment 

  • Assisted with special event rentals, such as the Spiderman PS4 Launch Party & the NYXL Overwatch League Allstars Viewing Party

Paley Center for Media

07/2018 - 03/2020

  • Production Intern @ Games for Change

    • Worked with Production Manager to produce the 2019 G4C Festival; scheduling, venue coordination, tracking/analyzing gross ticket sales, and writing scripts for speakers and Voice of God

    • Managed volunteer team of 130 during load-in/out & live execution, including concurrent sessions, awards exhibition hall, loading dock, & green room for speakers​

  • Graphic Design Intern @ Project Dragonfruit​​​

    • Created assets for use on mobile dating app's website and blog​

  • Programs Intern @ Brooklyn Children's Museum​

    • Assisted with museum special events & beautification efforts; supervised exhibits & interacted with guests & their children
      ​

  • Assisted students aged 7-17 in learning STEAM-based curriculum in game design, graphic design, video production, music, and Minecraft education

  • Co-taught Art & Sound for Video Games course; conceptualized & prepared lesson plans for audio and music production curriculum

06/2016-01/2018

Game Builder's Academy

Teacher Assistant

08/2017-08/2019

Various

Internships

Publications

2023

Hamer, R., & Blahnik, J. (2023). Collegiate Esports Inclusive Excellence Handbook (J. Cash, J. Fitzgerald, V. Maloney, & K. Wills-Umdenstock, Contributors.). Voice of Intercollegiate Esports.

I penned two sections: Leadership Structures and Social Support Policies.

Collegiate Esports Inclusive Excellence Handbook

Presentations & Speaking

  • Floating Industry Mentor, Speaker, Games for Change Festival Next-Gen Summit (2025)

  • Networking for Introverts, Panelist, Pixelles Montreal (2025)

  • Breaking into the Games Industry, Speaker & Hackathon Judge, Stony Brook University Hack@CEWIT (2024)

  • Level Up: Video Game Paths in Higher Ed, Panelist, Games for Change Student Challenge (2024)

  • Speaker Series: Level Up Your Skills and Career!, Speaker, Harlem Gallery of Science (2024)

  • Everything in Moderation: Building Digital Communities, Speaker, Games for Change Festival Next-Gen Summit (2023)

  • The Power of R&D Partnerships: Digital Game Development, Panelist, NYSTAR Webinar Series (2023)

  • What is an Internship and How Do I Get One?, Speaker, Girl Scouts of Nassau County (2023)

  • Survival Mode: College, Career, and Video Games, Speaker, Geeks Out Staten Island (2022)

  • Game Design and Employment Summer Workshop, Speaker, Tech Kids Unlimited (2022)

  • Games Careers and Communities, Speaker, Games for Change Game Exchange Hackathon (2022)

  • Guest Speaker, School of Interactive Arts – Urban Arts Partnership (2021, 2022) 

  • Gold Award Ceremony Keynote Speaker, Girl Scouts of Nassau County (2021)

  • Women in Tech Week Speaker, St. Anne’s School (2021)

  • How We Can Make Scholastic Esports More Equitable, Panelist, Inven Global Esports and Academia Summit (2020) 

  • Games Community Support and Inclusivity, Panelist, Intercollegiate Game Night (2020)

  • From Collegiate to Careers in Esports: Ft. NYXL, Moderator, Waffle Games 2.0 (2019) 

  • Storytelling and World Building for Games, Speaker, Waffle Games 1.0 (2018)

  • Computer Science Education Week Workshops, Speaker, Girl Scouts of Greater New York (2016)

  • Thinking About World Thinking Day, Speaker, Girl Scouts of Nassau County Oktoberfest Leaders Training (2013) 

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Awards, Honors, Grants, & Scholarships

  • GDC Scholarship, Global Game Jam (2025)

  • Full Bloom Mentorship Program Participant, Sunbloom Media Arts Center (2024)

  • FORGE Fellowship, Forge NYC Arts Consulting (2023)

  • Heartwarming Young Heroes Grant, Youth Service America (2023)

  • Future Class, The Game Awards (2021)

  • JBL Quantum Grant, 1000 Dreams Fund (2021)

  • Anykey Changemakers Grant, Anykey (2020) 

  • CUNY Startup Accelerator Cohort, City University of New York (2020)

  • CUNY Cultural Corps Fellow, City University of New York (2017) 

  • Gold Award, Girl Scouts of the USA (2016)

  • Nassau NYSCAME Scholarship, New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education (2016) 

  • Sponsors of the Arts Scholarship, RVC Sponsors of the Arts (2016)

  • Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology, University of Rochester (2015) 

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Professional Training

  • NonprofitReady (2020 - Present)

    • Leading Remote Meetings

    • Developing High-Potential Employees

    • Crisis Management for Nonprofit Leaders

    • Anticipating Project Risks (Part A and B)

    • Conflict Mediation in the Workplace

    • Being an Effective Board Member

    • Recruiting and Retaining Employees

    • Duty of Care for Managers

    • Improving Dynamics in Diverse Teams

    • Security for the Remote Worker

    • Marketing Essentials Certificate

    • Nonprofit Essentials Certificate

    • Creating Remote Opportunities for Nonprofit Volunteers​

  • Pollinator Virtual Residency (2025)

  • University of Colorado (2025)

    • Queering Identities: LGBTQ+ Sexuality and Gender Identity​

  • University of California - Irvine (2025)

    • Esports Management Specialization

  • Columbia University (2025)

    • Supporting Veteran Success in Higher Education

  • College of Staten Island (2021)​

    • Verizon Business Mentorship Program, CSI Innovation Hub

  • NYU Steinhart (2017)

    • Scoring for Videogames

    • Breakthrough US Action Lab

  • Playcrafting (2016)

    • Designing Games for Impact

    • Legal Issues for Game Developers

    • Introduction to Sound Design for Games

  • Lebanon Valley College (2015)

    • Summer Music Intensive​

  • White House's Let Girls Learn Initiative (2015)

    • Global Conversation on the Power of Educating Adolescent Girls​

  • Hofstra University (2013 - 2015)

    • Introduction to Programming and Web Design

    • Intermediate Cartooning

    • Sculpture and Ceramics

  • Drexel University (2014)

    • Intro to Cybersecurity​

Professional Affiliations

  • National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (2023-Present)

  • Higher Education Video Game Alliance (2022-Present)

  • American Society for Public Administration (2020-Present) 

  • International Game Developers Association (2016-Present) 

  • Girl Scouts of the USA (2003-Present) 

Community & Professional Service

  • International Choice Awards Network, Game Developer's Choice Awards (2025-Present)

  • Digital Games Industry Council Member, NYC Office of the Mayor (2022-Present) 

  • Chair, IGDA Students SIG (2020-Present)

  • Pro-Bono Consultant, Various Collegiate Esports Programs (2018-Present)

  • Exhibition Advisory Board - The Great Connector, Harlem Gallery of Science (2023)

  • Delegate, Girl Scouts of Nassau County (2020, 2022, 2023)

  • Juror, Games for Change Awards (2020, 2021, 2023)

  • Juror, Games for Change Student Challenge (2020, 2021)

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