About

Games are my passion and getting to add in intricate systems or beautiful visuals that will delight players is how I love to spend my time. I have played and studied games long enough to be able to make decisions that players will enjoy on my own, but there is nothing more appealing to me than the team environment of the games industry where everyone is coming to the table with their own expertise to contribute to something greater than the parts individually. Games have grown so much in my lifetime and there are so many types of players now that it is nearly impossible to make something awesome without having a diverse team and set of opinions to make sure the game appeals to as wide of an audience as possible.

Personal favorite genres and games:

  • Long term World of Warcraft nerd (pulled my wife into it recently)
  • Tabletop Xwing miniature game (I do make pew pew noises when playing)
  • 2-D indie game revolution (Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Hades)
  • A good RPG (Witcher 3, Pillars of Eternity, Baulder’s Gate, Elden Ring, Any Legend of Zelda)

I currently work at Oxide Interactive as a Senior Software Developer and have been primarily working on the 4X game Ara: History Untold gameplay systems since 2020. Before that I worked at a small tech startup called Exponential Corp on their flagship product, a gaming mobile app called TallyUp. Previously, I was getting my masters in game design and development from RIT in Rochester, NY. Other places I have worked are HP as a fullstack software engineer and at Amplify on games for early readers. I graduated from Washington State University in 2014 with a BS in Math and a minor in Computer Science. While in school as an undergraduate I was both a TA and had an internship with Schweitzer Engineering Labs, a electrical engineering company that supports most of the technology around power grid systems.

Some Random Facts

  • The first game I ever remember playing was Super Mario 64 on Nintendo 64. The first game I ever saw beaten was Zelda: Ocarina of Time by my dad.
  • Sports that I play: Soccer, Basketball, Flag Football, Ultimate, Dodge-ball, Softball, and Track.
  • Outdoor Activities I enjoy: Backpacking, Hiking, Rock climbing, Bouldering, Disk Golf, Regular Golf, Snowboarding, and Skiing.
  • My first job was working as a soccer referee when I was 15. I continued to ref until I was 19 culminating to a summer where I traveled the entire state for tournaments.
  • My favorite band is Led Zeppelin. I have 7 of their albums including Zeppelin 1-4 and Houses of the Holy and Zeppelin 2 on vinyl. If they ever announce they are going to tour again I am prepared to fly anywhere in the world to see them.
  • I love to travel! I have been to 8 different countries: USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Finland, Italy and Sweden. I have been to 21 different states in the USA.
  • Favorite food: Pho Vietnamese noodle soup