David I. Schwartz, Ph.D., has worked in game design and development academia since 1999, when pitching the idea that led to co-founding the Game Design Initiative at Cornell University. Building on this success, he joined the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007 as a faculty member in game design and development. Subsequently, as IGM's Director from 2015 to 2026, he co-founded RIT Games and guided RIT to world-leading growth in academic rankings and the field. His current research applies digital engineering and gamification across cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and resilience games, while also forging new ground in chaplaincy, nursing, and wargames.