Leveling Up: Navigating Games and Animation as a Creator of Color

Join the Division of Access, Engagement, and Success and MAGIC Spell Studios for an insightful panel featuring two student designers and an industry professional discussing their journeys as creators of color. Our guests will share how they infuse identity and culture into their work, tips for landing internships in a competitive field, and why diverse voices are essential in gaming and animation. Whether you’re already building worlds or just curious about how to get started, come through to gain some gems and connect with fellow creatives. 

Part of Black Heritage Month at RIT; all are welcome.

PANELISTS:

Cyruss Bell, 3rd year 2D Animation Major

Cyruss Bell is a third-year student studying 2D animation at Rochester Institute of Technology. His experience in the world of animation stems from being a “Disney Dreamer” Class of 2022, directing “Dee Dee Dreadlocks” in the Magic Makers Program, and directing two animated student films, “How Low, Will He Go” and “Wally, Willy, and Lilly”. Writing scripts, acting, storyboarding, and animating are all skills that Cyruss has acquired as a student and as an avid “toon-a-holic”. Storytelling is what drove him to learn animation, as his imaginative stories can come to life through whimsical visuals. Every day, Cyruss strive towards creating inventive and unseen stories using the medium of animation.

Mari Fazio, Product Manager, PerBlue Entertainment

Mari is a game dev professional with specialties in live game monetization, product management, and community. As an avid gamer all her life, Mari was thrilled to learn that her expertise had a home in game development. She’s the product owner of the award winning mobile game, Disney Heroes: Battle Mode which is approaching its 8th anniversary. 

Mari is also working on advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the games space and local communities, partnering with nonprofit organizations such as Make Us Visible NY, Inspiring Girls, Ladies and Theydies in Games of Rochester, and more. 

Daijya Robinson, 5th Year BS/MS Game Design and Development Major

Daijya Robinson is a first-generation college student in the Game Design and Development BS/MS program at RIT. During her studies, she has found a passion for UI/UX Programming with a focus on creating accessibility features within gaming. Daijya has been a UI/UX Programming Intern at Insomniac Games, working on Marvel’s Wolverine, an Engineering Intern at Zenimax Online Studios for The Elder Scrolls Online, and a Game Development Lead on Changeling VR. Daijya is active in the RIT and Rochester community through mentorships with the Computing Organization of Multicultural Students and outreach teaching events through Women in Computing. Outside of academic clubs, Daijya is a part of Women of Character, Honor and Ambition, the founder and president of the RIT Co-ed Softball Club, and a School of Interactive Games and Media Student Ambassador. As the first black woman to pursue their master’s in Game Design and Development, Daijya has always made it her mission to advocate for diversity and representation within gaming.

MODERATOR

W. Michelle Harris, Associate Professor, Interactive Games and Media

W. Michelle Harris is an associate professor in RIT/IGM's New Media Interactive Development program. Harris is a digital media artist who uses code as a medium for engaging discussions as a Black woman in American culture. Harris creates interactive installations and produces live-mixed visuals for collaborative performances. Her artwork has been shown at such diverse venues as the ACM SIGGRAPH, World Maker Faire, and INST-INT, as well as regional venues such as Visual Studies Workshop, Gallery 74, the Baobab Cultural Center, Community Folk Art Center, Schwienfurth Memorial, and Squeaky Wheel. Harris has also done live-mixed visuals for performances in collaboration with Juanita Suarez, fivebyfive, Dave Rivello, Reenah Golden, and for almost every Rochester Fringe Festival, BIODANCE.