Dr. José P. Zagal named Director of the School of Interactive Games and Media

José P. Zagal has been named Director of the School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM) at Rochester Institute of Technology. Joining RIT from the University of Utah, professor Zagal taught his first university-level class in 2000 and has since supervised multiple award-winning student projects, with many of his former students working at leading game studios worldwide. Professor Zagal has edited and authored numerous books and articles on game ethics, games education, game design, role-playing games, and more. He most recently co-authored Seeing Red: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy (MIT Press 2024) and co-edited Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons (MIT Press 2024) and The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies (Routledge 2024). 

Professor Zagal was honored as a Distinguished Scholar by the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) and named a Fellow of the Higher-Education Videogame Alliance (HEVGA) for his contributions to games research. He also serves as the Editor-In-Chief of DiGRA’s flagship journal Transactions of the Digital Games Research Association (ToDiGRA).

“I've known many of the IGM faculty for years, and have long admired what they've built together,” said Professor Zagal of the new role. “When the opportunity to lead IGM came along, it felt like a natural fit and an exciting new challenge. I've spent my career studying and teaching about games from the inside out, and that game-first perspective has always been part of the culture at IGM. I can't wait to work alongside colleagues I deeply respect and help shape what this program becomes next.”

“We were fortunate to have many accomplished candidates,” said Golisano College of Computing dean Matt Huenerfauth. “Professor Zagal stood out for his achievements in addition to his passion for ethics and critical thinking.”

 “I'm passionate about helping students develop what I call game literacy, i.e., the ability not just to make games, but to understand them deeply, to analyze them critically, and to think carefully about the choices designers make and why they matter,” Zagal added. “I've taught game design and game ethics for many years, and what never gets old is watching students move from thinking about games as players to thinking about them as designers and scholars. RIT students are already technically strong. I want to help them ask harder questions about what their games mean and what impact they have on the people who play them.”

RIT is grateful to outgoing Director Dr. David Schwartz for his years of service to our students and the School. Under his leadership, the School of IGM became home to some of the highest-ranked game design programs in the country, with our undergraduate program rising to 3rd in this year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings, and 4th in Princeton Review. Moreover, our students have continued to flourish, with their creations being featured at GDC and in the gaming press, and our alums launching independent studios and popular games.

Director Zagal will formally join RIT on July 1.