IGM Faculty

David I. Schwartz, Ph.D., a 1999 graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, published two textbooks on introductory computing skills while completing his dissertation in civil engineering. Publishing three books simultaneously sparked Cornell University's interest. So, in the summer of 1999, Schwartz accepted a lecturer position in the Department of Computer Science to teach computer programming and develop new introductory courses. Recognizing the academic potential of games, Schwartz founded the Game Design Initiative at Cornell (GDIAC) in the spring of 2001. Soon after, he designed Cornell Library Collaborative Learning Computer Laboratory (CL3), which started hosting GDIAC courses in August 2004. In May 2006, these efforts established Cornell's Minor in Game Design offered by the College of Engineering, the first formal Ivy-League games program. In the summer of 2007, Schwartz joined the Rochester Institute of Technology's Game Design & Development program as an assistant professor. Dr. Schwartz currently collaborates with the Air Force Research Laboratory on wargame design theory and software development. Schwartz also consults for the budding upstate New York game development company Made-for-Motion, which focuses on motion-controlled game development.