Howdy! My name is Zade, but most of my friends call me Bosco. I am a senior studying Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Game Studies and Design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
I started as a huge first-person shooter fan, playing Overwatch. I started playing role-playing games too; my current favorites are Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Persona 5, and Danganronpa. I was also introduced to virtual reality during my freshman year, which completely blew my mind as to the limitless possibilities to create experiences for the new medium.
On campus, I am a research assistant for Dr. Laura Shackleford, where I am conducting my own research on VR accessibility, specifically with locomotion for wheelchair users. I am designing and creating a VR cradle for wheelchair users to use natural movements in the real world for movement in the virtual one. In addition to research, I am the president of the VR Club at UIUC, a club dedicated to everything XR! Through the club, I have taught a class on Unreal Engine design development for VR, held gaming competitions, and held academic forums for the happenings and the future of XR in education, industry, and entertainment.
Currently, I am pursuing research and job opportunities in game design, virtual reality, human-centered design research. I have been fortunate to have worked with a multitude of professors at UIUC in both areas, and I plan on pursuing game design as a career. I love understanding what elements in video games keep users playing as well as the math behind complex in-game systems such as economy, procedural generation, health/damage systems, and reaction time.