Amanda Elisabeth Surowka

Amanda Elisabeth Surowka serves as a Lecturer in Computer Games Art at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge School of Creative Industries within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. With an industry background in indie game development, she joined ARU in 2023 bringing practical experience to her academic role.

Her educational background includes:

• MA in Games Art, Sheffield Hallam University (UK)
• BA Hons in Games Design, Sheffield Hallam University (UK)
• HND in Computer Games Animation, ESAT Valencia (Spain)

Dr. Surowka's research focuses on the intersection of gaming and human behavior, with particular emphasis on game communities, player psychology including neurodiversity considerations, game monetization strategies, and educational applications of gaming technology. Her industry experience enriches her academic perspective on how gaming environments affect player engagement and community formation.

As an educator, she specializes in Digital Sculpting and Modeling pipelines, teaching modules including Digital Sculpting for Games, Major Project for Games, Digital Arts: Experimental Practice, and Computer Games. Her technical expertise spans zBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, and Unreal Engine, with additional skills in modeling, sculpting, texturing, materials, game engines, game design theory, and project management.

Her professional background as a 3D generalist focused on characters, particularly in indie game development, informs her teaching approach. Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, she brings a multicultural perspective to her work in games art education and research.