Andrey Goncharov

Andrey Goncharov is a Lecturer in the Game Development program at Thompson Rivers University (TWU), affiliated with the School of the Arts, Media + Culture. He holds an MSc (2024) and BSc (2020) in Interactive Arts and Technology from Simon Fraser University (SFU). His research focuses on avatars in virtual environments, particularly the 'Adaptation Gap' between user expectations and avatar performance in social VR platforms. He has worked as a Research Assistant in SFU's iVizLab, developing conversational avatars using Unity, and contributed to VR language-learning projects like Argotian.

Teaching experience includes lab instruction for game design courses at SFU, and currently teaches foundational and advanced game development courses at TWU, including GAME 110, 140, 290, 350, 390/391, and 490/491. He organized the AFK Game Symposium and has been recognized with awards including the NSERC USRSA Grant (2018) and Cody Sawatsky Award (2017).