معرفی
Clay Ewing serves as Associate Professor at the University of Miami, where he operates as a creative technologist specializing in serious games and real-world application of game mechanics. His work directly addresses social justice issues, vector-borne disease prevention, healthcare cost analysis, and labor practice reform through innovative game design. Collaborating with major organizations including Red Cross Red Crescent, Open Society Foundations, ROC United, Oxfam, and AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, his projects have received coverage from NPR, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and The Consumerist.
Professor Ewing's research centers on Social Impact Games, Interactive Design, Gameful Learning, and Mobile Development. He develops experiences that transform complex social issues into engaging interactive formats, exemplified by award-winning projects like Unsavory (which uses social media crowdsourcing for peer learning) and Zoo Rush. His methodology integrates game mechanics with real-world problem solving, particularly in public health education and social safety net systems, creating accessible platforms for community engagement and behavioral change.
His scholarly output demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between computer science, public health, and social sciences. The 2015 publication on crowdsourced water service data in Ghana exemplifies his focus on community-driven technological solutions for global development challenges, combining spatial analysis with open-source platform development to address critical infrastructure gaps.
Professor Ewing's work has earned significant recognition across the digital media and serious games landscape:
- Best of Competition at BEA Festival of Media Arts 2016 for ROC United Diners Guide
- Special Emphasis Award for Use of Social Media Crowdsourcing at Serious Games Showcase & Challenge 2015 for Unsavory
- Gold Award at International Serious Play Awards 2015 for Unsavory
- Silver Award at Davey Awards 2015 for ROC United Diners Guide
- Finalist at Appy Awards 2015 for ROC United Diners Guide
- First Place Mobile App Design at AEJMC Best of Web Competition 2015 for Zoo Rush
- Second Place Mobile App Design at AEJMC Best of Web Competition 2015 for ROC United Diners Guide
- Official Big Game Selection at IndieCade 2014 for Atlantis
- Top Rated EdApp Award at Balefire Labs for Zoo Rush
- Silver Award at International Serious Play Awards 2014 for Zoo Rush
- Silver Award at W3 Awards 2014 for Zoo Rush
- Award of Distinction at Communicator Awards 2014 for Queso
- Silver Award at Horizon Interactive Awards 2014 for Queso
- Reporting Solution at EdTech Digest Awards Finalist 2014 for Queso
He maintains active partnerships with non-profit organizations that provide both funding and implementation channels for his projects. His development of Queso—an open-source learning management system—and other educational tools demonstrates consistent success in securing resources for technology-driven social impact initiatives, while his workshop leadership at events like MozFest and Meaningful Play reflects strong community engagement in the serious games ecosystem.
Professor Ewing leads a dynamic project team focused on developing socially conscious technology applications, with core projects including Unsavory (social media learning platform), Zoo Rush (health education game), and Queso (classroom gamification system). His work with the New World Symphony and participation in conferences like Digital Games Research Association indicate active collaboration with both academic and arts communities to advance the serious games field through interdisciplinary team structures.
