Melissa Kagen

Melissa Kagen is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Interactive Media & Game Development Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Her academic journey includes previous roles as Assistant Professor of Communication at Curry College (2020–present), Visiting Scholar at MIT’s Game Lab (2019–2020), and Assistant Professor at Bangor University (UK, 2017–2019). She holds a Ph.D. in German Studies from Stanford University (2016), an M.A. in Humanities from the University of Chicago (2010), and a B.A. in Literary Arts from Brown University (2009).

Her research focuses on game studies, walking simulators, and wandering, examining themes like postcolonialism, queerness, and death studies. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds and has published widely in academic journals and popular outlets like The Guardian and Sidequest. Her book Wandering Games (MIT Press, 2022) explores non-combat games and their cultural implications.

Dr. Kagen teaches courses on game design, gaming industries, and death in games. She has also directed operas, including Don Giovanni and Die Fledermaus, and co-founded the Stanford Code Poetry Slam. Her work bridges academia, industry, and performance, emphasizing critical play and ethical design.

Professional highlights include grants from DAAD and the Stanford Arts Institute, and her involvement with organizations like the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) and Boston FIG. Her contributions to game studies have been recognized through invited lectures at institutions like the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Tufts University.